austraLasia 990
Asia Tsunami: what we are doing and what you can do
ROME: 8th January 2005 -- Now that the immediate and urgent needs are being met (without wanting to understate both the urgency and immediacy that cannot be removed so simply) it is worth an overview of some of the longer term responses being devised by the Salesians around the world - with a comment on how the reader of austraLasia could play his or her small but important part.
The Salesian communities in the affected zones are all thinking longer term now. Along the Kerala Coast, an area we have not reported on so much, the Salesian province of Bangalore which covers this region is planning in three areas - the prevention of school dropouts due to the disaster, the rehabilitation of homeless and orphans, and the provision of psycho-social support to those affected. All of this requires long-term effort.
In Sri Lanka we know that the Salesians are producing building blocks, bricks, to assist in reconstruction. They are also planning to look after on a long term basis 12% of the children orphaned in the Southern and Western region and 10% of those in the Tamil separatist region. This is a massive undertaking. And we have already reported separately on the Thai plans under Bishop Prathan to provide for education needs especially for villagers in their affected areas.
VIS meanwhile along with other member groups of the Don Bosco Network, the European umbrella Salesian Volunteer Organisation (including also Jovenes del Tercer Mundo from Madrid and Jugend der Dritte Welt from Bonn) have sent considerable financial aid to the Salesians in affected areas - several hundred thousand Euro in total. ASMOAF, the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund, has seperately sent some AUD 30,000 to selected Salesian projects in those areas.
Can you do something? Here is a suggestion. Go to www.sdb.org and on the homepage there you will find, amongst the forums (down, right) TSUNAMI. Take a look - people have begun to send in their messages of support. It is a form of solidarity that helps unite members of the Salesian Family around the cause; it costs nothing but a little effort. Think of it as a prayerful act. You will note that the contributions in English are a little fewer than those in other languages....but you don't have to write in English if your mother tongue is Tagalog, or Swahili (both of which languages are amongst austraLasia's recipients)! But the contribution of a few words will be noted by thousands.
I have a small story to share along these lines. austraLasia ran an item several days ago about a practical response from the boys in Lahore, Pakistan. The Salesian looking after those boys received a copy of that news item and was able to gather his boys and read back to them what effect their offer had had - that the 'world' as they saw it, knew of their thoughts and concern. They were deeply moved. The power of a few words. How about it?
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'austraLasia' is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia-Pacific. It functions also as an agency for ANS, based in Rome. Try also www.bosconet.aust.com and Lexisdb
