Comments on: Open thread: Tsunami Relief Organizations

By: HeaxApessypaf

HeaxApessypaf — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:55:22 +0000

Nothing seems to be easier than seeing someone whom you can help but not helping.
I suggest we start giving it a try. Give love to the ones that need it.
God will appreciate it.

By: seven_times_six

seven_times_six — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

One cannot stress point #4 enough – especially since most of the affected are poor, and many of the perished are fishermen who were breadearners of the family.

I could recommend AID as an NGO with low overhead: http://www.aidindia.org/CMS/

They do a lot of rehabilitative work even otherwise, so I presume they shall do so here too.
As an added convenience, their site accepts online donations.

By: JK

JK — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I have been seeing postings in Sulekha Newshopper that AID uses DYFI to do some of its work. Don’t know how true that is.

By: seven_times_six

seven_times_six — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

oh it might be true, like most NGOs they are enamored by marxism, for e.g. they even support the CPI led NAPM (National Alliance of Peoples Movements)! I was an AID member once, and that was the reason I left it.

But as I said, they do and fund rehabilitative work like training and so on, and have low overhead, so I didn’t mind donating to them.

By: Quizman

Quizman — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Try
VIDE: http://www.vide-us.org/
GeoHazards: http://www.geohaz.org/
SEEDS: http://www.seedsindia.org/

Try http://www.ashanet.org

By: Nilu

Nilu — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

AID as it happens with most organizations that mainly include students’ is as divided as they come. A part of it supports, hold your breath – Arundathi Roy and her “campaign” for Narmada.

But there are individual ‘blocks’ that concentrate only on the projects on hand…..and it is especially active in Tamil Nadu .

By: Rohit Gupta

Rohit Gupta — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out Sea-Eat blog, the best clearing house of info on this subject.

http://tsunamihelp.blogspot.com

By: deepak

deepak — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I have been loosely involved with ASHA, and know that it has a very low overhead – since most of the work in the US is done by students on various campuses. If you want to be really involved more than only making a monetary contribution, check out the ASHA Stars program : http://www.ashanet.org/projects/asha-stars/

Also, a personal comment, my thoughts regarding donations were exactly like yours, especially looking at the seemingly massive flow of initial aid.

By: Avinash Tadimalla

Avinash Tadimalla — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Hello Ravi,
am in complete agreement with you.
Please consider Volunteers for India Development and Empowerment (VIDE, http://www.vide-us.org), as a prospective NGO to donate to.
ViDE has a partner NGO on the ground in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, SEEDS (www.seedsindia.org).
We are also in touch with Mr. C. Umashankar who is on the ground in Nagapattinam, TN. Mr Shankar used to be the sub collector of this region and thus knows the terrain and the people there, not to mention the influence he has within the adminstration even today.
Please email/call (408 853 0000) for any queries/concerns etc.
I am a ViDE core volunteer, myself.
Regards,
avinash.

By: Quizman

Quizman — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

The ASHA blog on the relief efforts is a good source of info.