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Rotary’s villages of hope

Rotary’s villages of hope

Sri Lanka victims of the devastating 2004 Tsunami have started to move into their new homes thanks to a £1 million Rotary project. Members of Rotary clubs from North West England and North Wales who are this week celebrating the completion of their £1million project to rebuild 86 dwellings in two Sri Lankan villages. On […]

Sri Lanka victims of the devastating 2004 Tsunami have started to move into their new homes thanks to a £1 million Rotary project.

Members of Rotary clubs from North West England and North Wales who are this week celebrating the completion of their £1million project to rebuild 86 dwellings in two Sri Lankan villages.

On Wednesday 12 November 2008, at The Wellington Park Complex in Church Road, Leyland, Rotarians will join RIBI president Ian Thomson to mark the end of three years of hard work to re-house families who lost everything in the Tsunami which devastated the coastal regions of many of the countries around the rim of the Indian Ocean, causing over 250,000 deaths and leaving millions of people homeless on 26th December 2004.

The project was launched in early 2005 when Rotary clubs across North West England and North Wales joined forces following a visit to Sri Lanka by three Rotarians from North West England and The Rev Bernard Cocker (Founder of International Aid Trust). The team reported devastating scenes of hundreds of thousands of destitute families living in the ruins of houses. More than 50,000 other villagers had lost their lives.

Working in partnership with Sri Lankan NGO Help For the Children and Germnan NGO Malteser, Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) funded the restoration of Morutuwa and the building of a nearby village from money collected by scores of clubs in four Rotary districts and through RIBI’s Rotary Tsunami Appeal.

The village is situated on a 10 acre disused coconut plantation close to the devastated village of Moratuwa, which is near the coast 30 miles south of Colombo. Malteser purchased the land for £160,000.

Homeless families from Moratuwa were selected by a group of social workers employed by the partnership to represent the regional demographics of race, religion and background. A Steering Group comprising representatives from the four Rotary Districts involved (1180, 1190, 1050 and 1280) and International Aid Trust have managed the Project.

Although the first foundations were laid in November 2005, following numerous delays due to changes in Government policy, bureaucracy, flooding and site problems, the village is now ready for occupation. Costs have dramatically escalated from just over £250,000 to £850,000 excluding the cost of the land. A multi-purpose community hall will be finished by the end of October and it is intended for use by neighbouring villages as well as the ‘Village’ community.

All the houses are self-contained units, including an electricity supply, drainage facilities and furniture. Fresh water is available from 9 deep boreholes. Road construction is virtually complete and will enable the villagers to transport spices and coconuts obtained from the plantation to market. The occupants will own their own houses through a Trust and the new owners will manage all maintenance costs. This is one of the largest village projects of this kind undertaken by Rotary International.

Tony Parrini, Rotary District Governor for District 1190, said: "In 2005 Rotary International made a promise to help the Sri Lankan Community – we are pleased to report that we have now completed that promise.

"It is with grateful thanks that we acknowledge the generous support we have received from the people of the UK, RIBI, International Aid Trust and Malteser International."

 

11/11/08

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