Hunger for Justice

So, for the next five days I will be eating a bowl of meusli for breakfast, and then nothing else for the rest of the day.

Wtf?

I am raising money for the Christian Aid India Floods Appeal (http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/india-floods/index.aspx), by trying to live off the diet that some of the poorest people in the world survive on - a cup of rice a day.

But since I am a woosy westerner, I am adding a bowl of meusli to that - and giving up my week's wages (already donated) as a forfeit.

You can support me by following my progress on this blog, with your prayers and also with your donations, on the JustGiving link.

http://www.justgiving.com/tomsharp

From the Christian Aid website:

India Floods Appeal

At least 20,000 people remain missing following landslides and flooding in northern India. The state of Uttarakhand has been affected most.
Latest reports indicate that over 600 people have lost their lives, with the death toll likely to rise to 5,000 according to government officials.

Stranded

Heavy and incessant rains in the upper Himalayas - that began Friday 14 June – damaged roads, collapsed bridges and left stranded over 60,000 pilgrims headed for various shrines in the region.
The number now stranded is 10,000 however further rescue operations are being hindered due to fresh rains and further landslides. 
Over 100 villages have borne the brunt of the floods in the worst affected districts of Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi with up to a 1,000 homes damaged if not completely washed away.

 

Our response

In response, Christian Aid has launched the India Floods Appeal. Our partners are already responding with immediate relief; providing emergency items such as food and shelter, blankets and medicines.
Christian Aid partner CASA intends to help 5,000 of the most affected households – 25,000 people –with food rations such as rice, lentils, tea and sugar.
They are also providing cooking utensils and portable stoves. Plastic sheeting, blankets, torches and vital medical kits will also be provided.
Anand Kumar, Christian Aid’s India country manager said: ‘When a disaster strikes, poor families have few assets to fall back on and face extreme difficulty in meeting basic needs.

£21 could provide a month's emergency food for three families.

£40 could buy essentials for a family whose home has been washed away, including a tarpaulin and blankets, medicine, cooking equipment, buckets, candles and a torch.

£100 could help towards the cost of repairing a damaged house.