You will all have seen the devastation caused by flooding in Pakistan and I suspect that many of you will be tired of disasters, global politics and gloomy news.
However, I believe that this is classic example of where the recently established TAG Foundation can provide help, not through governments or agencies but, directly to those affected. In the past we helped victims of 9/11 attacks in New York, the Indian Ocean tsunami and hurricane Katrina - in fact, we donated more than $200,000 to those affected in these awful events. The TAG Foundation now stands at $10,000 with donations from a handful of members and from The Appleton Group. I am now appealing to all our members to make a special donation to TAG Foundation from your firm and/or from individuals so that we can assist those in greatest need in Pakistan and maintain a reserve for future events.
As always the difficulty is ensuring that the donations get to the people in need and not to government or other bodies that may delay or prevent it getting to our desired destination. We will solve this through the help of our member in Pakistan, Hasan Irfan Khan and by selecting only those charities that have a track record of getting the aid to the people in need. Hasan Irfan Khan has already committed $100,000 to 500 families that he is personally directing. A copy of his recent letter and photographs of the people he is helping are shown below.
The final selection of charities will be made by the TAG Foundation Advisors, Harvey Feuerstein of Herrick, Feinstein, LLP (TAGLaw: New York), Sean King of Williams Mullen (TAGLaw: North Carolina, Virginia and recently appointed TIAG Board Member), Norman Posner of Samet & Company (TIAG: Massachusetts), and Ralph Wellington of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP (TAGLaw: Pennsylvania), together with the Trustees, Anne Appleton Jones, Bob Sattin and me.
Details of how to contribute are given below and a description of the TAG Foundation can be found on the TAGLaw website under the "TAG Foundation" tab. We will keep you informed of our progress and the charities that are selected. Also, you will be copied on a full accounting of the TAG Foundation annually.
Please give generously,
Peter Appleton Jones
Click here to view more photos.
Lahore: August 24, 2010
Subject: Flooding
Dear Bob,
Thank you so much for your email of August 06, 2010, for thinking of us and for your support. My apology for not coming back to you immediately for reasons explained below.
The situation was, and is, indeed very grave and one really did not know where to start and which population to pick for the relief operation. I was on holidays in US with my family and did not have access to the Pakistani satellite news channels and the electronic newspapers.
When I landed back on August 08, 2010 and watched the news I was deeply shocked and dismayed to learn about the situation. I personally visited the flood affected areas to evaluate the situation and realized that it was the time when each and every Pakistani has to stand up to support the affectees and this was not a situation where we can simply donate money and goods to the Government or other relief operations.
I talked to my partners and the firm donated equivalent to US$ 100,000/-. Firm’s staff has also donated separately. We have so far adopted 500 families and in all about 5000 persons, each family comprising of average 8 to 10 members. For the moment, we are providing them tents, food, milk, water, etc. for their survival. I am personally leading all the relief operations of the firm which have purely been done by volunteer lawyers, paralegal and support staff. We are focusing in the worst hit area of Muzaffar Garh District.
With the funds in our hands we should be able to sustain these 500 families for atleast one month. The whole purpose of adopting the families is to give them assurance and comfort that they will get necessary food, water, milk, etc. regularly and to eliminate their anxiety and fear of not receiving the food on regular basis. This effort will only be a drop in the ocean.
I am very encouraged by you asking if there is anything that you or the extended TAGLaw family can assist. My response to this would be whatever and as much as you can do that will be welcome. According to one estimate 20(M) people are affected throughout Pakistan in three Provinces. We have resolved to carry out the relief operations and support the families ourselves. This has given a lot of confidence to our friends who are volunteering to support us further enabling us to expand our operations.
After the initial relief operations of tents, food and medicines, we plan to go to the second stage of assisting the affectees to return to their homes by supporting them in repairing/rebuilding/building their homes, providing them support to restore/regain their income means and to help them to regain their ability to cultivate and produce crops such as providing them with seeds, etc.
Our third stage – efforts would be made to work with local government/provincial governments to take on projects of repairing/rebuilding/constructing schools, colleges and libraries and health facilities such as clinics and small scale hospitals. All these projects will be undertaken and executed by ourselves. Of course for these we will have to work with local governments/provincial governments but our plan is to tell them that we will work on those projects ourselves in collaboration with them but we will not give the money to the Government relief funds.
Please therefore, let me know to what extent the extended TAGLaw family can contribute so that we may determine what additional finances will be available to us and we can then plan to expand our relief operations.
Thank you so very much once again for thinking of us and for offering us to assist and support.
For your information, I enclose photographs of our own relief efforts. I am in blue strip shirt in the first picture.
With kind regards.
Very truly yours
for IRFAN & IRFAN
HASAN IRFAN KHAN
