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Despite the fact that eight months have passed since the life-altering tsunami washed away the homes and lives of well over 240,000 people, our efforts should not falter to protect those who have survived its powerful grasp.

Numerous times, enormous numbers of innocent lives are lost due to a cause uncontrollable by man. Almost about four years ago, the Gujarat Earthquake forever altered the lives of people in a large numbers of towns in the Gujarat region. A much more recent occurrence with a very similar result is the horrid earthquake in the Indian Ocean and the subsequent tsunami affecting a significant part of Southern Asia. The earthquake itself lasted for about ten minutes. Usually, earthquakes last no more than a few seconds. The entire planet vibrated at least a few centimeters. In Indonesia, 500 bodies a day were being found in the months following the disaster; one of the largest life-loss counts in history.

All over the world, people in thousands of different towns and cities donated their time and money in an effort to reconstruct the disaster areas and to help reduce the anguish of those who were gravely affected. Based on what was damaged by the tsunami, particular needs had to be met such as food and shelter. It was difficult to provide the appropriate supplies to the designated people in a short span of time, and it is very unfortunate that this happened to be the case for many survivors. The problem of diseases spreading due to corpses floating in the water also posed a threat for many people. This is parallel to what recently occurred in Mumbai, India, where due to the heavy rains about 1000 people had died. As a result, a serious fear of water contamination existed in India, the second most populous country in the world.

It is very gratifying to see so many people reach out with such munificence in an effort to help survivors of the tragic disaster. Since the past seven months, I have committed myself to help make a difference for the survivors of the catastrophic tsunami. I created my very own tsunami relief fund and it can be found on my website at dhawal.vze.com. I have in the past used the collected funds of $1000, and delivered them directly to two families in the tsunami-affected areas of India. This small contribution can go great lengths in fostering hope within their hearts. I will continue to do this with any funds collected in the future. So far, I have helped two families and sparked a ray of hope in their lives, albeit in a very small way. However, with your help, we can make a much larger impact to help save the less fortunate people in the world from further grief. An ancient African proverb says it best, “however long the night, the dawn will break.”

Dhawal Kapadia

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