Back from Pakistan
By Sam Carpenter / Kashmir Family Aid
June 4, 2008
Chris Stollar (our new Director), and I, just returned from Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. It was a wild conglomeration of a week with visits to four schools, a great new trustworthy contact, stomach problems for both of us, and a lot of miles in the back country. Here is a news clip from the local TV station in Bend, Z21, outlining the visit (Thanks to Victoria at Z21 who put the very thoughtful story together). Chris and I are set to redesign the website and push hard for corporate sponsorship for six school projects we want to set in motion. Things continue to be very bad over there, but the children remain optimistic and eager.
Here is a photo from a tent school in Patika, Azad Kashmir. Here, the teachers make $60 per month, and have not been paid for eight months. They continue to work for the sake of the children only. We were able to cover some of their back wages through the sustaining support of CC of Bend, and KM of Sun River (these donors wish to remain anonymous)
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We are looking for corporate sponsors and individuals to sustain several projects in Azad Jammu Kashmir and in Pakistan, ranging from building a school in the tiny, high elevation and very remote village of Serli Sacha, to assisting The Sewara Foundation that has schools in Muzaffarabad and elsewhere in Azad Kashmir and the Gilgit-Baltistan region ("Northern Areas") of Pakistan. We are also coordinating aid through IBTIDA foundation. For more information, contact me :
Sam Carpenter
541-385-1234
samc@kashmirfamily.org
