Help for Uttarakhand

This forward from Chandni:

From manakmatiyani@yahoo.com
Jan 16, 2011
Subject: Request for help for landslide affected people in Uttarakhand

Dear Friends,

Hope you are well and had a great beginning to the new year.

I am writing to ask for some help, hoping you will consider this
request and also pass this letter along to others.

You might have heard about the landslides in Uttarakhand due to the
heavy rains in September 2010. Along with the destruction of lives and
property, the disaster also made the areas inaccessible, making it
difficult to send aid for the affected people. The people have been
trying to pick up the pieces and reconstruct their lives to start a
fresh new year. To aid in this, Dinesh, a young person from
Uttarakhand whom I know has been trying to collect and transport
relief materials for the affected people. With support from Goonj, a
very active relief agency, he has been able to get a large amount of
material including clothes, ration materials, household items etc for
500 affected families in the area. The transport of the material (100
gunny bags) to Almora and then the affected villages requires a total
of 22,000 rupees. We are trying to raise this money through donations
from friends and supporters. I am forwarding Dinesh's request for help
and attaching a letter that he has written with this email.

Dinesh is from a small village called Garam Paani situated close to
Almora and has been working on social issues with local people
independently for the last few years. He does not have a registered
organisation and has sought support from a local body called for
managing the accounting and proper use of these funds. I have
volunteered to collect in Delhi and send to Dinesh by the 31st of
January. Even small contributions would go a long way in ensuring that
the materials reach the right people in time and I strongly urge you
to donate whatever you wish and can spare for this cause. I know
Dinesh and can vouch for his good intentions and commitment towards
the local people.

I am based in Delhi and can organise to meet you and collect your
contribution. Any contribution and your support in forwarding this
request to others would be of immense help.

Thanks!

Manak.

PS: Manak's email id is at the top of this mail. Please contact him
directly if you wish to contribute in any way.