These Are the Minutes of the World Wide Conference Held on 24Th January 2005 at 6.30 Pm IST

Hello Everyone,

These are the minutes of the World Wide Conference held on 24th January 2005 at 6.30 pm IST.

Attendees:

From India :

· Hon Mr. C. V. Shankar, IAS

· D.P. Praksh

· Sumathy

· Prasanna

· Sathya Priya

· Jebadurai

· Dhanalakshmi

· Lokesh

· Viswanathan

· Ajai Patel

From US :

· Vinodh and Santhosh (Austin)

· Melli Annamalai (Boston)

· Saurav (U.K)

Venue : Asha Home (T58A)

AGENDA:

1. Brief Introduction about Asha (Prasanna)

2. Relief Commissioner’s opening comments (Hon Mr.C.V. Shankar,IAS)

3. Questions from Asha Abroad

4. Additional Questions

Moderator: Prasanna

Minutes:

General:

Hon Mr.C.V. Shankar,IAS was very interested to spare his time for Asha.

The meeting was went on for half an hour

I.Brief Introduction about Asha (Prasanna):

Asha is an action group for basic education in India. There are over 65 different chapters of Asha worldwide. The organization has over 1000 active volunteers and several thousand supporters around the world. Further, involvement with Asha has produced an awareness about developmental issues in India and has inspired a whole range of volunteers to get involved in other social causes.

Asha Honor is a focus group of Asha working to facilitate universal quality education in India before 15th August 2047. Asha Honor is facilitating over 16 active projects including:

Asha Honor Academy (AHA):

Mission
Create livelihood options for self reliance of Tsunami survivors in
India

AHA Target Areas:

Participating villages from ~50 villages in coastal Tamilnadu
districts including Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Kanya Kumari, Chennai,
Thiruvallur, Vizhupuram, Thoothukudi, Velankanni, Thiruvarur,
Thiruvallur, beginning with the most needy. For villages in these
districts see http://www.ashanet.org/chicago/village/html. Tsunami
affected villages from Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Kerala will also be
included at a later stage.

II.Relief Commissioner’s opening comments (Hon Mr.C.V. Shankar,IAS)

Greetings to all

He described the phases of work done by the Government during Tsunami in all districts.

I Phase:

· Search of dead bodies

· Relief camps

· Arranged for medical Aid facilities

II Phase:

· Compensation amount given to the people who lost their huts.

· Provided utensils, clothes for the tenants of huts

III Phase:

· Temporary shelter for 3000 people was put on by the Government

· Various NGO’s working on temporary shelter

· Construction of permanent shelter beyond 500m. Collectors are involved in identifying the lands.

· Boats and nets: Plan to give 45000 boats as replacement and nets. Repairing works wherever necessary for the boats.

· Planning to give compensation for crops and soil.

How Asha can support:

Children and Women: At present 300 children are orphans and children needs

psychological support in the form of counselling. NGO’s like UNICEF, WHO are involved in this work. Children very much need of this kind of support at present. NGO’s like Round Table is planning to construct schools.

Livelihood: Many people got injured and not able to get back for fishing. Self – Reliance training is very much essential.

III.Questions from Asha Abroad:

What is the action of Central Team?

Central Team visited on 4thto 6th January and planning for special package for fisherman community and for laborers.

Is there any pockets of villages which does not receive any support till now?

He said that all the villages have reached the support.

How many children are going to school?

Children have started to go to school and 500 school are functioning.

For further Details regarding the Government work:

Email:

Mobile No: 9841055955

Phone No: 55515898/1070