RBSL – Work Update from 1st April – 30th June 2005
Ampara:
1. Tractor and trailer to Kartivu
2. 2 Water tanks for Kartivu
3. 6 Water tanks for Thirukkovil – replace those burnt during unrest in April
4. Diesel for Gayathri Kovil Mandaan Camp, one of the largest tsunami IDP camps in the island, in Thirukkovil (Rs. 26,000). The Diesel is used for the camps generator that supports basic lighting and a PA system in the camp.
5. Van hire in Kartivu for school children - many families have been displaced from their homes and children are no longer living in close proximity to their old schools. In some cases the schools have been damaged and children have to travel to new schools. In order to alleviate this situation RBSL has funded a van to transport children in Kartivu to school.
6. Cement provided for the construction of a community centre in Kartivu
7. Arugambay tractor and trailer have been handed over to STF for usage in connection with relief work in the area – proposing to have it transferred to Kanagipuram in Thirukkovil as there in urgent need of a tractor and trailer to be used for transporting water
Re-establishing livelihoods:
1. Two 9.9 HP Suzuki Boat engines for Komari and Sangamankande
2. Two 18 foot boats and two 15 HP Suzuki engines for Thirrukovil were supplied thanks to funding from the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency
3. 7 Mackerel nets for Thirrukovil
4. A 9.9 HP Suzuki Engine for Akkaraipattu
5. 15 boats (including one canoe) repaired in Akkaraipattu
6. 7 Mackerel nets and lagoon nets to Akkaraipattu
7. 9.9 Suzuki engine presently with the STF – to be handed over to beneficiary shortly?
Batticaloa
1. Fifty prawn nets for Batticaloa with bait (out of which ten was for Arriampattu)
2. 14 pieces of Mackerel nets for Batticaloa
Hambantota
1. Furniture for a community centre in Tangalle
2. Van hire for Hambantota – implement white card system (Rs. 60,000/-)
Trincomalee
Veeranagaraya is a small fishing village of approximately 125 families located within close proximity of Trincomalee town. Fisheries is the principal income generator of this village. Other relief organisations had either provided or repaired boats and boat engines. However, the fishermen still required basic equipment (long boxes) in order to commence fishing again.
The Shiprecked Mariners Society of the UK kindly funded this project. For further information please see our report to the Society.
Film Units
RBSL has initiated a programme to provide a mobile cinema or musical group to IDP centres in several districts. The cinema units are on a timetable so that every camp will have equal access to this programme. We have prioritized allocation according to where there is the greatest number of people in IDP centres in a district.
Permanent film units have been provided for Trincomalee, Batticola , Ampara and Jaffna Districts. We have also run the programme in Galle and Moratuwa.
Nestle Sri Lanka has kindly agreed to fund 3 mobile film units (including vehicles) to be used in IDP centres identified by the Trust. Nestle had already begun implementing this programme.
Food distribution
RBSL continued to supply food to areas where the need was identified. Although the WHO and Government have started providing IDPs with basic dry food rations and cash to purchase other food certain IDP centres/areas have needed supplementing. RBSL arranged for the distribution of rations packs that contain soya/sprats and chilli powder and curry powder.
The following was kindly funded by the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies
5000 packs for Hambantota
5000 packs for Galle
5000 packs for Matara
3000 packs for Trinco
1500 packs for Colombo
2700 packs for Ampara
6700 packs for Batticaloa
New Year Celebrations – April 2005
RBSL helped organize New Years celebrations in the following areas:
Matara - Dickwella Centres and Matara Town Centres
Batticaloa - Kalawanchikudy, Arriampattu and Batticaloa North,
Ampara - Thirukkovil, Akkaraipattu, Komari and Sangamankande
These celebrations were organised by the camp residents themselves and mainly involved simple games and sports for the children and young adults in the camps. In certain IDP centres the residents bought basic ingredients in order to make traditional New Year sweet meats while in others they sourced sweet meats from local suppliers.