Kolkata Missions

 

On May 20, 2020, Amphan Cyclone hit the Bengal coast with wind speeds up to 114 mph. More than a hundred people were killed, hundreds of thousands left homeless, and the area now faces billions in damages.

 

I am half Bengali, and Kolkata, India is my second home. The region of West Bengal was hit the hardest, and the millions of residents of Kolkata and its surrounding districts felt the effects of Amphan to some degree. To say this super cyclone damaged the region is an understatement: it devastated it. Most of the region has been razed. It ravaged the Sundarbans, a critical habitat of the Bengal Tigers. It tore through Bangladesh, leaving millions displaced. Upon entering Kolkata, it demolished powerlines, trees, shanties. It wiped out entire communities, and left millions helpless.

 

On top of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the people of West Bengal have been gutted. The demographic of the area is impoverished, and millions live on the streets as it is. With the cyclone destroying any makeshifts homes, these people are now truly left with nothing.

 

I have deep personal ties with Kolkata. My mother immigrated from there, and half of my entire family still lives there. My grandmother weeps on the phone as she describes the wasteland outside her window, and I feel the collective pain of the people.

 

I am raising money now to aid those in immediate crisis- those in need of food, shelter, clothing. All proceeds will be donated to the Cultural Association of Bengal (http://www.cabusa.org/).  This organization was created 50 years ago to aid families living in West Bengal, based out of the USA. You can donate through this page, or through my charity website, www.kolkatamissions.wix.com/home.

 

For images of the devastation, please see the following photo story: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/20/weather/gallery/cyclone-amphan/index.html

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Thank you for your help!

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LINK TO GO FUND ME DONATION PAGE : https://www.gofundme.com/f/assistance-for-west-bengal-post-amphan-cyclone?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/week-after-cyclone-amphan-kolkata-hit-by-squall-at-96-kmph/story-phba3qOjc5TWmvti0UOCRP.html

https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/amphans-toll-more-than-100-killed-billions-in-damage-hundreds-of-thousands-homeless

 

 

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Hello everyone! I have just returned from India where I was able to oversee the completion of the playground, and I am  absolutely stunned by its transformation.  I can't even put into words how amazing it was to see it now compared to what it used to be, so please go through all the pictures and videos (attached below). We are still about $300 short, but the majority of the project is complete!

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I want to just give a massive thank you to everyone who donated and helped make my dream a reality. I was able to witness firsthand the children playing on the new equipment, and just to see the pure joy on their faces was definitely worth the months of planning and raising money. If I had to do it all over again, I would. And in fact I'm going to.

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So with this project completed, I am happy to announce my next one: the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy. While in India, I had the amazing opportunity of volunteering at the IICP, and was just blown away at the establishment and the many wonderful things they are able to accomplish there.

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With that said, I have decided to raise money for IICP, so that they are able to continue the amazing work they are doing in Kolkata.

More details on this project coming up later.

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UPDATE (2018): In this past year I have raised $1000 via networking with generous donors and that money has gone to aid the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy! I am so excited to be partnering with this wonderful institution and I look forward to continue working with them.

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link to IICP: