Dear Birds, Greetings.
This is a sincere request to all of you once again to consider working together. Let us take up one village and work to make a considerable difference there. Let us all pool our resources and work. May be it is very true that everyone loves a good drought. For that matter, any calamity. This is an opportunity for us to learn and do some ground level work. The experience we gain would help us understand how things work. The learning would be unmatched. No text book or a best seller can teach us what we can learn on field. We have been discussing various issues and most of us felt that we haven't come across any higher need to get motivated for a team work. Isn't the current flood situation is one such higher need? Until and unless we work together, we cannot achieve or expect optimal results. Remember, doing things individually would not be much of a challenge. Doing things collectively is definitely a big challenge. The result would be very fruitful. Can we take this up? Are we game for it? As the Founder of TMAD group, I state that TMAD would be part of this activity and I am ready to spend 15 days in any village that we identify for collective work. Many of our TMAD volunteers too would come for short spells --- say two days on a weekend or five days if they can manage leaves. And any other support that we can offer we will do. We also will help in raising some funds from our front. Our volunteers are there in Bangalore and Chennai and they also will participate if we can zero in on any village in Kurnool. Aravind of Swechcha Foundation gave a call to me yesterday and tomorrow we will be meeting Sridevi to discuss the flood relief activity. Their volunteers worked all over AP in the flood affected areas. He expressed his interest to be part of such a collective effort when I discussed the idea with him. With the kind of association that I have with AMMA Social Welfare Association, Lending Hands, RAYS I am pretty sure that I can pledge support on their behalf too. In fact, they supported this idea. I am sure that Dr. Raman Foundation, I & EYE, ASHA, Reddy Charity, Manavata, Vruddhi Foundation and Balarakshaks too would chip in. Other key volunteers who are not members of any group also would support. I haven't yet discussed with Aashayein, but I am quite confident that they too can support. I am sorry if I missed any regular group name. It is not intentional. Frankly to say, I believe and hope that every member (either group or individual) will support this idea and take an active role. I propose to meet on Diwali day to discuss our action plan. Meanwhile we will get latest updates from all the groups. The activities can be the following once we select any village: a. Cleaning b. Motivating the families c. Engaging children - it can be in the little work that they do or teaching, getting them back to studies. I visualize gathering them all in the evenings and teaching them in innovative way through games Long term: a. Housing b. Livelihoods For the long term action plan, we need to do a comprehensive survey in the village and we need to request experts to visit and suggest us the measures and all. Call for Meeting: Date: 17th October: Diwali Timings:10:30 am to 1 pm (This is safer. Evening probably we cannot walk on the roads) Venue: Krishnakanth Park (have to find out if they keep it open in the mornings). Will confirm. Request you all to suggest any venue, if this does not work out. -- Thank you. with regards, PRASANTHI. http://groups.google.com/group/birdsofsamefeathers ---- When you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
