austraLasia 1341
'The Wave' and its aftermath about to turn twelve: VIS reports
ROME: 29th November 2005 -- In just under four weeks it will be a year since the Tsunami struck coasts and islands in and around many parts of southern and eastern Asia. The Don Bosco Network, an amalgam of Salesian-based NGO's, has disbursed approximately seven million Euro since then, of which VIS, the Italian-based Volunteer organisation for International Development, has been responsible for some two and half million. What kind of projects have been realised with all this money? VIS reports briefly on the whole picture of DBN relief in a statement issued this week.
The first point made in the report is that whatever success has been achieved in rebuilding a degree of normality in affected areas is due not only to the generosity of donors but also to the ability of Salesians on the scene to cut through bureaucratic limitations and get things moving. A classic case has been the village of Kalampattai, in the Tamil-held North East of Sri Lanka. In fact this village had been abandoned back in 1992 because of the war, and its inhabitants transferred to Trincomalee, 40 kms away. It was there that their 'new' lodgings were wiped out by the Tsunami. With the help of DBN funds, the villagers decided to return to Kalampattai and rebuild from scratch (what was there had also been destroyed, save a building or two). By end of December 2005 the first 82 homes will be handed over and a longer-term economic support system of village activity put in place.
Various financial and benefit institutions have channeled significant amounts through DBN and VIS. The Carife Foundation - Savings Bank of Ferrara, for example, has constructed a new hospital wing in a village near Trincomalee in a rural area serving 50,000 inhabitants.
In Negombo, three blocks of four-storey flats have been built to house refugees. Another nine are in construction. This project is particularly interesting because in a nation where most land is not privately owned, the difficulty has been to obtain land for resettlement purposes. The land on which these flats are being built has been given to the Salesians by the Sri Lankan Government. Meanwhile women are attending sewing and dressmaking courses at the Don Bosco Technical School in Negombo and children taken in for education: the littlest ones to a Montessori kindergarten and the older ones in after-school classes.
In Indonesia, on Nias island, 75.000 Euro from Monaco (the Monaco-Asie Association with Prince Albert II at its head), has helped build a reception centre for minors affected by the Tsunami. This Centre has been built with the help of the Salesians in Indonesia (who are not located in this area, though), and a local community of the Sisters of Charity of the Mother of Mercy (SCCM). Additional economic support for this Centre is coming from Corriere della Sera readers.
Other projects have been carried out in Thailand and in India (Tamil Nadu). For additional information on how reconstruction projects are being realised by DBN and VIS, refer to the VIS website at www.volint.it
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml. If you subscribe, email this information and your name will come off the regular email list. RSS eliminates problems such as multiple mailings, viruses, email bloat. Think about it.
'The Wave' and its aftermath about to turn twelve: VIS reports
ROME: 29th November 2005 -- In just under four weeks it will be a year since the Tsunami struck coasts and islands in and around many parts of southern and eastern Asia. The Don Bosco Network, an amalgam of Salesian-based NGO's, has disbursed approximately seven million Euro since then, of which VIS, the Italian-based Volunteer organisation for International Development, has been responsible for some two and half million. What kind of projects have been realised with all this money? VIS reports briefly on the whole picture of DBN relief in a statement issued this week.
The first point made in the report is that whatever success has been achieved in rebuilding a degree of normality in affected areas is due not only to the generosity of donors but also to the ability of Salesians on the scene to cut through bureaucratic limitations and get things moving. A classic case has been the village of Kalampattai, in the Tamil-held North East of Sri Lanka. In fact this village had been abandoned back in 1992 because of the war, and its inhabitants transferred to Trincomalee, 40 kms away. It was there that their 'new' lodgings were wiped out by the Tsunami. With the help of DBN funds, the villagers decided to return to Kalampattai and rebuild from scratch (what was there had also been destroyed, save a building or two). By end of December 2005 the first 82 homes will be handed over and a longer-term economic support system of village activity put in place.
Various financial and benefit institutions have channeled significant amounts through DBN and VIS. The Carife Foundation - Savings Bank of Ferrara, for example, has constructed a new hospital wing in a village near Trincomalee in a rural area serving 50,000 inhabitants.
In Negombo, three blocks of four-storey flats have been built to house refugees. Another nine are in construction. This project is particularly interesting because in a nation where most land is not privately owned, the difficulty has been to obtain land for resettlement purposes. The land on which these flats are being built has been given to the Salesians by the Sri Lankan Government. Meanwhile women are attending sewing and dressmaking courses at the Don Bosco Technical School in Negombo and children taken in for education: the littlest ones to a Montessori kindergarten and the older ones in after-school classes.
In Indonesia, on Nias island, 75.000 Euro from Monaco (the Monaco-Asie Association with Prince Albert II at its head), has helped build a reception centre for minors affected by the Tsunami. This Centre has been built with the help of the Salesians in Indonesia (who are not located in this area, though), and a local community of the Sisters of Charity of the Mother of Mercy (SCCM). Additional economic support for this Centre is coming from Corriere della Sera readers.
Other projects have been carried out in Thailand and in India (Tamil Nadu). For additional information on how reconstruction projects are being realised by DBN and VIS, refer to the VIS website at www.volint.it
__________________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml. If you subscribe, email this information and your name will come off the regular email list. RSS eliminates problems such as multiple mailings, viruses, email bloat. Think about it.
