Friends, This is a brief update of our visit to Alampur last Sunday, 25th October.
*Participants:* 10 members - Prasanthi, Ravi Shankar, Satyakrishna, Dr. Sundar Raj, Chandana Potluri - TMAD - Giri Kolanupaka - ASHA - Nitin - ITMD - Kalyan (Friend of Raghuvineel of TMAD/RAYS/AMIGOs) - Pavan (Friend of Kalyan) - Uday Bhaskar (Lending Hands) First we went to Govt. Boys High School and spoke with the Headmaster. Later we divided into three teams and covered Chinna Dargah Veedhi, Pakkal Veedhi, Santa Veedhi and Kattela Veedhi. Later we went to Brahmana Veedhi. Noted down the no. of families that are in the surrounding streets of Brahmana Veedhi. Major demand being migration and provision of land at higher altitude. There are seven govt. schools: Three primary schools and Four high schools. Other than these there are few convent schools too. 1. Govt. Boys High School (which is behind Gandhi's statue) is badly damaged with respect to infrastructure. There is not much of a loss to the building. This is the only school which comes under Panchayat. Panchayat has given Rs. 15000 to clean the premises and make it ready for the children to attend classes. Established in the year: 1950 Teaching Staff: 10 Non-Teaching Staff: 4 Classes: 7 classes (6th to 10th TM; 6th and 7th EM) No. of students: 180 *Loss:* - Loss of records and furniture in Headmaster room - Damage to benches and teacher chair/table in class rooms - Science lab equipment was lost completely - Ten computers got drowned and the educational CDs too got damaged - Library room is not yet opened so cannot estimate the damage Headmaster Mr. Abdul Haq (93916-25462) mentioned that it would be good if we can provide benches for students, chair/table for teachers in all classrooms (7) and furniture in Headmaster room. Apart from that Science lab equipment, computers, library books and books for children would help. 2. Chinnadargah Veedhi We have taken the details of around 30 families here. *Loss:* Most of the houses got collapsed and are yet to be cleaned. Most of them lost everything....... utensils, clothes, books, the provisions that they saved (it is usual for them to buy in large quantities from Kurnool and store) etc., *Occupation:* *Sale of provisions in village market* Two of them sell the provisions (specially the spices) in the village markets. *Labourers:* Either construction workers or agriculture labourers or workers at polish shops (may be marble polish) (they say paalish pani) or Beedi rolling (specially women who can't go out or work in fields) *Tailors:* Nearly 7 to 10 members mentioned that they are tailors. They lost the machine and also the other accessories. *Snacks Vendor:* One family head used to sell snacks in a shop. The cart, stove, cylinder, big water container, kerosene -- everything was lost. *Cooldrink Vendors:* Three to four families sell cool drinks in rented premises. The machinery was lost. *Clothes and Chappal Vendor:* Elder brother used to sell clothes and the younger one (both are old in fact) sell chappals. *Coconut Vendor, Glass Fitting person, Electric contract work, electrical equipment shop, computer job work etc.,* ** All the residents in this street agreed to take used clothes in good condition. *Status of the street:* - Cleaning is not yet completed. Still the slush is wet and stinky on the streets. - Pigs are having a good time and they are in very unhygienic condition. - Only some houses were cleaned. Some are beyond repair and it takes time to clean. *Requirements:* They requested: provisions, utensils, stove, clothes, sleeping mat and books. They said that they will use the water filter. Some of them got the stoves. *My idea:* To give each family one sleeping mat and water filter. If possible, books for children. Though everyone requested for provisions, no need to provide. If we can it is better to show employment opportunity by buying them any good quality second hand sewing machines and also items for sale in village market (A minimum budget of Rs. 6000) As we visited each household, we were convinced about some of them that they are not greedy and request only the items that they require to get on in life. 3. Brahmana Veedhi 30 brahmin families are residing here. We spoke with the Pujari of Jogulamba temple, Dasaratha Rao garu (98854-82973). More than their requirements he suggested to help the families in Telugu Veedhi, Mangala Veedhi etc., for whom no help reached. He didn't show interest on water filter saying we are not getting enough water and so no use of keeping a filter. Instead we require stoves so that we can cook whatever the provisions that we receive from the donors or the govt. For Brahmana veedhi (30 families), we can give the following: 1. A sleeping mat 2. Blanket 3. Clothes 4. Stove 4. Other streets - Telugu Veedhi: 100 families - Pullanna (97035-80835) - Mangali Veedhi: 60 families - Nagaraju (94402-61206), Anji (97056-76733) - Netaji Nagar: 60 families - Santha (Anganwadi teacher) - 96423-38700 - Lakshmi Nagar (old hospital lane): 25 families - Mohd. Muktiyar - 99662-42548 - Narasimha Swamy temple lane: 60 families Whatever we mentioned for Brahmana Veedhi, we can distribute the same in all these streets. We have to actually verify and cross check this count by talking to any official. Mr. Khaja Moinuddin (94405-59010), an official in Panchayat Raj was with us (the team who did survey in Chinna Dargah veedhi and Pakkal veedhi). He spotted us when we were talking to the HeadMaster and requested us to visit Brahmana Veedhi and near by streets as no one visited them. As those streets were not in our original plan, we told him that depending on time we will visit. He came with us and helped us in getting the data. Our other teams had lunch at his home only (food is ours though:) ) He vacated the house and is staying in a near by village where he is working. He says that anyone who visits these streets can use his house as a resting place. *Strategy for distribution:* If we decide to give family kit to the families in all these streets (as we visited them and created a hope), we have to follow a strategy. There is no way that we can go with goods into the streets. People literally jump on our vehicles and grab whatever they can. - We will cross check and zero in on number of families in each street. - Buy those many kits and station ourselves at the place beside Montessary school. - Give a call to the heads of each street and let them meet us. - We will distribute coupons based on the number of families in their streets. - These people will distribute them confidentially and one or two members from each family will come and collect their kit. - The coupons would be printed in order with a serial (say CD01 for Chinna Dargah veedhi coupons, PV01 - Pakkal Veedhi, SV01 - Santaveedhi, KV - Kattela Veedhi etc.,) - Four volunteers would be at each desk(one line for each street). One volunteer to make the people stand in line, one to verify the coupon and update the record, one to give the kit and another one is to supervise the activity. - Identifying each person would be through Ration Card or else an assurance from a neighbour that they are the ones who they claim to be. 5. For Santa Street and Kattela Street, details will be shared by respective team members. *To be contd.........!!*
