appeal for Pakistan

[RNLD Admin]

Dear RNLDers,



Some of you will have seen the appeal for Pakistan which we posted on RNLD's
Facebook page earlier this month after RNLD member Fakhruddin of the Forum
For Language Initiatives (FLI) in Pakistan contacted us about the
devastating situation resulting from the monsoon floods. Fakhruddin and the
FLI are providing much needed relief to the language communities with which
they work. Fakhruddin told us that Forum for Language Initiatives is a
non-government and non-profit organisation registered with the government of
Pakistan, working to enable the language communities of northern Pakistan to
preserve and develop their mother tongues. Although this organisation is not
involved in relief work, it has set into motion an initiative because the
language communities with whom it works have been severely affected by the
floods and are in a great deal of suffering. FLI is hoping to reach out to
the people first because the government is already facing a number of crises
and cannot cope reaching out to every community.



Sorosoro has listed this appeal on their web site <
http://www.sorosoro.org/en/floods-in-pakistan-makes-numerous-victims-in-linguistic-communities-of-the-north
>.



Yesterday Nicholas Ostler of the Foundation for Endangered Languages
circulated a personal appeal (repeated at the end of this email).
Fakhruddin provided
Nicholas with the following information about FLI's work to provide aid.



-----------------------------------------

Currently, we are planning to provide small food packages (see the detailed
list below) to the effected people from the Gawri, Torwali, Indus Kohistani
and Palula language communities located in upper Swat, Chitral and along the
Indus River in northern Pakistan. These areas are among the worst-hit in the
country.



At present, we have sufficient donations to purchase and distribute these
packages to 210 families (identified by community-based organizations, which
have been our partners language documentation, preservation and promotion
work), but the number of effected families from any one of these communities
number in the thousands. Each food package costs about PKR 3000 (about USD
35). We want to be able to buy more packages to distribute to more families,
if we can raise additional funds. If your organization is able to help us
with this, we (and the families we serve) will greatly appreciate it. We use
a transparent system of distribution and all expenses are documented
properly. If requested, we can have an independent accountant audit our
records.



Each food package contains the following items: (The total weight reflects
an amount, which can be carried by a man since all major bridges have been
washed away and only pedestrian bridges remain or have been temporarily
built)

            Flour 10 Kg

            Rice 5 Kg

            Cooking oil 2.5 lt

            Tea 1 Kg

            Milk powder 1 Kg

            Sugar 3 Kg

            Dates 1 Kg

            Pulses 5 Kg

            Biscuits 5 Packets



Gratefully,

Fakhruddin

fakhruddin at fli-online.org

-----------------------------------------



If you are able to provide support, please go to the FLI web site at <
http://www.fli-online.org/> which also has contact details, or respond to
Nicholas Ostler's appeal (below).



Please consider forwarding this request and the web link to others.



*Personal appeal from Nicholas Ostler (Foundation for Endangered Languages)*

Since we cannot apply FEL's charitable funds to this humanitarian programme
of FLI, I am proposing to gather such funds as I can, and send them to FLI
personally. If you wish to join me in this endeavour, please send cheques
(in pounds sterling or US dollars) made payable to me Nicholas Ostler, at
the address 172 Bailbrook Lane, Bath, BA1 7AA, England, with a note making
clear that this is for the FLI appeal. I intend to send receipts to all, so
please enclose a return address. Unfortunately, we have no electronic media
(such as credit card processors) available to receive these funds. This
particular appeal by me will close after the end of the FEL conference, on
16 September 2010. In case of any difficulty (e.g. if you cannot send
cheques in UK or US currency) you may wish to contact Fakhruddin directly
at fakhruddin at fli-online.org.


-- 
Resource Network for Linguistic Diversity
www.rnld.org

Directors
Margaret Florey
Nick Thieberger

Email: contact.rnld at gmail.com
Ph: +61 (0)4 3186-3727 (mob.)
skype: margaret_florey
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