In 2011 you generously donated a staggering amount of blankets, quilts, shawls, warm clothes, and water tanks to our annual Back to Basics campaign. See below for a full report.

Report

FORRAD and Manthan, a community-based organization working in 30 villages around the Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan, have teamed up to assist families living in local hamlets with basic necessities.

These families belong to nomadic communities that are socially and economically isolated from the main villages. Many of them live in temporary shelters and have neither the land nor the resources to build homes. Their living conditions make the community’s children and elders particularly vulnerable to cold weather, especially when night temperatures drop to freezing.

Storing water is also a challenge for these families. Some households have access to piped water, but the supply is erratic. Water tankers ply this region; however, due to lack of storage facilities, collecting water in pitchers and buckets is a daily drudge. Building concrete storage tanks allows families to store more potable water for months without waiting in line.

In 2011, building on the efforts of previous years, we provided quilts and warm clothes to the elderly and children, as well as water storage tanks, thanks to donations from individuals and organizations in Delhi. A truck bearing the warm clothes left for Kotri, in the district of Ajmer, on the night of November 29. The clothes and blankets have since been distributed by volunteers at Manthan, and work has begun on five water tanks. We'll keep you updated on the construction progress.