Press Release

THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY FROM ASIAN TSUNAMI

2 March 2006

Rotary projects completed

• Rotary Village in India
  
• Two schools in Sri Lanka
  
• Kindergarten in Indonesia

It’s been a year since Rotarians first responded to the South Asian tsunami they’re still hard at work. One year ago it was nearly impossible to pick up a newspaper anywhere in the world without reading front-page headlines about the Asian tsunami. After the deadly waves crashed ashore in 13 countries and territories on 26 December 2004, much of the world could only watch in shock. But Rotarians responded with next-day supply shipments, emergency medical missions, and cash contributions.

Eventually, the bodies were recovered and identified, the injured treated and released. Displaced families settled down in makeshift shelters to wait for permanent housing, and governments went about the business of recreating infrastructures washed away by the waves. And eventually, the world’s attention turned to new crises: famine in Africa, a bombing in London, hurricanes on the US Gulf Coast, an earthquake elsewhere in Asia. But through it all, Rotarians have remained, as the following shows.

Rotary village in southern India

Mark Little, from the Rotary Club of Norwich St Edmund, tells of the successful completion of a Tsunami village in Southern India
 
“On 17 January 2006 I arrived in Madras to meet up with two friends to help finish off the construction of a Rotary Village called “Pannithittu” in the State of Pondicherry in South India, which is recognised as the first to reach permanent occupancy in all of India. The two friends were PDG7780 Elias Thomas and Melpo Economou, who had travelled down from Delhi where she had been working as a volunteer at a Child Slave Rehabilitation Centre near that city.

The Rehabilitation Centre is one of two which has been supported by my club since 2001. The foundation of our trip was established after the Tsunami of December 2004 when a joint American/Norfolk Rotary team kick-started the construction of an orphanage at Cuddalore, near Pondicherry in April 2005 to house over 100 children who had lost their parents in the Tsunami. The Orphanage Scheme was completed in February 2006 under the auspices of a Project called “Project Hope”.

“Project Hope” is the brain child of his Holiness, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, India’s world renowned visionary and Head of the India Heritage Foundation and Vivek Oberoi, a famous Indian actor. They joined forces with local Indian Rotarians to initiate “Project Hope” for the express purpose of helping those who had been affected by the Tsunami in South East India.
Whilst the joint Rotary team members were building the orphanage last year, they agreed to continue raising funds to build a new village of 100 houses at Pannithittu.

Land was quickly allocated and, with the help of over £100,000 subsequently collected in England and the USA, building work started on 15 September 2005.

When we arrived on site, the Indian construction team had completed 96 houses and most of the sewer and water systems. We were in time to help with the construction of the last four houses of the new village. For five days, with the help of eight members of the Rotaract Club of Cuddalore Central, we toiled alongside the Indian labourers, carrying mortar, painting walls and, in the absence of wheelbarrows, transporting thousands of bricks to the very eager hands of the local bricklayers.

We also visited the by now almost completed orphanage in Cuddalore, purchased clothing for 55 children in one of the temporary local orphanages which we had previously visited during our 2005 trip, discussed the next stages of the new Rotary Village, enjoyed the hospitality and fellowship of some of the local Rotarians, attended two Rotary Club meetings and ensured the erection of signs indicating the financial contribution of individual clubs in Britain. The team in Norfolk and in the USA continues to raise funds for the completion of the relevant infrastructures of the new Rotary Village.”

Within 48 hours of the Tsunami, The Rotary Foundation established the Solidarity in South Asia Fund. The fund, intended to assist Rotarians in supporting long-term recovery efforts, remained open until May 2005 and brought in over .5 million in contributions. Money from the fund has been distributed as follows:

India .39 million

Indonesia .82 million

Sri Lanka .82 million

Thailand 0,000

Because the trustees of the Foundation believe that Rotarians in the affected areas best understand local recovery needs, committees of Rotarian leaders from the four most affected countries are directing the use of contributions.

Back to school in Sri Lanka

Rotary Clubs responded quickly and continue to work to assist communities affected by the Tsunami that devastated Asia’s coastal regions on December 26 2004.

Excellent progress has been made with many projects planned, funded and completed including re-housing, rebuilding schools, providing fishing boats and provision of shelter, water and essential items through Shelter Boxes, Aquaboxes and Emergency Boxes. RIBI has raised £10 million provided by the generous British public.

Rotary Clubs in Sri Lanka have undertaken to build, or rebuild, 25 schools in affected coastal areas under a project titled Schools Re-Awaken.RIBI agreed, in partnership with Rotary in sri Lanka, that the RIBI Disaster Fund would fund one school at a cost
of £180,000. The Schools Re-Awaken project has been supported by Rotary Clubs in Sri Lanka as well as Rotary Clubs all over the world. Rotary Clubs in RIBI have contributed £635,000. A year after the disaster, the first new school was opened at Randombe. A second school was opened at Batticaloa in February. Rotary Clubs in Yorkshire have raised £200,000 for a new school at Kaluwanchikudy, Sri Lanka.

Rotary clubs in Devon, Yorkshire and Essex have been working very closely with local schools in their areas and have raised funds,as well as providing computer suites and solar powered water filtration plant. Further to this, North Devon Schools
will add their support by sending out staff, technicians and students over the next three years. The project is run by a Rotary Committee with representation from the Sri Lankan Government Education Department and other community and business representatives. The project is underwritten by the Standard Chartered Bank and is supported by UNICEF. The schools are being built to Government standards and upgraded to provide better toilet, library and computer laboratory accommodation.

RIBI President Mike Webb said, “We have made tremendous progress this year. We have been mindful that these projects are being funded by monies donated by the British public and, as guardians of these donations, it was our responsibility to identify projects that were feasible, gave value for money and were managed carefully. We feel that, in every case, we have made the right choices.”

Rotary District Governor Andrew Herniman attended the opening of the Randombe School - He said, “I feel very privileged to have witnessed the opening of this, the first new school in the Rotary Schools Re-Awaken project. It is a milestone
and offers new hope and the best educational facilities for hundreds of schoolchildren whose lives were shattered by the Tsunami. The air of excitement and joy at the opening marks a new beginning for these children. Our support will continue in the
next three years as we send out staff, technicians and students. This project illustrates that Rotary is able to get aid quickly where it is most needed as it works through its volunteer service club network at the grassroots level to provide immediate aid and assistance to those impacted by disaster.”

New kindergarten in Indonesia

Rotary clubs in Holyhead and Llangefni joined forces with other charitable groups and are celebrating the completion of a kindergarten in Indonesia which they have helped fund following the devastating effects of the Boxing Day tsunami.

Dave Winckle of the Holyhead Rotary explained: "The tsunami touched the hearts of everyone."People throughout the world responded in whatever way they could to try and alleviate the loss and suffering of those affected. "The people of Anglesey were no different and individuals and organisations on the island joined in the relief effort.

"The immediate response was magnificent but thought was given to the medium and long-term assistance which was clearly necessary." The Holyhead Rotarians were spurred into action when former Anglesey resident Ian Figgins, who now lives on the Indonesian island of Pulau Weh, contacted them for advice and possible funding to help rebuild his community. In total a sum of £15,000 was raised to fund the new kindergarten.”