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An Update on Bhutan Families Support Program in Atlanta Area

November 26, 2008

This is an update on the activities of the group on behalf of the Bhutanese families in Metro Atlanta area.

Latest Update from Sacramento about Bhutanese Refugee families support program - Feb. 14, 2009

New families are coming to Sacramento area approx. every two weeks and with that number of Bhutanese people covered by Samarthan has now reached to 70.

Sampark:

Team of sewa/hss/annapoorna volunteers are regularly maintaining close contact with existing Bhutanese parivar as well as new families coming from Nepal.
Team has consolidated distribution of essential items into a Family Kit model. A kit consists of orientation material + Blankets/Jackets + kitchen utensils and two sets of kits were distributed to two new families during the weekend of Feb. 7th.
Though govt. agencies have been placing this new families in different locations, an increase in the strength of the local volunteer team has facilitated simultaneous distribution of relief supplies to them.

Sewa USA voluteers have been working on some basic things with the Bhutanese. Shiv Prakash Mishra, a karyakarta from our Vivekananda Shakha is coordinating the efforts for our Bhutanese brethren.

So far what we have done is:

1. Temple rides every week (with some exceptions) to 10-15 Bhutanese brethren
2. Warm clothes for the winters
3. Jobs for them (have managed to get 2 of them placed at a restaurant), working on more

Plans for future:

1. More jobs
2. BRE will be the most important project of our UNC shakha in spring semester - we will work on helpin them with car driving lessons, jobs @ unc if possible, basic english (and other) lesssons for the kids (conducted by UNC students)

Chicago Chapter celebrated Makar Sankranti with Bhutanese Refugees. Around 100 Bhutanese and around 25 volunteers attended the utsav.

Program started with Deep Prajawalan and Bhajans. We had short speech about SEWA International, General speech about how to appear for interview and SNY announcement.

We distributed 10 lb of rice, 1 gallon of milk, a can of mango pulp, one OM picture, Agarbati pack, Hanuman Chalisa, a shawl. We also distributed Til-gud. Program ended with Shanti Mantra.