GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE Latest News from Child Haven home in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:00:34 -0500 Bonnie has been to the Home in Gandhinagar. She has visited many of the ruins and visited with several officials. While Child Haven is not in a position to help out with relief work, we have committed to take in several orphaned children and help out with as many families as possible.

Map reproduced with permission     from www.maps.com

An engineer did visit the building and deemed it safe. It has several cracks which he recommended be fixed as soon as possible.

Excerpts from letter from Bonnie Cappuccino, February 17, 2001:

" Kalaben and I have been visiting various government officials including the Collector and Deputy Collector. They informed us how to write a letter of aplication to the Secretary in Charge of Relief Operations for the Earthquake. They will also add their recommendation. Jayshree, the Deputy Collector is a good friend of Child Haven's. The Collector was impressed that she phoned him at 11 o'clock last night to tell him of Child Haven's wanting to help.

They sent us by car to visit the Civil Hospital, where we saw 30 or more patients all in one large ward. They were surprisingly cheerful, considering that some of them had lost one or more limbs.

Then we were taken to a refugee camp with at least 125 people. Most of the people at both places were from Bhuj. They feel that there were many children needing help, and were happy to hear our offer to do long or short-term care. We stressed the long-term care. They said the govt. is trying to be very careful, in sorting out the various caregories of people needing help, so it may take some time.

We are trying to contact Jaspal Singh in Baroda today if at all possible. Maybe I will know more when you phone me tonite at 7."