Second Relief Mission to Nepal!
Donation protected
Dear Friends! As some of you may know I was in Nepal earlier this summer doing post-earthquake disaster relief work with an organization called All Hands. I've been volunteering with them for about 10 years on various projects around the world, starting with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The disaster in Nepal is unique because it is so widespread and effects so many people...8000 schools were destroyed, 9000 fatalies, 23,000 people injured. Nepal is also among the top 20 poorest countries in the world, so its ability to clean up, rebuild, and move on is limited.
I had a profound experience there in June. As soon as i left I wanted to go back. The Nepalese are some of the most open hearted people I've met anywhere in the world. It's an honor to be a part of their lives, even for a little while.
I also just want to say about volunteering in general how it's changed my life, and continues to have a significant impact on how I live and see the world. I had an interesting conversation one night with my fellow volunteers where I posed a question, asking if they'd prefer to be paid to do this work. There were maybe 20 of us in the room, from many parts of the world. Out of 20, not one said they'd rather be paid. Working 8-10hrs a day in 90 degree heat breaking rocks and hauling wheelbarrows...for free...seems like a good idea. It's a strange and magical thing, this volunteering.
The money that I've set out to raise is to cover the following:
1. Plane tickets: about $2400
2. All Hands Cost: $500 It costs All Hands about $20/day to host a volunteer. That includes food, water, lodging, tools, medical supplies, etc. They actually budget for this cost, but I'd rather cover it myself and be less of a burden on resources that could be better used elsewhere. I'll be there 25 days.
Pedigree: if you haven't heard of Charity Navigator, it's a website that rates how Charities spend their money, i.e. how much of your donation goes to overhead, and how much goes directly to projects. All Hands scores 4 out of 4 stars and has an overall rating of 95.5%; compared to the Red Cross which scores 3 stars, and has an overall rating of 80.05%. Any money raised above and beyond what I've set out to raise will also be donated to All Hands.
Thank you for your support, I will be updating this page, stay tuned for pix and stories!
Feel free to pass this page-link on to anyone you think might be interested.
Check out All Hands here: www.hands.org
The disaster in Nepal is unique because it is so widespread and effects so many people...8000 schools were destroyed, 9000 fatalies, 23,000 people injured. Nepal is also among the top 20 poorest countries in the world, so its ability to clean up, rebuild, and move on is limited.
I had a profound experience there in June. As soon as i left I wanted to go back. The Nepalese are some of the most open hearted people I've met anywhere in the world. It's an honor to be a part of their lives, even for a little while.
I also just want to say about volunteering in general how it's changed my life, and continues to have a significant impact on how I live and see the world. I had an interesting conversation one night with my fellow volunteers where I posed a question, asking if they'd prefer to be paid to do this work. There were maybe 20 of us in the room, from many parts of the world. Out of 20, not one said they'd rather be paid. Working 8-10hrs a day in 90 degree heat breaking rocks and hauling wheelbarrows...for free...seems like a good idea. It's a strange and magical thing, this volunteering.
The money that I've set out to raise is to cover the following:
1. Plane tickets: about $2400
2. All Hands Cost: $500 It costs All Hands about $20/day to host a volunteer. That includes food, water, lodging, tools, medical supplies, etc. They actually budget for this cost, but I'd rather cover it myself and be less of a burden on resources that could be better used elsewhere. I'll be there 25 days.
Pedigree: if you haven't heard of Charity Navigator, it's a website that rates how Charities spend their money, i.e. how much of your donation goes to overhead, and how much goes directly to projects. All Hands scores 4 out of 4 stars and has an overall rating of 95.5%; compared to the Red Cross which scores 3 stars, and has an overall rating of 80.05%. Any money raised above and beyond what I've set out to raise will also be donated to All Hands.
Thank you for your support, I will be updating this page, stay tuned for pix and stories!
Feel free to pass this page-link on to anyone you think might be interested.
Check out All Hands here: www.hands.org
Organizer
Michael Babel
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA