Currents Winter 2020 Vol 36, No. IV | Page 11

CATCHING THE RAIN FOR A BETTER FUTURE
BY ULRIKE H ., CAROL H ., AND CAROL S .
Our virtual Awareness Evening on October 26 was a great success ! The evening was designed to give an update on the various AWCH projects that we have initiated with the Nandanvan Trust , headed by Robert d ’ Costa , in Maharashtra , India . The trust uses watershed projects (“ catching the rain ”) to support the ecological , economic , and social transformation of desertified areas outside of Mumbai — allowing tribal families to remain in their homelands in an environment that can economically support them . The AWCH has given support to this organization since 2010 . In the last three years , our nominations of Nandanvan Trust projects for
FAWCO Development Grants have been awarded three times . These Development Grants have helped the tribal villagers , together with supervisors from the Nandanvan Trust , to build an open well , a kindergarten building , and to plant 1,500 trees in re-greened areas . Together , these single projects cumulatively provide the infrastructure necessary to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the transformation project – and a brighter future for the tribes of the area , the poorest of the poor in India .
On the evening , we heard Ulrike ’ s first-hand account of her
travels to the area , saw pictures of the various projects we have supported , and viewed the latest videos of the village of Hazarwadi , where our support has made the largest impact . Robert d ’ Costa and his assistant , Joseph Savari , made a special appearance ( through video ) to thank us again for our continued support . Members had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss future projects in the area . Through donations and a raffle , we were able to raise over € 700 for needed supplies for the kindergarten that was finished this spring . Evenings like this bring these far-away projects a little closer to home .
Photos provided by Nandanvan Trust
Catching the Rain for a Better Future www . awchamburg . org 11