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Report of Kashmir Work
Hindustani Covenant Church
January 2006
HCC is very grateful and thankful to the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden, MCCS and all the partners churches, Swedish Medical Mission and SMC for their great support towards the HCC work in Jammu & Kashmir.
HCC through many activities have been able to share the love of God as to how God is lovable to the suffering people. It is a very challenging job to work in severe winter and there was a snowfall 3 to 4ft high in Gulmarg, Uri and Srinagar. But with the grace and presence of almighty God, we have been to complete successfully relief and rehabilitation activities in earthquake affected areas.
One of our thrilling experience, we would like to share with you. During our visit to Kashmir how we were touched by the living testimony of one 13yr old girl named Ameena. One day our volunteers were involved in the construction work. As it is our practice that three members are divided in each group for the construction. These three volunteers were working on the construction site and this young girl came to meet them. She asked them this question, "Why only three of you are working, where is the fourth person who was working with you yesterday?" The volunteers were surprised and said," We are only three working in this village for more than one and half month but there is no fourth person about whom you are talking." But this little girl insisted that there was fourth person yesterday with you and he was having white shining clothes and shining face but I don't see that person today with you. The volunteers were in great awe and shock and they came back and reported to other volunteers. In the evening during prayer time they shared this experience with others. They praised God together for what God has done just like in the life of Daniel in the Old Testament. When three of them were throne into the fire, they experienced that there was a fourth person who was protecting them from big furnace. Our volunteers praised God together because they knew that the fourth person was no one but Jesus Christ himself helping them in their work. The Lord is visible to others through the work of our volunteers.
The following activities were carried during the Earth Quake Relief.
1. Feeding Programme for the needy
We carried out the feeding program in the month of October as people were not able to move from the villages because of the destruction due to the earthquake and there was no means of transportation. It is a hilly area people are staying 3000 to 9000 feet high on the mountain. The total number of people fed during this programme were more than 1000 for about 20 days in several villages
2. Distribution of essential Items
Tarpaulin - 500 pieces
Emergency Family Kits - 400 sets
Faran (Warm Cloth) - 8 x 600
Blankets - 2000 nos
Kangari (local heater) - 2000 nos
Stoves - 200 nos
Pressure cooker - 200 nos
Dry ration to - 500 families
Children Clothes - 100 nos
Sweaters - 200 nos
3. Temporary Houses
As per the design made by the expert from the Netherlands we have constructed 555 temporary shelters. The temporary shelters have been constructed in following places
Darekot (Uri) 270
Kamalkot(Uri) 235
Baramulla 50
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Total 555
4. Trauma Counselling to the bereaved
The HCC also has five counsellors, who are involved in trauma counselling with the earth quake affected people and who lost their loved ones. This is one of the very difficult task to provide trauma conselling with the people who have lost everything during the massive earth quake.
In one of the incident a father who had lost his two sons, one of 5 years and the other was of 6 years in the earthquake. He had buried them in front of temporary shelters provided to him by HCC. There he was sitting quitely and starring at his sons graves without blinking. He was so shocked that he was not willing to listen to anyone. He was very depressed because of the death of his sons. During this difficult time our counselor went to him to give him comforting words. They gave him some water to drink and food to eat. They requsted him to eat so that he would be able to regain his strength and concentration. They tried their level best to explain him that there are always ups and downs in life and we should be strong enough to face the difficulties. It is a very big sorrow to loose two sons at the same time. They gave him the love and courage which helped him to look at life again in a fresh manner.
5. Disaster management training
The experts from the Yashda Pune were involved in giving training to the villagers. In the areas of how to save the life during the massive calamities. We have organized youth organisation whom we have also trained in in Jammu & Kashmir in following ways:
a. Disaster preparedness and recovery
b. Introduction to disaster ( type of disasters)
c. Community based disaster management
d. Preparedness of village level disaster management plan with local participants.
6. Future Requirements
a) Still there are lots of requirements and request from the
affected people they want that we should help them in
the construction of permanent houses.
b) They want some help to earn their livelihood as they don't
have their income sources and help to get out of the
poverty line.
c)They also need a medical facilities and continuous help from
the counselors.
HCC had 13 volunteers working in these areas at present Suresh and Rev. William Reddy together with Asher Wasker are there in this difficult situation and severe winter staying with the victims and giving them new hope for the rebuilding of their life spiritually and physically.
Thanking you
With Kind Regards
Rev. Steven C. David
Hindustani Covenant Church |
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