What's up y'all,
Many of you were generous enough to support my trip to India this past May, and for that I am truly grateful. The trip was an incredible opportunity for me to participate in something extremely worthwhile and meaningful - helping to provide one of the most basic needs to people who lacked the resources to attain them on their own.
I am proud to say that our work alongside the villagers of Kothasatram-Indiranagar was a great success! With your help, we were able to fund and finish building nearly all the houses in the entire village. Having a stable source of shelter is one of the first steps towards self-sufficiency for these people, especially in the aftermath of such a tragic event as the 2004 tsunami.
However, the work hasn't stopped there. While the house-building volunteers are no longer needed in KI, that doesn't mean we cannot still have an impact on their lives. Thus, two on-going health programs have been established to provide the children of KI with the nutritional and medical resources they need to continue growing and stay healthy.
The Children's Feeding Center, founded by a past volunteer, provides one egg and one glass of milk to every child in the village everyday. And only $1 is needed to provided those resources for up to 3 children. In conjunction with that, KI Care was recently founded to provide access to medical care for everyone in the village. This includes monthly visits by healthcare professionals, access to medical supplies, and emergency support for all the villagers.
These are essential needs. Ultimately, our goal is to empower these people to become self-sufficient and attain the equality that has been denied them because of their caste distinction. But this is the first step. Help them take the next step towards empowerment and equality by supporting these programs with a small donation. Every dollar goes a long way in these communities, so every little bit counts! Help us provide the kids of KI with the resources they need to survive and ultimately succeed!
Please visit these links for more information on everything that Longitude is doing to Uncaste India, and for more specific information on the programs benefitting KI.
http://blog.golongitude.org/category/india/
http://www.golongitude.org/www/Uncaste_India.html
Thanks and Peace!
UPDATE: JAN. 26, 2009
You've done it! Thanks so much to everyone that has contributed so far! It's really been amazing to get back involved with Longitude and support them at this very important stage in their development. So let's not stop here - $365 was a bit of a symbolic number, so let's keep it going and continue to raise as much as we can.
Spread the love.