Inauguration
The Rebuild Sri Lanka (RBSL) team informally commenced operations on the 26th of December 2004 when a group of concerned business professionals combined their resources to provide emergency relief to tsunami survivors on the island. A very personal effort was undertaken to distribute aid to remote locations where survivors were in desperate need. The RBSL Trust began with the personal funding of trust members and funds donated by friends and family.
Providing food for people house in a UNHCR camp
One day after the disaster struck, one team dispatched itself to Yala and Hambantota whilst another travelled to Arugam Bay, Pottuvil and Panama in the Ampara district. Their findings were similar: conditions were desperate and, while aid flowed into Sri Lanka, it could not be distributed in a manner that matched the needs of the displaced. In responding to immediate needs, the scope of the activities of what would soon become RBSL grew dramatically. With first hand ground knowledge of the needs in specific areas, RBSL approached several NGO’s and private sector groups to partner with them in the relief effort.
The RBSL team quickly increased in numbers and capability, working with other volunteer teams and local authorities, as well as regional military to distribute aid. From its inception RBSL has been a volunteer based, multi-cultural organisation that does not differentiate or favour any race or religion in its distribution practices. Team members have personally shouldered the cost of all administrative expenses throughout their aid efforts. The RBSL Trust was founded to safeguard donor interests, ensure trust-worthy financial management, streamline activities and centralize information while planning for the future.
The primary agenda of Trust members is to remain personally committed and tangibly involved in the relief and rehabilitation of tsunami survivors. All Rebuild Sri Lanka ground teams utilise personal resources and community contacts to meet shortfalls in aid distribution encountered while administering initial relief. It is incumbent for RBSL members to utilize their valuable local knowledge and experience to overcome aid setbacks so that the needs of affected people can be met with a timely response. Field teams have seen, first-hand, the importance of establishing and implementing systems and supply chains to ensure fair distribution.
The RBSL Trust is committed to facilitating relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction on our island and supporting those in need.