Rebuilding Uttarakhand

For Uttarakhand, By Uttarakhand, In Uttarakhand

The beginning…

June 16, 2013 – Disaster and mayhem in Uttarakhand.

A team and friends feared lost on a mountain…

The team survived the deluge .

Broken and tired as they were they rescued and aided

pilgrims on the way home.

The pilgrims were rescued but the locals were left

to deal with the aftermath of the disaster.

Without roads and a roof over their heads they were

completely cut off from the world and running out of food.

3 mountaineers. 2 miraculously returned from the

lap of the disaster and 1 who came to try and

rescue her friends volunteered with the Tata Relief

Committee under the guidance of Bachendri Pal.

We were the first team to reach out to some of the

most far flung and worst hit villages like Didsari,

Jadaou, Pilang and Shyaba to survey the extent of

damage. The team reached out to 1500 families

across 14 villages in 15 days.

Knowing that our work was far from done Anusha

Subramanian founded “Summitting4Hope”. A

platform that combines our passion and skill in the

mountains with a will to give back to the people who

graciously welcome us mountaineers into their land for

6months out of the year.

We went home raised funds and were back in the

mountains doing what we do best…climbing.

The only difference being this time we were “Climbing for

a Cause”.

Project 1

Expedition to Mt Rudugaira (5819m) Aim:

1) To provide employment to porters, cooks, guides and

local companies who had lost income for the entire year.

2) Promote adventure sports in a post-disaster

Uttarakhand.

Result:

1) 6 porters, 2 cooks, 1 guide and 1 local company

gained employment.

2) 1st successful expedition in the Gangotri valley post the

disaster and monsoon.

The path ahead…

1) Fundraising

2) Promoting adventure sports in a post-disaster

Uttarakhand.

The following events have been lined up in the next couple

of months both to raise funds and awareness:

1) A photography exhibition titled “Vignettes of

Uttarakhand”, featuring photographers and

photographs of Uttarahkand.

2) A trans-Uttarakhand driving expedition in winter

passing through the 4 dhams.

The Goal

To build individual homes that have been destroyed in

villages that have otherwise been unscathed by the disaster.

These homes have been over looked by both the Govt. and

the larger NGOs.

The 1st home that we will rebuild is that of a girl called

Mamta Rawat.

Mamta Rawat Age: 24 years

Occupation: Freelance mountaineering instructor and

the sole earning member in a family of 6.

Village: Bankoli

Condition: Her house was destroyed in the disaster.

Her family of 6 lives in one room made of

tin sheets.

Despite the conditions in her own home Mamta was

involved in rescue operations in the Uttarkashi valley

from day 1 and after the rescue operations concluded

she aided with relief operations.

Mamta Rawat on one of her

relief operations with the

Tata Relief Committee,

Seen here walking with a

load to New Didsari village.

Her Home

Some other homes in Mamta’s village

The proposed plan for her new home

The following points have been highlighted by the

architect for Mamta’s home:

(a) A two storey complex is needed. The upper storey will

comprise of four rooms, a kitchen and a toilet. The

lower storey will have a room for the cattle and a

room each for storing wood, fodder and ration,etc.

(b) The upper storey will be constructed partly from

existing wood and partly from new sleepers which will

be purchased.

(c) Tentative cost of construction for the house will be

approximately Rs8,00,000/- (Eight Lac only).

The architect aiding us with our rebuilding efforts is

Kishan Kudiyal an IITian and a Uttarakhandi who

quit a plush job to aid the villagers of Uttarakhand.

All materials will be sourced locally and as far as

possible materials from the previous home will also be

recycled.

You can contribute for the cause through cheque or online transfer

in favour of LEAP FOUNDATION

LEAP FOUNDATION HDFC BANK C/A : 02251450000518

Branch 56, Rajpur Road, Dehra Dun 248 001, Uttarakhand, India

RTGS/NEFT/IFSC Code : HDFC0000225 Transaction details please mention (Summiting4Hope)

All contributions are eligible for exemption U/S 80G of the Income Tax

Act 1961. For more details please write to us at

summitting4hope@gmail.com or summit4hope@googlegroups.com

Anusha Subramanian 13/182, Srinilayam Garodia Nagar Ghatkopar (east) Mumbai-400077 ## +919820403174

Guneet Puri 13 A Kalyani View Rudrapur -263153 US Nagar Uttarakhand ## +918826787112

Thank You!