Bam Interim Report - 4
July 25, 2004
Thanks to all our contributors.
Before the deadline imposed by the US government (March 27th, 2004),
we had raised and sent $620,000 to Iran for the children orphaned
due to earthquake in Bam.
By that time we had successfully completed adoption of 502 orphans
according to ERFO's policy.
Mr. Jamal Farivar's family including Mrs. Meftah Rezvani Farivar,
Mohammad Reza and Alireza Farivar spent their New Year holiday in
Bam trying to help find and distribute CDs to the children and their
appointed guardians.
ERFO's work, however, continued both
on and off site. Mr. Jamal Farivar and his team of volunteer social
workers (in particular Ms. Najafpur, Ms. Arjomand of Bam, Mrs. Mohammadi
(social worker from Kerman Behzisti office), Mrs. Massy Akhavan
Farivar and Mr. Amir Akhavan Rad) had worked tirelessly in order
to identify and complete the paperwork of more orphans who had a
living relative willing to care for them in a nurturing family environment
and out of institutions.
It was my first and the rest of the
ERFO team of volunteers 3rd or 4th trip to Bam. We arrived there
at 8 am on May 20th, 2004. As soon as we left the comfort of our
air-conditioned vehicle, more than 100 F temperature reminded us
of the hardship against which the Bam tent dwellers were working.
As I had predicted, there was no sign of any relief agencies or
building activities within the city. According to Mr. Khoshnood
and Dr. Setayesh (the heads of Bam and Kerman Behzisti offices),
ERFO was the only (and I mean the only) NGO that had been in Bam
since the beginning and delivered what it promised (refer
to Behzisti letter). They were disappointed and frustrated by
many foreign governments, special interest groups and nongovernmental
agencies for promising a lot and delivering little.
Bam truly looked like a ghost town.
The streets were empty, people were in their tents and occasional
workers were seen trying to clear their yards from rubble. However,
this was not the scene at the Melli Bank of Bam. The government
had just approved that each family was to get 2,500,000.00 Rials
($300 equivalent) loan; therefore the bank was literally packed
with people trying to apply and receive "what was coming to them"
(See photo).
The reason for our trip to Bam was
twofold: to present a long-term certificate of deposit to 84 newly
identified orphans thus bringing total number of children under
ERFO financial umbrella to 586 and to increase financial assistance
for children under the age of 12. During the first stage we at least
doubled the financial grants to all needy children under age 12.
In order to expedite the proceedings
we had been asked to do all the bank paper work related to ERFO
in a designated area of the bank (see photos). Within several hours
seven of us worked very hard to complete the paper work required
by the Melli Bank for 112 new certificates of deposit as well as
short term saving account to be presented to children that afternoon
(see photos of presenting saving certificates to orphans and their
guardians under a Behzisti tent in Bam). The details of children
name, address, guardians and their relation with the child, bank
account and the amount of money in Rials may be viewed in the children
section of this site.
Based on our extensive local research
and the amount of money we have raised, we are hoping to adopt approximately
50 more children and increase the financial grant of about 300 children
to 10,000,000.00 Rials. We are returning to Bam in September to
re-examine the need of all children under ERFO coverage and hopefully
finish what we started last December 29th.
The following days we visited orphans
of Bam being kept at several orphanages in the city of Kerman including
the Kermanian facility caring for newborn, infants and toddlers
(photo), Dr. Zia center for orphaned teen girls (photo), as well
as the Dilmaghani (photo) and Sanati centers for boys (See Photo).
There are several more children that
we are planning to support as soon as their paperwork is completed.
32 children with unknown identities are being kept at the Kermanian
center. So far no parents or relatives have come forward to claim
them in spite of multiple advertisements in the local and national
newspaper, TV, etc. It is not known what their real names are nor
whether they have inherited any properties such as house lots, date
palms or orange groves (Bam produces the best quality dates and
orange in Iran). We are committed to get these children out of orphanage
and into a family environment as soon as authorities issue them
names and birth certificates.
As for what we observed in Bam and
Kerman, children appeared to have adjusted to their new environment,
and almost all of them don't want to leave the Bam area when asked.
Several new temporary shelters built by the government in the outskirt
of Bam are scarcely occupied. Most people are planning to rebuild
their home on the original site as soon as they possibly can.
With more than 2500 orphans under
the age of 18, it is unfortunate that we were not allowed enough
time to raise more money and help more orphans. We have requested
an extension of license from OFAC and the State Dept. in order to
be able to at least use the money that was donated by individuals
for this purpose but did not clear the Sovereign bank before the
general license to help the Bam earthquake victims expired. Please
join me in praying that we'll get another chance to save more kids
from an institutional life. There are several groups and NGOs that
have raised funds to help Bam and I sincerely hope that some of
them will donate all or part of their funds to help the neediest
of all victims of the Bam disaster: "the parentless and unknown
(identityless) orphans".
On the fundraising front, Dr. Maryam
Safai had arranged a wonderful dinner party to support the Bam orphans
on June 9th at the home of Dr. Zia and Mrs. Nina Ghavami in Franklin
Lake, NJ.
Drs. Mahshid and Cyrus Assadi of
New York City and their friends had arranged a gathering on Fathers
Day, June 20th in the Patoug Restaurant in Bayside, N.Y. to support
Mr. Garv who is planning to support orphans of Bam by swimming from
Maryland to Washington, DC.
Finally, people of Bam (especially
the guardians of orphans) appreciated the opportunity you have afforded
them thru ERFO in being able to care for the children-sometimes
the only other survivor in their extended family.
Sincerely,
Mohammad Farivar, MD
President
Earthquake Relief Fund for Orphans
Meeting in Kerman with Dr. Khoshnood of Bam Behzisti (right),
Dr. Raah chamani of Central Behzisti (2nd from left), and
Dr. Mohammad Setayesh of Kerman Behzisti (left)
Crowd at Melli Bank in Bam to apply for a loan
Crowd at Melli Bank in Bam to apply for a loan
ERFO volunteers processing the children paperwork at Melli Bank
ERFO volunteers processing the children paperwork at Melli Bank
Dr. Farivar assisting with stamping the CDs for the children
Tent setup by Behzisti Org.
Children/Guardians receiving saving account certificates
at a gathering under Behzisti tent
Children/Guardians receiving saving account certificates
at a gathering under Behzisti tent
Children/Guardians receiving savings account certificates
at a gathering under Behzisti tent
Children/Guardians receiving savings account certificates
at a gathering under Behzisti tent
Children at Kermanian Orphanage in Kerman
Children at Kermanian Orphanage in Kerman
Infants and toddlers at Kermanian Orphanage in Kerman
At Sanati orphanage for boys
At Dr. Zia Orphanage for teen girls
At Dr. Zia Orphanage for teen girls
Children at Dilmaghani Orphanage for teen boys
