The Astad Deboo Dance Foundation (India)

Anshu Jamsenpa Ace Mountaineer from Bomdila Arunachal Pradesh visits Mumbai

Full circle for Naga Peace Accord

NER Youth - it is essential to build trust & confidence

Dear Youth From The North East in Mumbai and Pune

Last week on behalf of EWIF I wrote about our intended role in North East Rural Empowerment and livelihood creation. I also explained that the intended projects would be those of NER people and ours was a role of providing assistance in making the effort an organised one. I hoped for the  understanding of persons from the NER in the matter.

I would now like to comment on our efforts to help NER youngsters in Mumbai and Pune at per http://bit.ly/ewif_youth1 and some misgivings in the recent past between youngsters and us at EWIF and my personal involvement.

To help is an onerous task. To run the activities without external funding (Govt.  etc.) and mere reliance on our own family finances makes it even more difficult. After 12 years of studying & engaging with NER persons / youth and their needs and a sincere and committed desire & efforts to help  those who engage with us, we find that getting mindsets and behavioural patterns to reconcile is a huge challenge. It is essential to build trust & confidence between the regions of the North East and the West and transparency and adherence to truthful conduct is essential. Youngsters all around may be mischievous and playful and want ample freedom away from home,  but they have to recognise that we at EWIF and myself too, since we stretch our necks out for you, we expect reciprocity, mutual respect and discipline. Let not personal mis-adventures disrupt the stabilization of working arrangements. Please do not be rude, it impresses no one.

I also urge Student Welfare Bodies to duly register themselves, meet with compliance requirements and structure their organisations so as to make it easier to receive financial  and other assistance. Furthermore, reach out and mingle with Western Region people and organisations. This will go a long way. Let the North East and West truly interconnect. Rise above petty differences which will dissolve over time.

I humbly urge the youth from the North East in the Western Region to be good ambassadors to the NE region. This will go a long way for you individually and collectively. We are trying to help you. If you let us down you will be letting yourselves down. Each unfortunate incident makes the going tough for cases to follow.

Please think about this. We at EWIF are trying our best. Please cooperate.

Yours sincerely,

Rajiv Bhatia
Director.

EWIF is a Western Region Foundation for North East People

To My Dear Friends in the North East

As you may be aware, I was first introduced to the NER in some detail, in January 2004. I have attempted to engage with the region and its people since.

Besides offering strategy consulting services of Advanced Strategies Pvt. Ltd. for business start-ups and expansion assignments I have also started up a not-for-profit Section 25 Company under the Indian Companies Act, incorporated in November 2012. The activities are still nascent.

The purpose has been to create an open platform for Rural Empowerment & Livelihood Creation  in the North East Region, as a mutually beneficial partnership between the Western Region and North East India. Hence called the EWI Development Initiative Foundation or East West Interconnect Foundation. Web site at www.eastwestinterconnect.org.in

The role of EWIF & its value proposition -

• To help in grants fund raise (funding agencies including Cent, State & Local Govts) & disbursement, 
• Strategic, Technical & Financial Partner Management, 
• Project monitoring, advisory and reporting - for upstream activities related to creation of livelihood.

The NER Social Entrepreneurs (Self Help Groups, Farmers Cooperatives, Food Producing Companies/Organisations etc.) are at the focus and as such the beneficiaries. The projects belong to them and NOT TO EWIF.

Projects have to be initiated by locals in villages and village clusters in the backward districts of the NER. 

Thereafter, we at EWIF need a detailed briefing as to who will do it, what is proposed to be done, unencumbered land availability and demographic details of the village / cluster of villages. 

We at EWIF will seek to have a working arrangement with the villagers / Social Entrepreneurs through a Memorandum Of Understanding.

Thereafter, EWIF will work with the Social Entrepreneurs to identify partners for technical and financial support, and form working arrangements with them.

Funds will be applied for. After funding is provided, projects may be taken forward.

This clarification is provided as many in the North East assume that EWIF will OWN & RUN the projects. This is not true. The projects belong to locals in the NER. We are a helping hand with experienced connections and resources. EWIF will retain administrative and management costs from the funds raised for the projects, for EWIF's own sustenance.

So EWIF is not MY FOUNDATION. Its really a Western Region Foundation for North East People. We have a NER Youth Program as well to help NER Youth in Mumbai & Pune. See http://bit.ly/ewif_youth1

I may have created this, but its for you, please understand this. Personally I cannot earn in any way from the running of the Foundation. 

Hence, if the levels of activity are adequate and North East persons find it useful, EWIF will continue. Else it will have no hesitation in shutting down. The choice is yours.

Thanks & regards

Rajiv Bhatia
Director

An autographed postcard of Tenzing Norgay

From our family albums. An autographed postcard of Tenzing Norgay

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenzing_Norgay

#NepalEarthQuakeRelief #RamaKrishnaMission

Swami Gaurangananda
Ramakrishna Ashram Nepal
236, Tukucha Marg, Ward no. 4
Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal
+977-9803473037, 9851144315, 9851037989
Email : ramakrishnaashramnepal@gmail.com
Website: www.rkashramnepal.org

Respected  Bhatiaji
Accept my namaskar

We are doing relief in full swing. Here is short report of our relief work. Pl send your donation to us into our account given below.

Flowing the prober “charity begins at home” we started our relief work setting a common kitchen at our door step to feed quake effected our neighbors from 27th  April. Till today night  around 750 people took day and night food there. Average 125 person every session.

On 28th April we gave 100 kegs rice, 20 kg Dal, 5 liter oil, 5kg salt, 3 kg sugar 30 big packets biscuit to Aravindo orphanage to feed 130 children at Thankot, Kathmandu.

On 29th April we went to Sako village (most affected area 20 km away from Kathmandu), there we distributed 500 big dry food packets, 700 bottles of drinking water, 500 packets of biscuits.

Next we went to a remote area in upper hills 40km away from Kathmandu to a Tamang basti situated at Lapsiphedi area in sankarpur Nagar palika where we distributed 400 dry food packets, 500 bottles of water and 500 packets of biscuits to the quake effected people.

Today we visited  Bhaktapur area which is the 2nd biggest effected area in Kathmadnu area.

There we distributed 700 dry food packets, water bottles and biscuits packets.

We like to distribute the following items to the people.

1.  Dry food  and milk powder
2.  Winter garments
3.  Tarpaulin sheet for night shelter
4.  Blankets for cold (as many possible)
5.  Common medicine 

With namaskar again

Your affectionately
Gaurangananda
Spiritual Head

Donations from Overseas can be made through
Cheques addressed to  “Ramakrishna Ashram Nepal” , 236 Tukucha Marg, Ward No 4, Balu water, Kathmandu, Nepal
Bank Transfer by Nepal Express Remitt
Nepal Express remit
Rama Krishna Ashram Nepal (Revenue Account)
Account Number: 17725240200442
Swift code: NSBINPKA
Nepal SBI Bank Ltd.
Durbar Marg Branch
Kathmandu
Phone +977 1 4435612

Belur Math Online Donations - http://www.belurmath.org/donation_cca/donation.php

Belur Math Offline Donations - http://www.belurmath.org/donation.htm