Unprecedented Flooding in India…
The recent unprecedented flood in India caused significant damage to GSAM campus and the surrounding area. In just a few hours, water levels rose to between 2-4 feet, flooding many staff homes, workplaces and one of their hostels. Despite the quick thinking of staff and children, who managed to move most furniture, clothing, and assets to higher ground, the damage was still pretty extensive.
Key Affected Areas causing financial loss…
- A 140ft section of our northern boundary fence was pushed over by the torrent. Due to its location repairs will be tricky (as we need to repair it to protect the fields, but by repairing it we will damage the fields).
- A 15ft brick wall collapsed in a staff home.
- The newly planted rice paddy crop was damaged, estimated losses are about 15% of the crop as a whole (over $1000 worth).
- They lost a lot of stored grain and agricultural supplies (approximately $2500 worth). The grain was soaked with silty muddy water and is now sprouting – effectively making it useless for anything other than animal feed. Truly heartbreaking!
- All fishpond stock escaped (approximately $500 to re-seed but the time spent breeding/growing is the real hit).
- A 220-litre drum of diesel was lost from our workshop.
- Many electrical tools were damaged in the workshop and will need repairs.
The financial figures for the repair and rebuilding efforts are significant but could have been worse…some surrounding homes were under 6 feet of water or more.
The manager stated: “I am incredibly proud of our team and children for their resilience and dedication during this challenging time. They have been working tirelessly, often around the clock, to clear debris, salvage what we can, and begin the rebuilding process. Their efforts extended beyond our campus as they also helped our neighbors, embodying the spirit of community and solidarity… I was brought to tears by their dedication.”
Reconstructing and recouping
Looking to the future they are focusing on:
- Their main priority is the two fallen walls, including one in a staff home of two of the Board Members and another in our fields. These are critical for the safety and security of the campus and so are top priority. The other repairs are important but not as crucial.
- Replacing/repairing the existing Kulla/grain storehouses where almost half the damage occurred financially from this flood. Losing so much grain stores will result in purchasing wheat/rice in the coming months for the children’s consumption plus the loss of income from grain stored. Renovating the storehouses (mostly by lifting the floors, plastering walls and fixing the roof) will lead to better storage of farm supplies, increased profits for our agricultural department, and better-quality food for the children at the Mission.
You can help…
GSAM need funds to repair damage to the campus from these unprecedented floods. If you wish to support the timely reconstruction and recuperation at GSAM to enable the continued amazing work of this mission, please click on “Donate to this Project” in the right sidebar. Thank you.
All gifts are tax deductible and will benefit this project in their entirety except for bank fees.
