Jain Spirit 2001 12 No 09

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 17

Gujarat Earthquake
items for another school run by a rural action group called MARAG. The other three projects are receiving further consideration at the moment.
Artist's illustration of proposed BEHT boys school
B
.E.H.T (Bhagvatinandji Education and Health Trust) run by Ajay Gudka, Chetan Shah and Shobhna Shah have managed to raise over £50,000 for the Gujarat relief effort. The trust is run on a zero administration cost basis and all of the money raised for the earthquake will go towards the building and running of a 400 capacity boys school.
he Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) has
raised $350,000 for the affected earthquake victims of Gujarat. JAINA has sent $24,000 in cash, 500 blankets, 10,000 food packages, 10,000 water bottles, 1000 flashlights, 10 computers, 100,000lbs of clothes, 100 wheelchairs, 50 walkers, 100 crutches, 100 canes, and
Children playing in Kutch
In
medical supplies totalling $100,000. addition to this, JAINA also fed 600 people for a month and are currently sponsoring a primary school at Samkhyali near Bachau.
village that was completely obliterated in the Gujarat earthquake is now in the process of being resurrected. Ninama, which is situated about 70km south east of Rajkot, has now been adopted by Shree Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal and various Organisations from the UK collectively known as the Gujarat Earthquake Relief Fund (GERF). The new village will comprise of 350 new houses, a school, a temple, a police station, a community hall, crematorium, a bus stop, a play ground, fully connecting roads, electricity, water and sanitation systems. The ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone was conducted on the 12 August 2001, on the auspicious day of Krishna Jayanti. GERF has been collecting money ever since the tragedy occurred early this year. Their first event raised in excess of £190,000 in just two hours. GERF sent three representatives between 11-19 June to the effected area on a fact finding mission to decide how best to spend the raised money. On their return they recommended six projects with the re-building of Ninama as one of them. Other projects included the re-building of a school in the town of Muli and the purchasing of toys and educational
A
GLOBAL NEWS
n Singapore the Jain community decided to organise a Food Fair to raise money for the earthquake. Thousands of dollars were raised at this event, - see pictures below:
ujarat
Mother showing child the earthquake affected area
DESSERTS
Jains from Singapore raise money by hosting a Food Fair
December 2001 February 2002 Jain Spirit
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