The last six weeks have seen us making good progress with our building work as well as our livelihood projects.

We have received approximately £150,000 in funds and have pledges for £75,000 more. We have spent or released £112,000 thus far.

We have decided to incorporate into our program the projects we identified and are now implementing on behalf of Hilfswerk, the Austrian NGO we mentioned in our last circular. The projects Hilfswerk will fund are:

• Fishermen: purchase of 52 nineteen foot (5.8 meter) boats, each with a 15 HP outboard engine, set of nets and other necessary accessories (£90,000 - directly funded).
• Farmers: provide the inputs required to support 200 acres of paddy farming (funded through LRA).
• Schools: provide 100 long desks, 500 benches, 500 chairs and 100 blackboards to Central College, Pottuvil (funded through LRA).
• Water Supply: construct a large scale well with a pump and water tower to supply water to the villages of Kalliapattu, Eatham and Kundumadu in Pottuvil, and 5 public wells in Aaitthamunai (Sarvodayapuram), Arugam Bay (£12,500 - directly funded).
• Housing: fund the construction of an additional 60 houses in Aaitthamunai (Sarvodayapuram), Arugam Bay (funded through LRA).

Since our last circular, we received confirmation from the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation that they will generously fund the expansion of our livelihood project to a limit of an additional US$ 60,000. The first tranche of these funds, amounting to $30,000, has just been received.

Our Projects

The last six weeks have seen steady progress being made on our specific projects.

1. Housing project to build 43 homes with outhouse toilets as required for villagers in Kalliapattu and Eatham, just outside the town of Pottuvil.

This project has finally taken off. We have completed building 2 houses, come to roof level on 2 more, and have finished the foundations for a further 27 houses. We expect to have all foundations completed within the next fortnight and are on course to finish this project by the end of July (which is a delay of a month from the original target of the end of June).

2. Housing project to build 53 + 60 homes with an outhouse toilet each, 5 public wells and a community centre for villagers in Aaittimunai (Sarvodayapuram), on the far side of the lagoon in Arugam Bay.

Work continues to proceed smoothly with this project. Since we have incorporated Hilfswerk’s 60 houses into our house-building program, this project now totals 113 houses in all. Hilswerk has also kindly agreed to fund the construction of five public wells to serve the village.

The construction of 53 toilets has now been completed, along with foundations for 55 houses. Of the latter, in approximately 30 houses, masonry work has reached roof level.
For the moment, our target completion date for this expanded project remains the end of September.

3. Livelihood project to help fishermen repair or buy new boats and nets.

Hilfswerk has finalized the orders for 52 motorized boats and nets. Delivery will commence in 6 weeks and we expect all boats will be handed over by the middle of August.

Since our last circular, we have helped a fourth mahaoruwa fisherman directly. His name is Ibrahim and he lives in Crocodile Rock. He operates a mahaoruwa providing employment to over 50 people. Though he received nets from Mercy Corps, the American NGO, he was in need of funds to complete repairs to his vessel. We gave him $200.

4. Livelihood project to help tradesmen and other self-employed individuals.

Since the time of our last circular, we received applications from an additional 14 individuals. We have now disbursed a total of $20,205 and have thus been able to support the direct re-employment of 74 people. We have a further $6,995 to give to those whose applications are in hand.

We purchased 100 bicycles for $6,800 and have distributed almost all of them. We will purchase a further 100 bicycles for distribution during the course of the next few days.

We did not purchase the sewing machines mentioned in our last circular as we received requests for more than the initial 10. We have now ordered 26 machines and will distribute them to the Women’s Society we referred to, as well as to other needy families. The total cost of the machines is expected to come to approximately $3,700.

The complete list of those we have either already helped (in red ) or hope to help are as follows:

1. A. Jaham, an aluminium fitter who employed 6 people and lost all his equipment to the tsunami. We have spent $350 to replace his equipment. Funds have been disbursed, tools bought, and Jaham is back in business.

2. M.L.M. Farook, a carpenter who lost his house as well as his equipment. He employed 8 people – we spent $650 to replace his tools. Funds have been disbursed, tools bought, and Farook is now working on our site building houses in Aaitthimunai.

3. M.P. Ariffdeen, a carpenter who lost some of his tools. He employs 4 people and we spent $270 on him. Funds have been disbursed, tools bought, and Ariffdeen is now working on our site building houses in Aaitthimunai.

4. A.H.Hakeem, a carpenter who lost all his tools. Though he was on our list in our second circular, he has since been helped by another relief organization and will therefore not be needing our assistance.

5. M.C. Cassim Faleel, who lost some of his tools. We will spend $200 to replace the lost items. He employs three. Funds have been disbursed.

6. A.C.M. Razak, owned a carpentry workshop employing eight people. He needs $2,500 to rebuild and re-equip his workshop. Disbursed $1,500, which was deemed to be sufficient to get the workshop going again.

7. M.H.M. Kaleefa, owned a carpentry workshop employing six people in Kotugal, Pottuvil. He needs $935. Funds were disbursed.

8. M.D. Ufardeen, owned a carpentry workshop employing three people in Kotugal, Pottuvil. He needs $830. Funds were disbursed.

9. M.D. Hameethulebbe, owned a carpentry workshop employing seven people in Kotugal, Pottuvil. He needs $2,075. Disbursed $1,000, which was deemed to be sufficient to get the workshop going again.

10. Kanapathi Pillai, a mason from Eatham, Pottuvil, employing 5 people needs $430 to buy a brick-making machine. He will be supplying our housing project in Kaillapatthu. Funds were disbursed.

11. Hair salon owner who lives in Kundumadhu, Pottuvil but had his salon in Arugam Bay. He needs $200 to replace the equipment he lost.

12. M.I. Sharifdeen, is a poultry farmer in Pakkiawatta, Pottuvil who needed $1,500 to restart his poultry business. He has four families working for him raising his chicks. Funds were disbursed and he is back in operation and is supplying our relief base with chicken.

13. I.L. Salfiyar, a shop owner in Arugam Bay who lost his shop, house, wife and child to the tsunami. He has re-started his shop again using loan funds from a local bank. He has applied for $1,500 to buy stock.

14. M.I.M. Hanifa, owned a carpentry workshop employing three people in Jalaldeen Square, Pottuvil. He needs $790. Funds disbursed.

15. M.A.M. Subair, owned a carpentry workshop employing four people in Jalaldeen Square, Pottuvil. He needs $850. Funds disbursed.

16. A.K. Ismail Lebbe, owned an ice hut on Arugam Bay beach. He employed six people and needs $905 to re-start his business.

17. S.H. Asirthumma, was self-employed and made straw mats together with her four grown daughters in Kotugal, Pottuvil. She needs $400 to buy raw materials and basic equipment. Funds disbursed.

18. S.T.H. Muburaka, was self-employed and ran a small tea boutique in Kotugal, Pottuvil. She needs $1,000 to re-start her boutique. Funds disbursed.

19. A.L. Mohamaduthambi, was self-employed and ran a small grocery and snack shop in Kotugal, Pottuvil. He needs $1,200. Funds disbursed.

20. The Women’s Society in Kotugal has asked for ten sewing machines to give to tsunami-affected members who have been trained to sew as a means of generating an income for themselves. The total required to fund the machines is estimated at $1,300. As noted in above, an additional 16 machines are being purchased.

21. Other – purchase bicycles for those who lost theirs in the tsunami and who need them to either go to work or for their work. We have asked for applications and expect to cap the first lot at 100 people. The total cost is expected to come to between $7,000 and $9,000. All 100 bicycles were purchased for $6,800 and are expected to be distributed by April 30th.

22. Jerry Gray, worked as a manager in a small guest house that was washed away in the tsunami (the guest house will not be rebuilt by the owner). He has secured land in the Lahugala National Park to build a guest house/campsite consisting of three cabanas costing $1,500. We contributed $750 through the Ulle Relief Trust, who is overseeing this project, and who will contribute the balance funds. Funds disbursed.

23. S.L. Zacharya, is a carpenter from Pottuvil employing 2 people. He needs $1,000 to purchase lost tools. Funds disbursed.

24. M.B. Nagoorthamby, is a carpenter from Pottuvil employing 2 people. He needs $1,000 to purchase lost tools. Funds disbursed.

25. D.W. Weerasiri lives in Panadura and had his home destroyed in the tsunami. He required $2,550 in working capital to restart his grocery and daily needs shop. Funds disbursed.

26. Ulle Relief Trust – we released $3,000 to fund the purchase of a hand tractor, a three wheeler (tuk tuk) and a bicycle for three individuals the Ulle Relief Trust had identified as being worthy of support to get their livelihoods back on track. Funds disbursed.

27. Haja Mohideen from Arugam Bay ran a rice mill employing 2 people. He needs $630 to buy a new engine and belt for his mill.

28. M.I. Samsudeen from Jalaldeen Square, Pottuvil, runs a dry fish business employing 2. He needs $600 to rebuild his facilities.

29. M.I. Aroos from Jalaldeen Square, Pottuvil, is a fish seller who needs $400 in working capital to restart his business .

30. M.L. Nasurdeen is a sweets seller who needs $600 for working capital to restart his business.

31. M.S. Hanifa is a carpenter from Jalaldeen Square, Pottuvil, employing 5 people who needs $870 to purchase lost tools.

32. M.M. Majeed is a carpenter from Pottuvil employing 3 people. He needs $730 to replace lost tools.

33. Y.L. Nakeem is a carpenter from Pottuvil employing 3 people. He needs $560 to replace lost tools.

We expect this project to continue until the end of June of this year.

Conclusion

Once again, the main emphasis has been on carrying on with our construction efforts. We were pleased to see the commencement of meaningful construction activity in our Kalliapattu housing project. Though things are generally on track, we are finding it challenging to keep wood supply in line with the pace of construction. We are trying to find additional sources for wood in an effort to keep to our construction schedule.

Our trauma counseling efforts are continuing with the help of two Spanish and two British volunteers, along with three local counselors. Their efforts have focused on children resident in seven camps in and around Pottuvil and Arugam Bay.

Finally, we owe a very big THANK YOU! to all of you who have contributed funds. Your generosity has made all of the above possible.