Friends Assc tours North Sikkim on earthquake relief

GANGTOK, 02 Dec: Members of Friends Association visited North Sikkim on 26 Nov on a two-day relief initiative for earthquake victims. The visit was made with funds gathered by the association along with contributions from friends and family, informs a press release. The association had also received relief materials from the NGO ‘Americares’.

The members visited Ringhem and Nadey monasteries in North Sikkim on 26 Nov. Ringhem monastery has suffered substantial damage and lies in ruins at present, the release informs. Here, the members offered Rs. 6000 along with some food items, the release mentions.
Thereafter, the members visited Nadey monastery where it was observed that the monastery, though old, had escaped the tremors with only minor damages. The association made an offering of Rs. 3,000 along with food items here.
At Mangan, the members came across a child with a major life threatening illness and financial constraints which were making treatment difficult. The members donated Rs. 5,000 to the child’s family and promised to help the child in every possible way, the release mentions.
On 27 Nov, the members visited Lingzya in Dzongu.
As informed by the panchayat, eight families from Bey village lost their homes to the quake. In the last leg of the relief activities, the members offered a donation of Rs. 2,500 to the religious institution (Sheda) in Lingzya. Food items and clothes were also distributed to road labourers.
The release further expresses that the members on behalf of the victims, would like to place a humble request to the concerned authorities to expedite the resettlement programme as there has been no respite for the victims even after surviving the near death experience as they are still living at the mercy of others.