Pimpin Turtle Dot Com
04-23-2010, 06:53 AM
"A Call for Action" Naya Bazaar/Salleri Fire Relief Fund
On Sunday, April 17th 2010, community members and I spent over four hours battling a massive fire in the rural village where I currently live in the country of Nepal. In Naya Bazaar/Salleri, there is not a proper fire department so it is up to the local population to rise up as volunteers to stop any fires that could potentially destroy their entire village. Although 19 houses were destroyed and over 100 people are now homeless, we saved upwards of 50 or so homes. Men and women, children and adults, civilians and the military alike worked hand-in-hand to prevent the fire from spreading and eventually we succeeded. Unfortunately, the cause of the fire is still unknown.
Without a doubt, I witnessed an amazing amount of brave acts on Sunday. Perhaps, more then I have ever seen before. This was the first time in my life that I have had to fight a fire of any magnitude, large or small. As a United States citizen, it is easy to take our firefighters for granted. Additionally, fighting a fire without proper equipment is not a cakewalk. Fortunately, there were approximately 300-400 people helping from the surrounding villages helping out in multiple ways. My legs were pretty cut up and I still have a few burn marks, but they will heal up overtime. Hopefully, so will the memories and spirits lost by the families during this fateful day.
As more and more people arrived, bucket brigades began to form from every possible water source to the side of the fire that we were on. Plastic buckets, cooking pots, and whatever could hold water was donated from all the houses in the village. I was carrying water from about 50 yards away to the front of the fire. Our main mission was to stop it from crossing a bridge into the main section of Naya Bazaar. This is the section of town where they hold market every Saturday and it is featured in the last episode that I released on my Vlog.
Nevertheless, it was tough for me to film because of the hectic situation. There was not much of a break, but I got a lot of footage to show the devastation. I was covered in water, mud, and sweat, but hopefully the video will display the courage and bravery of the community in this area. I have been here over two months now and I feel like I am becoming a part of this community as well. I couldnt just sit back like a tourist and watch these buildings burn down. If I had accidently slipped, I might have easily fallen into the fire, but the bravery of the Nepali people motivated me to push harder and we succeeded in saving the majority of Naya Bazaar and Salleri.
And now A Call to Help. We have set up a Donation Link where you can safely send money through any Credit or Debit card to the families who have lost their homes. I have been working very closely with the Nepal Red Cross to collect the names of each and every family that was hurt during the fire. Therefore, once the money comes in, we can allocate the funds to those who truly need it fast and effectively. Furthermore, both of our organizations have been collecting donations from the local community the past few days to distribute emergency provisions that could not wait.
Please, if you can donate any money at all, we will make sure that it is 100% equally distributed to the families who lost their homes today. Just because this was not a tsunami, earthquake, or hurricane that killed thousands of people, the families who lost their homes will be devastated for years to come. I personally know and talk to many of these people every day. They are kind-hearted, hardworking, and compassionate people. Each and every penny counts and a dollar will go a lot further in Nepal than it does in the United States. The people here will be very grateful and I promise you that they deserve it.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to read this and any help will be greatly appreciated. Even if you cannot afford to make a donation, please help make this story go viral. Send it to your contacts on your email list. Share it on Facebook. Tweet it across the Twitterverse. Whatever you can do to help will greatly benefit our cause.
Peace and Love,
David Eric Allen - Mr. E
Director - P.T. Charities
Here is the full article with video and pictures:
http://www.ur1.ca/wejn
On Sunday, April 17th 2010, community members and I spent over four hours battling a massive fire in the rural village where I currently live in the country of Nepal. In Naya Bazaar/Salleri, there is not a proper fire department so it is up to the local population to rise up as volunteers to stop any fires that could potentially destroy their entire village. Although 19 houses were destroyed and over 100 people are now homeless, we saved upwards of 50 or so homes. Men and women, children and adults, civilians and the military alike worked hand-in-hand to prevent the fire from spreading and eventually we succeeded. Unfortunately, the cause of the fire is still unknown.
Without a doubt, I witnessed an amazing amount of brave acts on Sunday. Perhaps, more then I have ever seen before. This was the first time in my life that I have had to fight a fire of any magnitude, large or small. As a United States citizen, it is easy to take our firefighters for granted. Additionally, fighting a fire without proper equipment is not a cakewalk. Fortunately, there were approximately 300-400 people helping from the surrounding villages helping out in multiple ways. My legs were pretty cut up and I still have a few burn marks, but they will heal up overtime. Hopefully, so will the memories and spirits lost by the families during this fateful day.
As more and more people arrived, bucket brigades began to form from every possible water source to the side of the fire that we were on. Plastic buckets, cooking pots, and whatever could hold water was donated from all the houses in the village. I was carrying water from about 50 yards away to the front of the fire. Our main mission was to stop it from crossing a bridge into the main section of Naya Bazaar. This is the section of town where they hold market every Saturday and it is featured in the last episode that I released on my Vlog.
Nevertheless, it was tough for me to film because of the hectic situation. There was not much of a break, but I got a lot of footage to show the devastation. I was covered in water, mud, and sweat, but hopefully the video will display the courage and bravery of the community in this area. I have been here over two months now and I feel like I am becoming a part of this community as well. I couldnt just sit back like a tourist and watch these buildings burn down. If I had accidently slipped, I might have easily fallen into the fire, but the bravery of the Nepali people motivated me to push harder and we succeeded in saving the majority of Naya Bazaar and Salleri.
And now A Call to Help. We have set up a Donation Link where you can safely send money through any Credit or Debit card to the families who have lost their homes. I have been working very closely with the Nepal Red Cross to collect the names of each and every family that was hurt during the fire. Therefore, once the money comes in, we can allocate the funds to those who truly need it fast and effectively. Furthermore, both of our organizations have been collecting donations from the local community the past few days to distribute emergency provisions that could not wait.
Please, if you can donate any money at all, we will make sure that it is 100% equally distributed to the families who lost their homes today. Just because this was not a tsunami, earthquake, or hurricane that killed thousands of people, the families who lost their homes will be devastated for years to come. I personally know and talk to many of these people every day. They are kind-hearted, hardworking, and compassionate people. Each and every penny counts and a dollar will go a lot further in Nepal than it does in the United States. The people here will be very grateful and I promise you that they deserve it.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to read this and any help will be greatly appreciated. Even if you cannot afford to make a donation, please help make this story go viral. Send it to your contacts on your email list. Share it on Facebook. Tweet it across the Twitterverse. Whatever you can do to help will greatly benefit our cause.
Peace and Love,
David Eric Allen - Mr. E
Director - P.T. Charities
Here is the full article with video and pictures:
http://www.ur1.ca/wejn