Friends Of Himalaya (FOH) Efforts For Children
A FRIENDS OF HIMALAYA (FOH) initiative to support the children who lost their fathers in the Kedarnath Disaster
Direct Money Transfer Scheme: Immediately after the Kedarnath tragedy ‘Friends of Himalaya’ and ‘Dhaad’ provided scholarship to the school students who lost their parents. In the first phase of the program 20 scholarships were distributed to students. Each student was paid 800 rupees per month. Currently 100 students are getting scholarship. Children who lost their father were preferred in the allotment the scholarship. Majority of the beneficiaries of this scholarship are dependent on their single mothers.
A Friends Of Himalaya (FOH) opened a saving bank accounts for all the children in the name of their mothers. Every month we transfer 800 rupees in their accounts. The money is being collected through crowd-funding from individual donors.
So far, more than 4 million rupees have been directly transferred to the beneficiaries. We need Rs. 1,60,000 per month to support 200 children. We have also conducted several one-day programmes to help children and distributed school uniforms, bags etc.
Summer Camp for Children
Friends of Himalaya organized a summer camp in Kedarnath valley for the school children. Beneficiaries of scholarship and their single mothers were specifically encouraged to attend the event. More than 100 single mothers attended the event.
Experts from all walks of life were invited to deliver a talk. Through this exercise an attempt was also made to introduce students with the ethnic and racial diversity in India. That’s why experts were chosen carefully from diverse backgrounds. Working women and members of minority community were called to deliver a talk to students. Students and their parents also shared their problems in the interaction.
Potential donors were also invited in the event. After this program, donors expressed willingness to expand the program and offer more scholarships. Now total 200 students are getting 800 rupees per month for their education and other needs.
On the second anniversary of the disaster, we had a three-day summer camp – where people from different walks of life shared their experiences with the children. This was really an eye-opener for children and their mothers. Mohan Kala, an industrialist from Mumbai, announced support for 40 more children for scholarship. The camps were organized in September 1,2013 in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand.