RCCR Bank Details for the IDP Project

We have added a seperate project account for friends of Rotary who are interested in contributing towards this cause.

Details are available on the right hand side column.

If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us.

RCCR Thanx all our family & friends who helped over the weekend

RCCR wishes to acknowledge the spontaneous contributions made by family & friends of Rotary over the weekend by contributing approx. Lkr. 132,500/- (8,000 Ltrs) towards the Rotary Districts goal of supplying Purified Drinking Water to the IDP's.

40,000 Ltrs of Water is assured for the civilians in the IDP Camps, thanks to Rotary!

RCCR ties up with ACT

RCCR has entered into a working arrangement with the Action & Care Trust (ACT) headed by Prof. A.H Sheriffdeen, Emeritus Professor of Surgery. ACT has been granted approval to access several receiving hospital to provide assistance & critical relief.

ACT has requested us to provide assistance in sourcing several types of medicine as soon as possible. The initial list of medicine required is published. Based on the list , the RCCR has already secured LKR 287,000 (US$ 2453) worth of medicine through one of our donors, Emar Pharma (Pvt) Ltd,. The medicine will be delivered to ACT shortly.

We will publish the further requirements of medicine as and when the details are received.

List of Medicine Supplied

Rotary to supply 100,000 Ltrs of Drinking Water

The Rotary District - RI 3220 Sri Lanka, on the request of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is urgently seeking 100,000 Ltrs of Purified Drinking Water to be distributed to the IDP camps.

The Rotary Club of Colombo Regency has so far collected and received donations over 4,000 Ltrs.

NEW CAUSE - Relief for Internally Displaced People (IDP's) of Sri Lanka

Thank you for all your assistance and support during the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami.

We are now facing a different challenge of helping over 100,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP's) who have crossed over to the Government controlled areas over the last few weeks.

The Rotary Club of Colombo Regency is once again formulating relief efforts.

AWAIT FURTHER DETAILS!
President 2008/ 2009 - Rtn. Nayana Serasinghe

+94 77 7385 575 / nayanas@dinotait.com

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The Internally Displaced People (IDP’s) – The IDP’s are accommodated in safe zones established by the government, and are provided with necessary basic food and health care needs. Although government and a few non-governmental agencies have provided basic relief, not all needs of the affected people have been met given the difficult circumstances prevailing in the affected areas. Large volumes of supplies are required, and from time to time the government circulates the requirements to the public seeking their assistance.

Over 100,000 civilians have fled from the LTTE controlled areas into the safe zones and are accommodated in 52 camps established by the government of Sri Lanka in Vavunia and Trincomalee Districts to accommodate the IDP’s.

We are Moving.......

Thank you for visiting the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency Tsunami web log.

You can visit the Blog Archives ( please see links on right column) to read about our daily relief activities from the time the devastating tsunami hit Sri Lanka, who our generous donors are and their thoughts, and our long term projects and plans. However given that we have now fully embarked on the Long Term Project Phase of Tsunami relief we will be posting our future project reports, slide shows, finance reports and bi-weekly updates on our official club web site www.rotarycregency.org .

Please visit our club web site www.rotarycregency.org to read about our Tsunami related and other rotary service activities.

Thank you for continuing to visit this site and making it a beacon of hope.

Batticaloa School - an Artists Impression

An artists impression of the School - Onthachchimadam Sri Vinyagar Vidyalaya, Batticaloa.

- Drawn by Rtn. Shanaka of RCCR

Regency Honoured at Rotary District Assembly

District Governor Lucky Pieris presented a special award at the recently held Rotary District Assembly for creating this Web Log ( Blog site) and helping to create worldwide awareness and support for Tsunami victims

The plaque reads as follows -

"In recognition of outstanding efforts in the establishment of a Website towards worldwide awareness, information and assistance in the aftermath of the Tsunami and its impact and success, this award is presented to the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency for their dedication and commitment." - "Lucky Pieris, District Governor 2004/ 05"

School Rebuilding Project - Update

SCHOOL RE-AWAKEN
The school committee visited Batticaloa on 13th March along with the architects and civil engineer.

The Onthanchimadam Sri Vinayagar Vidyalayam is to be re-located since the original location is at risk for any future tsunamis. We visited the site of the old school, and saw the devastation that the tsunami had caused. It was a blessing in disguise that the tsunami hit on a Sunday, if not most if not all the children in this school would have been victims, since this school was located on an arm of land that extended into the sea. A beautiful location when you see it now with the calm waters around it, the school was basically on a beach.

After meeting up with the Principal Mr. Peranantham, we visited the new land that has been allocated by the government. This 4 acre land is yet to be formally handed over to the school, but since it is state land this is not foreseen to be a problem. Currently on this land, UNICEF has set up temporary classroom structures, and provided furniture, and children attend school as usual. They will continue to do so whilst the new structures are being made. At the far end of the land IOM (International Organization for Migration) has set up a refugee camp for approx 350 families. These families will receive housing around the school (there is sufficient free land for this purpose) and their children will continue to school at Sri Vinayagar Vidyalayam.

The architects have drawn up the lay out plans and provided estimates (approx Rs. 64 Million - USD 640,000 - before provision for contingencies and VAT) , which have been submitted to the District School Committee on schedule. In the interim the architects drawing will be completed by Monday (21st) and we hope to have a meeting with the principal this week since he is visiting Colombo.

OUR SECOND SCHOOL - Mankerny RCTM Vidyalaya, Batticaloa
The District School committee has requested our club to be involved with Mankerny RCTM Vidyalaya, Batticaloa. The lead club for this project is the Rotary Club of Pamunugama, our role would be to assist in sourcing donors to assist building this school.

Mankerni Roman Catholic Tamil Missionary School is a Primary and Secondary grade school with classes from Grades 1-10(O Level). It is a Type 2 school. The school has a total of 490 students, 213 male and 277 female. The majority of the students (359) are in the Primary School, which is from Grades 1-5. The school has 12 teachers.

This is one of the schools that was almost totally destroyed by the tsunami and has to be relocated owing to its close proximity to the sea. Negotiations are presently underway with relevant Government officials and the Ministry of Education to identify a suitable block of land on which to relocate the school.

However we estimate that the school building will cost approx Rs. 64 Million ( USD 640k) as Sri Vinaygar, since the student population is the same.

We seek the assistance of any kind donors who would like to help us fund the rebuilding of this school. Please contact Chamila on chamila_w@yahoo.com if you would like any further details of the school or would like to make a pledge/donation towards the school.

Contribution from Wausau Earlybird Rotary Club, WI, USA

Rotarian Russ Erickson, Treasurer Wausau Earlybird RC has been in touch with us since January 2005. They have shown a keenness to contribute towards our school rebuilding project, and have now made a contribution of US$5,225.

Thank you Rtn. Russ and Wausau Earlybird RC for your generosity.

Housing Project Update

The ground work on the Housing Project is being completed, and so far we have:
1. Registered with the relevant authorities as a donor for providing housing for tsunami victims
2. Identified a community that needs their lives and livelihoods rebuilt
3. Conducted a needs assessment on the identified community group, to formulate effective programmes to benefit them in the long term
4. Formed liaisons with project partners (so far with the Rotary Club of Batticaloa, and the local governing bodies such as the Provincial Urban Development Authority)
5. Got land allocated to construct houses for the community identified

At present, we are liaising with the relevant authorities to enter into a formal agreement to obtain the land for construction.

Download the Sahana Housing Project Proposal

Need Assessment Research Results are in

The results of the Need Assessment study conducted to identify the real needs of the people displaced by the tsunami in the Dutchbar area in Batticaloa reveals that, among other needs, shelter is a prime need. The research findings are instrumental in fine tuning our long term project plans, and to deliver an effective rebuilding programme. The study was conducted by ACNeilsen, a premier international research company in Sri Lanka, and was done free of charge as a part of their contribution towards the Regency relief efforts, and as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Programme.

The research team lead by Crystal and Niranjan Boniface worked tirelessly to conduct this comprehensive research, and Regency thanks them for their invaluable inputs.

The research findings revealed that:

1. of the three areas of needs tested - Housing, Livelihoods and Education, Housing was the most urgently felt need. Majority of the community had brick houses with two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, toilet (detached from the house) and their own well for water.
2. The group prefer to be relocated from their current location into a safe area, and wish that the entire community will be relocated together.
3. Prior to tsunami, the people had a relaxed lifestyle, and took pride in being independent. They do not like to be dependent on others now, and want to start livelihoods soon.
4. Occupations varied from carpentry, tailoring, mechanics, blacksmith and fishing. Some considered to be retrained in a new livelihood as well.
5. Education is considered a necessity, but they are confident that the facilities would be provided by the state.
6. Two months after tsunami, and after several shifts from and to temporary shelters, they are beginning to lose hope for a better tomorrow.

Regency intends to bring back the element of hope into their lives, and plan to expedite the relief programmes.

Read more on the Research Approach and Methodology, and the Research Findings

Regency Reconstruction and Rebuilding Projects

With the assistance of our generous contributors, Regency has committed to being a part of the country's major reconstruction and rebuilding plan. We will be reconstructing a village, redevelop livelihoods, reconstruct two schools, and help re-equip 10 more schools.

The objective of Regency in delivering these projects is to upgrade the lives of people affected by the tsunami, for we believe that we can make a positive difference in their lives.

Housing Project

Construction of houses will be the major project undertaken by Regency. We have selected one of the hardest hit villages for this. With the help of the Rotary Club of Batticaloa - the Club closest to the affected area, we have selected a village located in the eastern coast near the city of Batticaloa. This village known as Dutchbar, consists of 263 families, and is of a mixed ethnicity. We have committed to build 100 houses in this village, and plan to start reconstruction using a part of the funds received.

The cost of constructing a house which is at least 500 square feet in size with basic facilities such as electricity and water, and community facilities for the village is estimated to cost SLR 500,000 (USD 5,000).

The community in this village is closely knit, and have requested that they be housed together as far as possible when they are relocated. We have started dialogues with local and foreign Rotary Clubs and other donors, and are hopeful that we will be able to raise funds to finance houses for all these families.

Livelihood Development Project

We will also be redeveloping livelihoods of the villagers in a bid to help them restart their lives as soon as possible. Primarily we will focus on the village of Dutchbar, where our housing project will be. We will be providing them the financial means to restart their livelihoods, and provide them guidance to manage and their businesses at a later stage.

Up to date, we have sponsored:

• Three outboard motors and other requirements of fishermen co-ordinated by Pottuvil and Arugam Bay Fisherman’s Association - a registered organization for providing relief in the East. The sponsorship was Rs. 500,000
• Two outboard motors for fishermen in Komari, in the East Coast. The purchase is co-ordinated by Re Build Sri Lanka. Total cost of this is Rs.252,000 at Rs.126,000 per motor.
• Six Diyakawa Fishing Oru (Boats), fishing gear and 1 Motor Mechanic's Tool Set for fishermen in Payagala, in South-West Coast. The purchase is co-ordinated by the Vanguard Foundation, at a total cost of Rs.271,780. (Cost of each Oruwa is Rs.26,250, and the cost for a set of fishing nets with ropes and floats required for each Oruwa isRs.18,290. The cost of a Tool Kit for a Motor Mechanic is Rs.4,540)

There are several more requests similar to the above that we will consider depending on the funding available.

Danish Rotarians Fund 3 School Re-Building Projects

Rotary District 3220 - Sri Lanka has undertaken the reconstruction of 25 tsunami struck schools. Regency has been given the responsibility of co-ordinating the construction of two schools.
We are pleased to announce that rebuilding of one of these schools - Sri Vinayagar Vidyalaya in Batticaloa, will be funded by Rotary Denmark. A four-member delegation from Denmark visited Sri Lanka, and visited Jaffna, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa. They took part in some of the relief work, and gained first hand experience of the situation in these areas. The team signed a Memorandum of Understanding to sponsor the construction of three schools.
The three schools sponsored by Rotary Denmark are: Kudaththanai Karaiyoor in Jaffna, Thamaraivil Al-Rawla in Trincomalee and Sri Vinayagar Vidyalaya in Batticaloa. These schools were selected jointly by the Apex Committee and the visiting team.
Please refer to Rotary Sri Lanka for more information on the visiting Rotarians from Denmark.
Thank you Rotary Denmark – your generosity will long be remembered by a grateful nation.

School Rebuilding Project

Regency will assist the Sri Lanka Rotary District in rebuilding two schools. We have been appointed as the Lead Club for rebuilding Onthachchimadam Sri Vinayagar Vidyalayam, Kaluwanchikudday, Batticaloa. The school was visited by President Mario and was found to be in ruins, with only one building standing. All other facilities of the school had been washed away.
Subsequent to this visit, it was found that the Government has identified this school for relocation since it was within the 200 metre coastal line. Land has already been identified and handed over to the Principal of the school. We are awaiting an official letter from the Provincial Council confirming the hand over of the land. Reconstruction of this school will be funded by Rotary Denmark. [Read more on Rotary Denmark involvement]

The school has approximately 500 children from grades 1 to 10. Currently the Principal has set up temporary sheds in this land and is conducting classes.

Rtn Chamila and Rtn Gehan, who are members of the school project committee, are scheduled to visit Batticaloa next week to meet with the Principal and Zonal Education Director to get specific feedback on their requirements, since we also understand that the school is now to be expanded to house Advanced Level students. ( i.e. up to grade 12). Once this is done, we will work with the Rotary District Co-ordinator to obtain architectural designs and estimates.

The estimates will be forwarded to the Rotary District by the 15th of March. They in turn will evaluate costs and advise us if we are to go ahead. Construction will commence in April.

In addition to this school, the Rotary School Re-Awaken committee is in the process of allocating a second school - also in Batticaloa, for us to work on as an Associate Club with the Rotary Club of Pamunugama. We will get details of the second school over the course of the next few days.

The estimated cost of rebuilding 2 schools is approximately LKR 75 Million ( USD 750,000). This includes building and equipment such as computers, library, water and sanitation etc.

Project Chair - Rtn. Chamila Wickramasinghe
e-mail: chamila_w@yahoo.com
Phone: +94 777 364618

Rotary Club of Venice-Nokomis Strengthens Regency Relief Fund

We have surprises everyday. The note below was received on February 24th accompanying a generous contribution:

Dear Rotarian Mario Perumal:
Our Rotary Club is very impressed with the work you and your fellow Rotarians are doing to assist your tsunami victims. We trust this $29,350 will provide a boost to assist your Rotary Club in their efforts.

Yours in Rotary,
George Carpenter International Service Chairman
Rotary Club of Venice-Nokomis, Florida
Venice, Florida.

This contribution will more than boost our relief fund position, and will finance the construction of 6 houses in our planned village of 263 families. Regency is immensely grateful to Venice-Nokomis for the effort taken in raising the funds, and the confidence placed in us.

Experience of Volunteers from Napa Valley, California

Joe Dacanay and Caroline Upton from Napa Valley contacted Regency after reading this weblog. They showed up in Colombo with printouts from the web site, medicines for the tsunami victims, cash from three Napa Rotary clubs, the Calistoga Rotary Club, Queen of the Valley Hospital, the Napa Valley Register, the Napa County Sheriff's Search and Rescue and many private donors to buy more items required. They were fully prepared to camp out in the affected areas, and brought along their camping gear completed with canned food, water purifiers etc., to face any difficult situation. Please read their story on napanews.com and St Helena Star.

Regency thanks Joe and Caroline again for their true Rotary spirit of "Service above Self", and awaits their return.

Contribution from Rotary Club of Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA

We have got the following inspiring note from Pennsylvania:
"Within the next couple days we will have transferred to the account that you indicated a sum of USD 5,000. These monies will have been wired by our club treasurer Mr. Robert Carter. Please acknowledge the receipt of same and how you are intending to use these funds.
Our primary and secondary schools are also having fund raising projects. We give these funds freely and know you will use them in the best ways possible.
Please keep in touch.
Yours in Rotary,
Howard A. Leister, M.D.
President elect, The Rotary Club of Newtown, Pa., U.S.A. "
Thank you R C - Newtown.