Onam-Utsav 2018

KCSMW ONAM MELA - UTSAV 2018 - CANCELLED !!

This Onam, when Kerala was supposed to adorn herself with pookkalams and enjoy the golden grains harvested and celebrate with the most fervor, an unexpected calamity is happening. Our Kerala is facing the worst catastrophe in nearly 100 years. Over the past week, our state received 257% excess rainfall and it’s continuing. All 44 rivers are overflowing and over 300,000 people, including tourists, have been displaced to relief camps. An estimate of over 6,000 people are still trapped in the heavy rain in their flooded homes for over 3 nights waiting to be rescued. The severe flooding and landslides have taken hundreds of lives. Homes, roads, and bridges have collapsed and washed away.

In the amidst of this devastation, KCSMW has decided to cancel the Onam celebrations and programs planned for Saturday, September 1st.

We at KCSMW can’t imagine hosting an Onam Celebration as our friends, relatives and the entire state of Kerala are going through this tough time and we stand in solidarity in support of our homeland.

To immediately help our people of Kerala, we have set up a fundraising page to accept donations. We will hand over all donations for the relief efforts to Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). Many people abroad Kerala have reported that they are unable to donate directly to the CMDRF using the international credit cards. Therefore, we urge you to make donations using Paypal or credit cards on our fundraising page online.
https://kcsmw.org/index.php/kerala-relief-fund/ 

You may also send a check to Treasurer KCSMW,18700 Broken Oak Road, Boyds, MD 20841, payable to KCSMW.

Let’s all come together to rebuild Kerala in all ways possible. If you remember Hurricane Sandy, it took 159 lives and cost $65 billion in property damages. Kerala lost 164 lives in the last 10 days and an estimate of $1.5 billion in damages so far. Rebuilding homes, roads, and bridges will take billions of dollars and years to complete. But with immediate financial support, our friends and family back home can resume their normal lives a day sooner. No amount is too small or too big and we urge you to donate generously within your capacity. We pray for everyone’s safety and encourage you to stay strong for Kerala.

Thank you for the understanding and kind support.

Zeba Naveed
President - KCSMW
202-375-1822 (M)