On 29th October 1999, the Super Cyclone, hit Odisha with wind speeds of up to 250 kmph. It caused the deaths of about 10,000 people, and extreme damage in its path of destruction. The cyclone flattened houses, uprooted trees and destroyed infrastructure. Thousands of livestock were killed, paddy and other crop fields were submerged and thousands of people were affected by the disaster.
Our Response:
We have built a whole village in Orissa and provided material for immediate need, such as food parcels, clothes and blankets.
In fact, the two schools and Orphanage’s in Orissa were build close to the village that was built, to give children orphaned by the cyclone a home and access to education.
Bhuj earthquake of 2001, massive earthquake that occurred on Jan. 26, 2001, in the Indian state of Gujarat, on the Pakistani border. The total number of deaths due to the earthquake exceeded 20,000 with people suffering injuries more than 150,000. The earthquake left hundreds of thousands homeless and destroyed or damaged more than a million buildings. A large majority of the local crops were ruined as well.
Our response: Our team of volunteers worked with local charitable organisation to distribute food parcels, clothing and medical first aid kits.
On 29th October 1999, the Super Cyclone, hit Odisha with wind speeds of up to 250 kmph. It caused the deaths of about 10,000 people, and extreme damage in its path of destruction. The cyclone flattened houses, uprooted trees and destroyed infrastructure. Thousands of livestock were killed, paddy and other crop fields were submerged and thousands of people were affected by the disaster.
Our Response:
We have built a whole village in Orissa and provided material for immediate need, such as food parcels, clothes and blankets.
In fact, the two schools and Orphanage’s in Orissa were build close to the village that was built, to give children orphaned by the cyclone a home and access to education.
Bhuj earthquake of 2001, massive earthquake that occurred on Jan. 26, 2001, in the Indian state of Gujarat, on the Pakistani border. The total number of deaths due to the earthquake exceeded 20,000 with people suffering injuries more than 150,000. The earthquake left hundreds of thousands homeless and destroyed or damaged more than a million buildings. A large majority of the local crops were ruined as well.
Our response: Our team of volunteers worked with local charitable organisation to distribute food parcels, clothing and medical first aid kits.
Kashmir earthquake of 2005, occurred on October 8, 2005, in the Pakistan-administered portion of the Kashmir region and in the North-West Frontier Province. At least 79,000 people were killed and more than 32,000 buildings collapsed in Kashmir.
Our response: Our team of volunteers worked with local charitable organisation to distribute food parcels, clothing and medical first aid kits.
On 16 June 2013, a cloudburst in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides that destroyed several villages and towns. Thousands of people were swept away, and many bodies were never recovered.
Our response: Our team of volunteers drove to the scene of the devastation and distributed aid, such as food parcels, blankets and cloths. People asked for Solar stoves so that they could cook their own food. We were able to access the solar stoves and they were distributed to families.
DOM Relief Team Arrives in Nepal
Our relief team arrived in Nepal shortly after the earthquake in April and report that both food and essential supplies are being received. The greater challenges has been the rebuilding of the infrastructures that has been destroyed and has demolished decades of growth, development and history.
There has been an extensive loss of lives and livelihoods in Nepal that will take time and resources long after relief teams leave. On the right are the latest photos from the DOM relief team showing the devastation caused. DOM has committed to providing ongoing support in this area supporting the rebuilding of homes and communities. We are collaborating with the authorities and local community leaders in the nature of the support we are providing.
DOM UK has sent a 40ft container of clothes and shoes which were donated on the 28th of May by Mann Bros Ltd in West Bromwich and Guru Nanak Nishkam, Sevak Jatha in Birmingham.
DOM would like to recognize all of our volunteers for dedicating their time and efforts to aid Nepal. We would like to thank Damodar Mahto, Jhalk Dev Mahto, Somnath Mahto, Ved Nath Mahto, Rajesh Kumar Nagi, Chinta Mani Patel, Rajesh Kumar Goswami, Surjit Kesari, Sudesh Pandey, and Latif Khan. A special thanks to Dhurba Regmee and Ram Chandar Khanal whom have remained in Nepal.
The two containers of clothes and supplies collected in the UK were sent out to Nepal to provide relief to the local community, whom we have been working with to repair the damage caused by the Nepal earthquake. Alongside this immediate help, we were able to donate the necessary materials to help build 38 homes in the local villages of Siblinga, Danda, Gorkha, Nepal.
Kerala Flood Relief
DOM is always ready to offer help when disaster strikes. When news of the Kerala floods reached us we immediately took action. A team consisting of: Rajesh Goswami (IT Manager), Sujit Kesri (Journalist) and Rajesh Kumar Nagi (General Secretary) were sent to offer relief aide. They caught a flight to Trivandrum from Ranchi on the 25th August 2018.
Mrs Anni Jose, an Assistant Administrator at our DOM office in the UK, is originally from Kerala and provided contact information of people who could offer assistance to the relief team. From the moment the Team arrived in Trivandrum airport, Mr Thomson Sabu Ablious (Syam) offered support in many ways. From offering accommodation to arranging a driver, Syam’s family are based in Trivandrum and were all happy to help in any way that they could.
As Malayalam is the main language in Kerala we were looking for a Hindi speaker who could communicate with our DOM volunteers. Mrs. Anni Jose arranged for her family friend, Dr Deepak to find a Hindi speaking volunteer who was aware of the places that needed the most help. They were able to find Mr Felix Kunnathoor, he lives in the region and was volunteering at a local centre for flood relief victims.
Once all the arrangements had been made, the team were ready to go. Early the next day the DOM team with Felix and his friend Mr Nelson Kurisinkur set out to the village of Paravur by train which took 6 hours. Once they arrived Felix arranged for transport for the team. Mr Collin Chekkalakel kindly provided transport free of charge.
Firstly, they visited the flood affected areas and found out from the locals what supplies were needed. They then purchased these supplies. In Paravur, DOM was able to help 650 families; a whole village who had been neglected by government agencies. Before leaving Bishop Joseph Karikkassery, Kottapuram Diocese presented our team with a letter thanking the volunteers for all their hard work.
The team then visited Penyarkutty, where there had been a landslide. Everything in that area was destroyed because the river had diverted its flow to the densely populated area and washed the land and houses away. The DOM team continued to work under hazardous conditions. With the help of the following Mr. Sajeevan Ambarappillihouse, Mr. Joyaan Eullattukudiyil and Mr. Bobby Mathai, they managed to buy provisions for the local people. In total the DOM team were in Kerala from 29th – 2nd September, contributing to the relief aide. They worked under difficult conditions and were helped along the way by some incredible people, who helped them to overcome the barriers of language and natural disaster.
Our response:
A team of volunteers headed by our Manager in India Mr Rajesh Nagi, made their way to the scene of devastation. Mrs Anni Jose who is originally from Kerala and is working as an Assistant Administrator at our DOM office in the UK, was able to provide contact information of people who could offer assistance to the Relief Team. MrThomson Sabu Ablious (Syam) offered support in so many ways. As Malayalam is the main language in Kerala we were looking for a Hindi speaker who could communicate with our DOM volunteers. Mrs. Anni Jose arranged for her family friend, Dr Deepak to find a Hindi speaking volunteer who was aware of the places that needed the most help. They were able to find Mr Felix Kunnathoor, he lives in the region. Firstly, they visited the flood affected areas and found out from the locals what supplies were needed. They then purchased these supplies. In Paravur DOM was able to help 650 families; a whole village who had been neglected by government agencies.
The team then visited Penyarkutty, here they saw that there was a landslide and everything in that area was destroyed because the river had diverted its flow to the densely populated area and washed the land and houses away. The DOM team continued to work under hazardous conditions they managed to buy provisions for the local people.
They worked under difficult conditions and were helped along the way by some incredible volunteers.
Punjab Flood
Our DOM Team consisting of: MR Charanjit Singh, Mr Peter Mann and Mr Herkomal Patara made their way to India to help give aid to those affected by the Punjab Floods. This is their story.
Mr Charanjit Singh was the first to arrive in India on the 3rd October. He began by making a plan to assess the damage and to find out which supplies people needed. While in Delhi he bought enough medicine and medical supplies to provide for 3000 people. He then travelled to the Punjab where he met up with Peter and Herkomal. They discovered that people needed agricultural supplies to regrow lost crops.
After buying 225 bags fertiliser and seeds in Nakhodhar they set out to the most impoverished areas to distribute aid. Between the 6th – 12th October they travelled to two village called Rassulpur and Ramsinghwala, district Tarantarn. There were 36 families living on small land holdings who were completely dependent on their crops and had lost everything. The team distributed fertiliser and financial aid to those in the most need. Baba Satnam Singh and his organisation International Panthak Dal were also there to help and worked alongside our team. The team gave the medication to them to setup a medical camp in the name of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th birthday. One of the Community Leaders Karamjeet Singh supervised the distribution.
The team then travelled to poor communities in Ludhiana slum basti called Toll Plaza by the Satluj River. It is a slum area consisting of 160 families who are living in poverty. On their first visit they distributed fruit to the kids. Gurpreet Kaur volunteers her time to help children access education in the evenings, however they still are not getting the basic necessities. After the team’s assessments they promised to come back with more supplies and upon their arrival they gave out stationary, food, shoes, mats and spent quality time with the children. On Taj road in Ludhiana is another slum area with 110 families and they were given fruit, shoes, mats and stationery for the children. Finally, in Nakhodhar, at a slum on Nakhodhar Road consisting of 140 families, the team distributed food and shoes.
On their last evening in India the team were invited to have tea with the Dr Iqbal Singh, the former Lt Governor of Pondicherry.
The team would like to say a special thanks to: Baba Satnam Singh, Kaptan Singh, Gurpreet Lal, Ram Lubhaya, Manjit Singh Bamra Kulwant Gora and all those donors who helped during the Punjab Floods.
Covid Pandemic:
Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic in India
The Coronavirus pandemic in India has fast become a crisis which is having a devastating impact on essential services and basic human needs across the country including healthcare, education and at the most basic level – access to food and water.
Agriculture and unregulated services such as rickshaw drivers and small snack sellers are the primary occupations in a number of villages. The frequent lockdowns have disrupted supply chains and access to markets for the sale of goods; the income of rural households has therefore been severely impacted.
Our response: India Covid Response
The DOM Team has continued to work tirelessly throughout the Pandemic to play their part in addressing many of these issues.
Rajesh Nagi, our General Secretary in India, together with the DOM team went to distribute rations. Children were also provided with stationary to help with their educational needs during lockdown.
People who work at the Ranchi railway station and are from the Nirmala leprosy colony have struggled to feed their families. DOM, in collaboration with Ranchi District Agriculture Horticulture Officer, Shri Vikas Kumar, distributed much needed food supplies to some 41 households at the colony.
Our team continued the distribution work on a regular basis through the time of the pandemic.
We helped villagers work in the markets as vendors but due to the second lockdown they had to stop all trading. They are not receiving any support from their employers and have run out of resources. Our team, Rajendra Yadav, Manoj Bedia, along with Vinod Jaiswal, distributed rations among all the families and we continued to support them over lockdown.
The team was met by Vice President of Anmol Singh Mobile Centre, Babu Bhaiya They joined him there to distribute supplies to the poor and their families, the majority of whom are rickshaw drivers. However, the same issue continues to arise – a lack of work and no help from the Government during this lockdown. We can offer the children of these families an education, supplies and basic health care, but these are only temporary solutions.
INDIA
The Covid-19 Global pandemic has impacted the people of India in a far-reaching and devastating manner. Our ongoing developmental projects have had to temporarily cease operations.
The Water Well Project is now on hold until we are able to operate in a safe and secure manner. We are strategically planning to recommence the building of new Water Wells in Orissa towards the end of the current year, as long as there are no further restrictions.
Our outreach work to villages to speak about the benefits of education for their children has been halted; as well as Medical camps targeting child vaccination and promoting the benefits of free eye operation for cataracts.
During the community work it has become evident that there is a marked disparity between different states responses to Covid-19.
Creative Activities during Lockdown.
Teaching staff who are living within the orphanage, alongside the children, have actively engaged in keeping them busy with different daily activities. Activities such as: drama, singing, dance, cooking, agricultural training, and yoga have ensured the children are kept busy and happy. The children have helped to distribute aid to the local community as the need arises during this pandemic.
Ramgarh
A vast percentage of the population in India depends on the daily wage they earn, essentially living a hand to mouth existence. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic these people have been left without a means to support themselves. The surrounding area adjoining to the Onkar Old Age home. in Palu, is home to many widows. They struggle in supporting their families, and are in desperate need of help. Also, in Pochra, Jharkhand, we found 35 families living near the Barkakhana railway station, struggling to make ends meet. The DOM Team donated essential food parcels to them. These parcels contained; rice, lentils, tea, milk, sugar and other basic essentials such as soap and oil.
Anandapur Fire Department
At the Onkar Sewa Ashram School, in Godisahi, we had a visit from the Anandapur Fire Department. They visited close to the onset of the pandemic, at the request of the High Court of Orissa. They sanitised and disinfected the entire school. Later they returned to sanitise the school again, and were pleased to see that the school was following safety procedures they had identified. The fire team also plans to visit and conduct a fire safety course for the students once the pandemic has ceased.
Kendujiani and Godisahi
The DOM team in Kendujiani and Godisahi have provided for those most in need. After seeking permission from the local authority they went out into the local area and helped those who were unable to financially support themselves. We have provided 150 families with food parcels made up of dry ingredients, which will help sustain them during this difficult period.
We are an apolitical organisation that reaches out to those struggling socially and economically through crisis. We began our service at the farmer’s protest at the Singhu border, Delhi. Our volunteers were conducting basic medical examinations and giving out free medical supplies. Once Covid took hold, there was more of a need for medical assistance. This prompted DOM to make contact with eye specialist Dr. Balbir Singh, from Patiala, Punjab. He and his team were already on location to support the farmers and they became our regular team on the ground at the protest sites. We provided them with funds to access medical supplies, such as: PPE, oxygen, immunity boosters and vitamins. They not only worked at the border but also visited nearby villages in Haryana to provide supplies.
IND After seeing the news and social media stories of the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan, staff, members, and volunteers at Divine Onkar Mission decided that we needed to provide help. Mr. Peter Mann, one of our members, got in touch with Mr. Rashid Nazir. Mr Nazir has a reputation for compassionate, humanitarian philanthropy; he works independent of other NGO’s and ensures his proceeds go directly to charitable causes. Mr. Tersam Lal, the founder of Divine Onkar Mission, initiated proceedings to adopt one of the areas hit by the flood called Balochistan. This area had been almost completely flattened by the flood, there were no homes or facilities and it had virtually become inaccessible by road. Our first consignment was a truckload of food for villagers who did not have basic food supplies. Once the food had been distributed, our team on the ground were able to assess the extent of the damage and found that it was worse than we had originally believed. While this was not the most affluent community, the locals there were kind, hardworking, and decent people, who were not prepared for such a disaster. We have decided that we would like to continue to help them, so we are planning to provide the means to help rebuild their homes. We have maintained regular contact with Mr. Nazir and are receiving regular updates about the progress being made. Though, as a charity we are struggling with funding to support aid work of this nature, and so we would greatly appreciate any support given.
What we did for the Ukraine Relief Effort We collaborated with Kidderminster College to gather and provide essentials items. We then identified places in the local area, which would take the donations we had collected; The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain is situated in Wolverhampton, and they were more than happy to take our donations. We would like to thank the students and staff at Kidderminster College for their donations and Print Dot Printers in Wolverhampton for the signage for the relief effort.
Distributed food parcels, cloths and school’s stationary to children and bags of seeds for farmers to regrow their crops.
Turkey and Syria Earthquake Relief
On the 6th of February we saw a natural disaster. Our donors
will be aware that when disaster strikes if we are able to help,
we do the best we can no matter where in the world. On this occasion two major earthquakes hit parts of Turkey and Syria. The
damage caused was catastrophic and led to an urgent humanitarian crisis. We were contacted by our donor Mr. Ram Lubhaya
Suglani, who asked us to help with a fundraising event. We regularly hold a fundraiser at his premises, the Prestige Suite to
raise funds for our charity. On the 4th of March we held a fundraising evening which raised £32,000 to help those who had
been impacted by the quake. After assessing the immediate
need we found that a lot of families were living in temporary
shelters and receiving little help. We were able to begin the process of distributing items to those most in need. A big shout out
goes to Yasar Cinkir and his team for the amazing work they
have been doing. Also, our dedicated donor Mr Peter Mann here
in UK who was instrumental in helping us to locate Yasir in the
earthquake region who could identify which areas need the most
help.
We made high-quality essential household parcels which were
distributed and greatly appreciated by families living in sheltered
accommodation. Thank you very much for your help. The Turkey team have been restocking and continuing to distribute
goods to those impacted by the earthquake.
Cyclone Fani
Cyclone Fani hit the eastern coast of India on 3rd March 2019. It made landfall in the city of Puri in the state of Odisha, with wind speeds exceeding 130mph. It was one of the strongest storms to hit India and caused catastrophic damage by destroying power lines, homes and uprooting vegetation. Over a million people were evacuated to higher ground where there were emergency shelters prepared. Unfortunately, 89 people were killed.
DOM India has two bases in the Odisha state where the cyclone hit, Kendujiani and Godisahi. Thankfully the people were safe and well, but the cyclone has affected our agriculture, we lost a lot of produce like: bananas, mangoes, cashew and rice. This year we had to buy a lot of our food and seeds to re-plant our crops.
This worldwide pandemic has brought with it a public health crisis, global economic upheaval and widespread uncertainty. We have all had to make changes to adapt to our current climate, this includes having to stop daily operations at both DOM UK and India. Even though we are not operating to full capacity, we have worked collaboratively with local organisations to help those who were in the most need by donating vital supplies both in the UK and in all our local communities in Jharkhand and Orissa.
UK
During this period of the global pandemic, we have maintained regular contact with a number of international, regional and local organisations. We planned our response in conjunction with the initiatives of other organisations. Our aim was to provide impactful help and support, working within the remit of operating safely for our staff and members of the public.
The Elias Mattu Foundation based in Wolverhampton is led by Councillor Asha Mattu, the widow of the late Councillor Elias Mattu. They have worked throughout the pandemic to helps families who are in crisis. They offer support to families who are not registered with the local council i.e., people seeking refuge, transient workers, women who have fled violence. The foundation does this despite receiving very little help and support from other sources. DOM worked with them to identify the most essential items to donate. DOM sourced and supplied a large quantity of food supplies and baby products.
DOM responded to a request from the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity for fabric to make wash-bags. The items donated consisted of: cotton fabric rolls, sewing threads and elastic. We supplied them to two NHS sites, Walsall Manor Hospital and New Cross Hospital. The wash-bags made with our donation enabled staff members to transport their worn uniforms home safely after their shift. They are then able to wash everything including the bags. We received a letter of appreciation and thanks from them for the support they received.
During the height of the crisis the Wolverhampton City Council setup a food distribution centre at the Aldersley WV Active Centre. The initiative was setup to support those who are most vulnerable and have no support network to help them. DOM donated a large supply of essentials food items.
Within the West Midlands region, The Dasmesh Sikh Temple in Birmingham were raising funds for the NHS. Their aim was to raise £50,000. To help them reach their target Divine Onkar Mission contributed to their effort by donating what they could at the time.
December saw one of the biggest disasters the world has had to deal with. Divine Onkar Mission was accepting donations for the Tsunami appeal with £1845.35 collected. The charity also collected tons of clothing, shoes, blankets and food which was sent through Mr Avtar Sandhu, the owner of Coventry speedway. Mr Avtar Sandhu collected the items from us and along with hundreds of other collections, dispatched seven 40ft containers to Indonesia.