Sydney
10 March 2002
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Dates set for saints
Labor MP backs Liberal’s embryo call
Pope urged to ban his photo from club
Patients are patients, not clients: archbishop on St Vincent’s visit
La Perouse ceremony remembers first Mass
Christian Brothers told: look to the laity for the future
Plight of refugees stirs parishioners into action
Novices renew friars’ spirit of vocation
Centacare calms the anger in men
Editorial: Saint-maker Pope
Letters: Aeroplane nuns
Conversation: ... sharing ‘a gift of God’ - Clare Gormley, soprano
Reflections: Lent – community of God’s people
Veneration of ancestors
The day the house caved in
Book Review: An uncluttered look at ecumenism
Putting ‘fresh heart’ into the diocese: Wollongong’s 50th birthday
Prelate retires as Canterbury see reaches 1400th birthday
Inconsistent marking hampers ‘new’ HSC
Inspirations: Jump in numbers as centre starts year
The day the house caved in
Kangha, who survived the Gujarat earthquake, receives treatment in St Joseph’s Hospital, which is operated by Caritas India
This is the last of a series of six articles on Project Compassion and how and where the money you contribute through Caritas is spent. Donations to Project Compassion can be made by calling 1800 024 413, sending your contribution to Caritas Australia, GPO Box 9830 in your capital city, or by visiting the Caritas website www.caritas.org.au
Kangha’s home was badly damaged in the Gujarat earthquake of January 26, 2001. She and her brother nearly lost their lives in this earthquake.
When the earthquake hit, Kangha and her mother had just finished making breakfast. Her father and her two elder brothers were still asleep.
“All of a sudden the earthquake began and we all ran out of the house,” said Kangha.
“We got outside and I realised my oldest brother was not there. I shouted for him but he didn’t answer, so I rushed back inside to wake him up.
“At first he wouldn’t get up. He thought I was fooling him.’
Finally, her 20-year-old brother ran outside with Kangha close behind. She had selflessly saved his life but almost lost her own.
Just as she reached the front door, the door-frame collapsed on top of her, trapping her right leg. “I just pulled my leg out. I couldn’t feel anything at the time. I just knew I had to keep on running,” she said.
Her family took Kangha to the nearby general hospital where her leg was immediately plastered without any x-ray because the doctors were so overworked with hundreds of similar cases.
After 10 days, when Kangha’s leg was still very painful, her parents took her to St Joseph’s hospital to be x-rayed. St Joseph’s hospital is run by Caritas India.
“We discovered that her leg was not set properly and the bones were not healing straight. There was a cross cut on the bone and also an internal wound,” said Dr Kandanthan, who ran the hospital relief effort. Doctors had to put a metal rod between Kangha’s bones to keep them together.
The Gujarat earthquake killed more that 30,000 people and destroyed more than 400,000 homes, a level of destruction that is hard for to comprehend.
With your help Caritas Australia responded to the devastation in Gujarat. Each year some of your donations to Project Compassion are put aside so that Caritas can respond to situations of emergency.
Caritas Australia always works through local agencies in times of emergency. Our contributions to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Gujarat were channelled through Caritas India.
The relief phase of the Gujarat earthquake has been completed and the long-term rehabilitation phase has begun. Caritas India is building several thousand earthquake-proof semi-permanent shelters, including homes, primary schools and community shelters.
Caritas India is also supporting the provision of water, sanitation and electricity services.
The semi-permanent shelters are built out of bamboo and steel and covered with tarpaulins. Each of these shelters has proper ventilation and an adequate number of doors and windows.
The houses are waterproof and heat resistant and withstand heavy wind.
They will last for two years, providing housing while the construction of permanent structures goes on.
Local people are trained and engaged in the building of these homes. The people who were engaged in the making of the homes have been paid, therefore earning an income while participating in the making of their own houses.
Caritas Australia, through Project Compassion, has helped rebuild homes for people like Kangha who lost so much in the Gujarat earthquake.
Caritas Australia – providing a place to call home.