Few weeks back, Sh. Pran Ji Kaul from California and some of our community members in San Francisco Bay area approached KOA with a proposal to start a pilot Milk Supply project for children in KP refugee camps in Jammu. [For details, please see the enclosed letter from Pran Ji to Sunil Fotedar].

The proposal to start this KOA Pilot project was referred to the KOA board for approval/disapproval. KOA board voted on the proposal and has since approved the pilot project. Pran Ji will coordinate and monitor this pilot project for KOA and report the progress as well as other related data back to the board and the administration. The final votes from the board for this proposed pilot project were as follows:

Zone	Director	Vote
1	Nimmi Kalla	Abstain
2	Santosh Raina	YES
3	Ashtosh Ganjoo	Abstain
4	Swapna Raina	YES
5	Anjali Kaul Zutshi	YES
6	Ashutosh Kaul	Abstain
7	Ajay Koul	YES
8	Pradumon Tickoo	YES
9	Rajeev Sumbly	YES
10	Amrit Nehru	YES
President	Sunil Fotedar	YES

If you have any specific question about this pilot project, you may please contact KOA administration and/or your respective zonal director offline. The contact details of KOA office-bearers and the board members are available on KOA's website at http://www.koausa.org/. 

Kindest regards
Lalit Koul
Secretary, KOA

Enclosure:

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Pran Ji Kaul's email to Sunil Fotedar:

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Dear Sunil ji,

It is a matter of commom knowledge that malnutrition among school age chidren in the refugee camps in Jammu and elsewhere, is rampant and widespread. Not only is this malady well documented in the form of reports authored by KPs in the medical profession, but  there is also ample evidence of poorly fed children in the refugee camps so manifest in the form of sallow and palid faces. The children look very emaciated. Unless some drastic remedial measures are implemented on a war footing, we run the risk of losing a whole generation. Underfed children will not only perform poorly in studies, but there is also the high probabilityof incidence of disease and early death.

During my visit to Jammu last October/November, I was told that only about ten children in Purkhoo Camp are fortunate to have a cup of milk, the rest are bereft of this basic nutritional need so essential for development and growth of a child. That was motivation enough for me to bring succor to these unfortunate souls.

Since I and a couple of caring community members here in the SF Bay area, are committed to address the problem of malnutrition urgently, we have decided to launch a drive to raise funds for this purpose. We intend to start with a pilot program in Purkhoo Camp, with the help of the principal of the school there and with active participation of Mr. B.L. Bhat, who needs no introduction, as he is very well known in Jammu for his activism in regard to the welfare of the camp residents.Depending on the success of this pilot program, it is our intent to extend it to other camps later in a phased manner, subject of course to availabilty of funds.

With a view to motivating donors to contribute to the fund, they need to have an incentive of tax benefits, which is possible if the funds are routed through KOA. Hence this request to you and the KOA Board to approve the channeling of funds through KOA. In view of the urgency of the situation and our obligation and moral responsibility to save the children from disease and untimely death, it is my fervent hope that you and the Board will approve of my request.
Thank you.

Regards,

Pran kaul