December 7, 2015
Day 1 of Action saw the Procurement phase kicked off. with our volunteers on the phone and on the road, we have collected some useful stuff from some of the distribution centers. We have also contacted and negotiated with some shops and traders to procure items at minimal or no cost. The items we are chiefly targeting are those that a family will need when they get back home after the water has drained or has been cleared .
These items are preventive health related,personal, sleeping related, kitchen related, bathroom related, and children related.
Health related for example are those items required to guard against getting infected. Detergents to clean the house before occupying it, dettol to wash and sanitise before cooking, eating, mosquito repellents, coils and cream, mosquito nets, chlorine and other water purifiers, slippers, etc,
Personal – clothes, sanitary napkins, mirror, comb, hair oil, cotton, earplugs.etc.
Kitchen utensils cooking, serving, plates, cups, glasses, containers, serving spoons, etc. some minimum grains and condiments.
Sleeping – mats, bedsheets, pillows, led lamps
Bathroom related – buckets, mugs, kodam(plastic), cleaning brush.
Children – books, notebooks, school bag, lunch boxes and bags, ribbons, hair clips, slippers
We have identified sources and collected a few. We have been promised items from a truck coming in tomorrow.
Very heartening to note that spontaneous donations have been pouring in into our account,around Rs.60,000/- on day one !
Rs 2 lakhs and odd have been committed by other sources.
Every Rs. 5000 means an additional family will get benefited.
New people have become friends and volunteers and already friends have affirmed their support and commitment. We have close to twenty five volunteers now who have touched base with me. We need to keep everyone’s interest alive and hopefully everyone’s hands will be full once we get started with identifying the beneficiaries, provide them the kit, counsel them, assess their needs and learn from them how to live with limited means and still have fun in life.
Until tomorrow. Chow,
– Dr. L.N.Rajaram