MARCH 2005  

Three months have passed since the catastrophic Tsunami swept over Sri Lanka, demolishing everything in its path. The devastation it left behind is overwhelming. With aid pouring in to Sri Lanka from all over the world, we are, most definitely picking up the pieces and learning to walk again.

 REPORT ON TSUNAMI RELIEF & YTD REVIEW

CHILDRENS’ RELIEF EFFORTS

1st to 15th March 2005
Special relief effort was formulated to enable children affected by the Tsunami, to go back to school. Through this programme, over 18,000 children living in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Moratuwa, Matara, Galle and Hambantota were gifted School Packs.

SCHOOL PACKS
YTD 16,535 school packs have been distributed.  A school pack consists of exercise books, pens, pencils instrument box etc.

CHANGE MAKERS CLUB
Discussions are already underway to start Children’s Clubs called Change Makers Island wide. The objective behind Change Makers will be to provide a safe environment for children to play, to learn, to exchange ideas, to mould children’s attitudes, behaviors, enhance knowledge and teach them to develop skills which would help them in the future. The club activities would also make children realizes that they are important to the community and that they are capable of bringing change in to their lives, and to help develop their self-confidence and independence. Change Makers will also give its members the opportunity to organize, plan, and carry out actions to meet the needs of children affected by the Tsunami, so that children will not only be the recipients of welfare, but would also learn to initiate their own welfare.

The objective of establishing Children’s Clubs

-  To embrace the children who have been made destitute
-  To create a place where children could express their feelings
 - A place where children could bring out their inbred talent, which has been stifled due to the catastrophe. 
-  A place to teach them on their rights as children
-  To prevent them from being vulnerable to those who might want to exploit their unfortunate situation.

RECREATIONAL PACKS
Recreational pack distribution is due to start in mid-April. These needs have arisen since the tsunami swept away these items from schools. The pack would include sport equipment such as: 2 footballs, 1 volleyball, 1 net ball, 2 softball cricket bats, 1 wicket set, 6 tennis balls, 1 carom board, 1 checkers board The Change Maker’s club will be initiated in affected areas where ADT has built temporary shelters. Recreational Packs will be distributed only in areas where there is a commitment to begin a children’s club.

TSUNAMI FOSTER PARENTS SCHEME
Children affected by the Tsunami, are being adopted under a ‘Tsunami Foster Parents Scheme’ carried out by the NCEASL which commenced in the South on 16th February 2005. Under this programme, children who are orphaned or are left with one parent will receive a monthly allowance of US $20 for their education. The children will continue to live with their relatives or widowed parents and receive sponsorship until they complete their school education. Up to date, 7 children have been identified for sponsorship in Galle and Weligama.
In order to encourage and uplift the Pastors and their families affected by the Tsunami, a prayer meeting was held at the Dutch Reform Church - Galle. One hundred and twenty people participated at this prayer meeting held on the 3rd of March 2005.  

LIVELIHOOD PROJECTS
BOAT PROJECT
A livelihood project commenced on 14 February 2005, to assist fisher-folk affected by the Tsunami. This was following discussions between representatives from the NCEASL, Officials of the Fisheries Department in Jaffna and 14 other Divisional Heads. 250 Clinker Type boats (17’ 6’’) are now being constructed in the North-East. 60 women from Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara were identified by the NCEASL and are being trained in boat making. They will be given a certificate at the conclusion of the project. In addition to receiving small daily allowances they will also be provided with their meals and accommodation until they are able to get back on their feet. Representatives from the Alliance met with the representatives of the Department of Fisheries - Jaffna and 14 other divisional heads to discuss the needs of fish vendors, such as bicycles and boxes to carry their catch for the day. Various other needs of the fishermen were also discussed (i.e. the type of nets and engines they required etc.)

TRAINING IN BLOCK MAKING
Presently, under the guidance of the Alliance, 30 affected civilians are being assisted in livelihood projects and are being trained in skills such as making cement blocks used in the building of houses. They are given lodging, food and a small salary to sustain them, until their lives regain some form of normalcy.

MICRO FINANCING
Micro financing programmes are introduced to those citizens who have lost their regular livelihood to the Tsunami. ADT will assist identify those in need and assist them in areas such as carpentry, masonry, cement block making, and assist fish vendors monetarily to purchase bicycles and micro financing. plants

WATER PURIFICATION
The Alliance programmes have already begun in individual family units in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu and Batticaloa.  

TEMPORARY
Development Trust (ADT) has installed two Water Purification Systems in Ampara and Kallar. The plant in Kallar provided clean water to the area hospital with a purifying unit capacity of 1,000 Litres daily. 20 other locations that require water purification systems have been identified. The plants are fully operational at present and provide up to 100,000 liters of water per day.

SHELTER
During the period under review, 549 shelters were constructed. Over 750 wells have been desalinated in the Trincomalee District. The NCEASL is also in the process of conducting a drilling process to purify water for human consumption in this district. Water Purification Systems are costly and we hope to provide affected families with small-scale systems under the ‘Medrix System’.

JAFFNA/MULLAITIVU                65                      
BATTICALOA                            184                              
AMBALANGODA                       15                    
GALLE                                      135                                          
MATARA                                   49
MORATUWA                             50
AKURALA1                               1
WELIGAMA                               50

The YTD figure of temporary shelters constructed is 1,466  

PERMANENT HOUSING
ADT proposes to build 250 permanent houses in Batticaloa in the areas of Periyakallar and Kodaikallar.

MEDICINE SUPPLIES
A container load of medicine had also been sent to Jaffna, Trincomalee and Kallar’s rural hospitals.

RE-ENTRY SHELTER PACKS
2,323 Re-entry packs were distributed in Colombo, Mullaitivu, Ampara, Batticaloa, and Jaffna during the reporting period. The YTD figure is 19,723.