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Fire Retardant Attire For Mobeds

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Teams – Empowering Mobeds & WZO Trusts

Saturday October 24, 2020 was indeed a dark day, not only on account of the Pandemic but more so that Er. Zahan Meherzad Turel, all of 14 years young, a shining star of our Mobedi clan, suffered severe (48.5%) burns injuries whilst performing the ‘boi’ ceremony at Goti Adarian, Surat.

After being administered basic treatment young Zahan was rushed to Masina Hospital at Byculla, Mumbai, where he was given treatment for an extended period of time and thereafter discharged on Monday, January 04, 2021.

Fortunately for Er. Zahan Turel, he received excellent treatment at the Burns Unit of Masina Hospital and is well on his way to recovery.

Such a grisly mishap is not the first such incident that our Mobeds have had to contend with whilst tending to our revered fires. It is beyond imagination that in this day and age our Mobeds continue to perform religious ceremonies without a modicum of protection.

The incident triggered off intense discussions amongst the core group of Team Empowering Mobeds (a joint initiative of WZO Trust Funds and Athornan Mandal). After proactive discussions where various options were considered it was finally decided to have ‘Jamas, Padan & Hand Pockets (for Boiwala Mobeds to wear when inside the kebla) made from fire retardant fabric that would provide reasonable safety to our Mobeds whilst carrying out various religious ceremonies.

Over the last few months, experiments were undertaken to test fire retardant fabrics that would provide safety to Mobeds in case of embers landing on their ‘Jamas, Padan & Hand Pockets’.

Trials have been conducted, where Mobed Volunteers have worn Jamas made from different fabrics of thickness comparable to existing Jamas (on which the fire retardant process would be added later on) to test the comfort levels.

A well wisher Mr. Viraf Sohrabji Mehta who was keenly interested in the project coordinated the exercise with Ms. Firoza Karani, Director of Casablanca Apparels Pvt. Ltd., in having samples made and trials done for which we are most grateful to both of them.

It has now been decided to place an order for manufacturing 800 sets each of ‘Jamas & Padans and 200 sets of hand pockets with Casablanca Apparels Pvt. Ltd., a well known garment manufacturing unit established in 1993 that manufactures a variety of garments for both domestic and export markets.

As fire retardant fabric is not available off the shelves, Casablanca Apparels have placed an order with Arvind Mills, Ltd., to produce the minimum quantity required. The fire-retardant fabric is expected to be ready by mid-June 2021, and the final product ready for distribution sometime between mid to end July 2021. A set each will be offered gratis to practicing Mobeds for their use, should they be interested.

After the fabric has been manufactured, appropriate certificates of the fabric having Fire retardant properties will be obtained from Arvind Mills, the manufacturers of the fabric, as well as Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) an international inspection agency that inspects Apparels, Machinery, Medicines etc, before shipments.

High Priests, Dasturji Dr. Firoze M. Kotwal, Dasturji Khurshed K. Dastoor, Dasturji Keki P. Ravji Meherjirana, Senior Mobed Aspandiar Dadachanji, have all been informed about the initiative and their approval received.

After using the initial set, if Mobeds are satisfied in all respects, it will be for them, or their Agiary Trustees / Panthaki’s to procure additional sets from the manufacturers against payment. A suitable system will be put into place that will make it convenient to procure future supplies.

The ever-generous Trustees of Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao have committed to make funds available for this initiative through WZO Trust Funds which will facilitate the initial production from fire retardant fabric of 800 Jamas 800 Padans and 200 pairs of Hand Pockets.

Mobeds, Panthakies and Trustees of Agiarys wishing to accept sets of Jamas & Padans and Hand Pockets made from fire retardant fabric are requested to contact and coordinate with:

Er. Hormuz A. Dadachanji,
D. E. Mithaiwala Agiary,
Opp. Grant Road Station (West),
Mumbai 400007
Telephone Contact (+91) 9820493812

Disclaimer:

It is clearly understood, implicitly agreed to and accepted by the Mobeds using attire made from Fire Retardant fabric that the initiative taken by Empowering Mobeds & WZO Trusts and funded by Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao has been undertaken solely with the intent of providing safety to our Mobeds.

 

Empowering Mobeds, WZO Trusts or The Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao, their Trustees and members will under no circumstances be held responsible or liable should the product malfunction / is found ineffective / does not offer protection / or causes any other complications.

 

It is also reiterated that The Trustees / Members of Empowering Mobeds, WZO Trusts or The Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao have no commercial / pecuniary benefit from this project. 

Dinshaw K. Tamboly;

Chairman.

C – 1 Hermes House, 3rd Floor,

Mama Parmanand Marg,

Opera House,

Mumbai 400 004

Tel. Nos: 91 – 22 – 23684451 / 52 / 53

Relief & Rehabilitation of Zoroastrians who have been severely affected financially due to the Covid Pandemic

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Dear Donors, Friends, Well Wishers,

We, World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust & WZO Trust Funds have begun to plan for relief and rehabilitation that will need to be undertaken for Zoroastrians who have been affected through loss of livelihood due to the Covid Pandemic.

A Write-up cum appeal as below is being sent to donors all over the world with a request to extend support for the many Zoroastrians, who have all been severely affected in different ways.

It is requested that generous support be considered towards this humanitarian of epic proportions.

 

We expect to commence once the lock down has been lifted and travel restrictions have been eased; sometime hopefully my mid-May or perhaps a bit later. We envisage it will take us around 5 months at the very minimum to complete this humongous task and look forward to receiving support.

Best wishes,

Dinshaw

 

COVID PANDEMIC AND IT’S AFTERMATH;

THE LONG ROAD TOWARDS REHABILITATION.

 

The world over, people are presently wrestling with the unprecedented implications of the COVID-19 corona virus pandemic. It is a human crisis unlike any experienced earlier.

 

By way of providing immediate relief during the pandemic, We, The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust and The WZO Trust Funds have played a reasonably proactive role by supporting from our own funds, Masina Hospital at Mumbai to create isolation facilities, as also recommended to and facilitated overseas donors to support this initiative, and supported the distribution of food packets through volunteers of ‘Pehchaan’ to migrant workers and slum dwellers of Mumbai suffering from hardships.

 

With the lockdown scheduled to be progressively lifted from mid May onwards, the time is now on hand to planning and focus on providing relief and rehabilitation to Zoroastrians who have been adversely affected economically due to the pandemic.

 

Given the severity of the pandemic one can foresee that once the lockdown and travel restrictions have been lifted or eased, the focus will have to be on continuing to provide relief, as well as to organize rehabilitation of Zoroastrians who have been severely affected – in cities, towns and villages. The tasks are undoubtedly extremely daunting and will require long term effort and commitment.

 

When the lockdown has been lifted and travel restrictions eased, it will be necessary to not only continue relief but also to plan rehabilitation strategies, as may be necessary, for Zoroastrians who are facing immense hardships as a result of the pandemic.

 

Providing relief is a temporary measure, whereas organizing rehabilitation is a distinctly and extremely long process that entails first counselling distressed minds to be optimistic, followed by assessing what would be the most practical and quickest manner of rehabilitating entire families who would have lost their jobs or means of livelihoods and / or suffered from illnesses during the troubled times and finally raising resources from donors that would be used to bring affected families back into the mainstream of society.

 

To successfully rehabilitate Zoroastrians affected by the pandemic, it will be essential that all hands (volunteers and donors) will need to be on deck, doing what they can do best to alleviate the suffering.

 

The main impacts of the lock down that will need to be addressed are:

 

1 Arranging food grains packages for Zoroastrians in cities, towns and villages who have suffered economic hardships
2 Financial difficulties being faced by families of white collar workers having received only half their regular salaries and in many cases no salaries
3 Financial difficulties being faced by families of blue collar workers not having received salaries as the factories, workshops have all had to shut down.
4 Financial difficulties being faced by individuals involved in modest Self Employment initiatives such as driving autorickshaws, commercial taxi’s, auto mechanics, stationery shops etc who have been unable to go about their professions.
5 Full time Mobeds who are not employed by Agiyaries but are daily wage earners many of who presently have no income.

 
6 a)    Supporting agriculturists who have been unable to harvest their standing crops that have decayed on account of non availability of labour force.

b)    Dairy Farmers having suffered financial setbacks as milk collected from their livestock’s being unable to reach the processing dairies; difficulty in obtaining feed for their cattle.

c)    Poultry farming having come to a standstill as it has not been possible to transport the fully grown fowls to processing units.

d)    Brick kilns are an industry having a short 7 month window (December to June); Zoroastrian beneficiaries who have established kilns in their villages have suffered severe financial setback as the migrant labourers have left for their native places leaving half baked and unbaked bricks causing immense hardships.

 

Total amount of funds required for the entire rehabilitation package as above are estimated to be in the region of Rs.13,200,000 (Rupees thirteen million two hundred thousand or Rupees one crore thirty two lakhs). The time frame for completing the work is estimated to take between four to five months.

 

Service to our people is the need of the times. We can at best play a proactive role by using all the means available to us in terms of manpower and by raising resources from donors.

 

We request individuals and institutions from all over the world, having the means and resources, to dig deep into their pockets and donate generously to enable us to undertake rehabilitation of the many Zoroastrians who have suffered untold misery during the pandemic:

 

Donations may please be sent by cheques to:

The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust

C-1, Hermes House,

Mama Parmanand Marg,

Opera House,

Mumbai 400 004

 

Donations can also be made directly into our bank accounts, details of which are:

 

For remittances from within India For remittances from overseas converted into INR
Name of Bank: Deutsche Bank Name of Bank: Deutsche Bank
Branch: Hazarimal Somani Marg, Fort, Mumbai. Branch: Hazarimal Somani Marg, Fort, Mumbai.
Branch Address:

D B House,

Hazarimal Somani Marg, Fort,

Mumbai 400 001

 Branch Address:

D B House,

Hazarimal Somani Marg, Fort,

Mumbai 400 001
Account title:

The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust.

 Account title:

The World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust – FCRA.
Account No: 400004259620019 Account No: 400004284180028
Account type: Savings Account type: Savings
IFSC Code: DEUT0784PBC IFSC Code: DEUT0784PBC
  Swift Code: BKTRUS33
Note

Donors should provide the address where their receipts should be mailed and also inform their PAN details.

  

Note

Donors should provide the address where their receipts should be mailed.

 

We look forward to receiving support from community members from all over the world that will facilitate our undertaking and completing this gigantic humanitarian exercise.

 

Very Sincerely,

Dinshaw K Tamboly;

Chairman.

 

Dinshaw K. Tamboly;

Chairman.

C – 1 Hermes House, 3rd Floor,

Mama Parmanand Marg,

Opera House,

Mumbai 400 004

Tel. Nos: 91 – 22 – 23684451 / 52 / 53