CARE TODAY was set up by the India Today Group
in 1999 to channelise financial contributions from readers
for helping victims of calamities. In order to help the tsunami
victims, the India Today Group has committed an initial contribution
of Rs 5 lakh to a special fund, "Make a Difference" to help
the victims, with an identical sum coming from TV Today.
Community mobilisation would be crucial to the
rehabilitation programme. Since it will be impossible to administer
such a programme from Delhi, CARE TODAY proposes to partner
local agencies in the effort.
Care Today began its response to the tsunami on
27th December, when it began issuing appeals in India Today,
Aajtak and Red FM for financial contributions and dispatched
an emergency medical response team from St. John's Hospital
Bangalore into the worst-affected Nicobar Islands. Readers,
viewers and listeners of the group have responded generously,
as always, and total contributions are almost Rs. 3 crores.
Grants worth Rs. 1,41,86,498 have already been approved, of
which Rs. 1,05,12,498 has already been disbursed. The projects
completed are the emergency medical response team (Rs. 4,41,898),
a boat service on Kachal Island in the middle Nicobars (Rs.
57,600) and supply of 23 fishing boats with equipment in Akkampettai
village of Karaikal district (Rs. 34,50,000). Projects currently
underway are supply of nets and equipment to 198 fisherfolk
families (Rs. 25,47,000), financial support to children in
distress (Rs. 39,63,000) reviving agriculture on 600 acres
of land (Rs. 31,75,000) and livlihood support to 60 families
in Hut Bay area of Little Andamans (Rs.5,25,000).
Responding to the tsunami
has been a challenging task - the spread and extent of the
disaster is unprecedented. Care Today is committed to reaching
and benefiting the worst affected communities, no matter what
barriers exist, and to informing contributors as to how their
money is being used. We will be supporting one large housing
reconstruction project in the mainland, where discussions
are currently underway, and are also looking at possibilities
in the remote and devastated parts of the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
Mr.
Ajit Chaudhuri, Executive Director & Ms.Skalzang Youdon,
Programme Officer
ajitc@intoday.com
Care Today Fund, F14/15 Connaught Place, New
Delhi 110 001, India
Telephone: 011 2331214 (direct) 011
23315801/2/3/4 Extn.287
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