Please read the update from Balaji Sampath in AID Chennai who is working on the relief efforts [ Latest Updates from Chennai - VI ] to get a sense of the scope and scale of AIDs work.

Note: All proceeds from this event will go towards AIDs Tsunami Relief Efforts and we invite individuals to sign up to be part of the working group in Boston that will participate in reviewing proposals, visiting sites in India and fundraising for ongoing Tsunami relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. To hear more about the working group or to join, please contact Shailja @ 617.388.4841

a. AID is a secular organization, we have no religious affiliation. b. We have next to no administrative overhead, for every dollar donated 97% goes directly to the projects we support. We are a 4 star rated charity by Charity Navigator c. 100% of our members are volunteers. We do not have any paid staff. Members of AID-Boston are individuals from the community of MA, RI, NH, and CT. d. We have mobilized efforts in the face of natural disasters faced by India in the past. For both the Orrisa Cyclone and Gujarat Earthquake, AID worked on immediate relief and more importantly on long-term rehabilitation work that continues to this day, well after the media attention had moved on. We are also currently working on the Assam Bihar flood relief efforts. For example, in all areas, we invested in R&D for the use of low-cost, locally found material coupled with cutting edge architecture and engineering that would make the homes in the area weather such calamities in the future.

e. Our members in AID-Boston have direct contact with the work in India. Each volunteer has the opportunity to introduce and recommend new projects, visit projects when in India, become the project lead, and play a pivotal role in the interactions between AID, the people affected by the projects and the NGOs. f. Since 1991 when AID was founded in the US, we have developed a strong ground presence in various parts of India. We have Jeevan Saathi's (life-time volunteers) who have committed to do AIDs work in the field. We have built, in some cases, over a decade long relationship with reputable NGOs and peoples movements in India. g. Our approach from the beginning has been one that looks at development holistically. We aim to tackle all angles of an issues with our partners: education, income generation, health, women's empowerment, agricultural enhancement, increased use of technology, land and water rights are just some of the issues that we address. h. Our three pillars of Sangarsh, Nirman and Seva evolved over the years: our experience has shown that working closely with people in India we must stand by them in their struggles and efforts to find sustainable solutions to their multi-faceted problems.

...Our work has gone beyond providing funds, to working in partnership to collectively and sustainably resolve institutional and circumstantial challenges in India. Please talk to one of our volunteers to find out more about AID. We sincerely hope you can support us.