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24 Months Since the Tsunami: 2007
Remarkable things have happened with our efforts to establish real long-term support in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka. Our dream is alive and well!
Efforts in Vancouver Canada have consolidated and Rose Charities has become the spearhead of our medical, counseling, education, community and micro-lending projects.
While other organizations have moved on, Rose's presence in this community has remained and become a cornerstone of development there. Through establishing an active volunteer Board of Directors made of respected members of the Kalmunai community, along with the tireless efforts of Richard Anthony (who has remained in Sri Lanka since the tsunami) and an effective organization of volunteer fund-raisers and administration in Vancouver, many ongoing projects are rebuilding Kalmunai from the ground up.
All this while a civil war goes on in the area and new refugees are fleeing into this part of Sri Lanka on the mid-east coast.
Successful projects initiated by Rose Charities includes: Emergency Medical Support (particularly for children and tsunami refugees), Counseling Support (providing and training counselors, dealing with grief and trauma and social consequences such as alcoholism and suicide), Education (providing supplementary learning programs to students whose education was interrupted by the disaster), University Scholarships (to students affected by the tsunami who would otherwise be unable to continue to university), Building of a Community Centre (buying communal land and constructing a centre which would bring this community and all these elements together).
And in January 2007, the most exciting project to date: the development of our own Micro-Lending Project to support family-based businesses that would otherwise be unable to work.
The first $10,000CDN of seed capital has been distributed to families to start-up new enterprises and help raise them out of poverty.
Our goal is to raise $1m by 2010 which would support approx 10,000 micro-lending family projects.
12 MONTHS ON: WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE?
The greatest frustration I experienced on returning to Vancouver in early 2005 was the realization that despite the public interest in our noble story in Kalmunai, only very limited funds were contributed to the various local organizations we were volunteering with. So many Canadians had given so generously and so spontaneously to our government-recognised Big Five INGOs that it was already old news by the time we returned. I think that there had been so much publicity of fund-raising scams that the people shied away from anything they were unfamiliar. Sri Lanka's reputation as a corrupt country didn't help small organizations like ours either.
The mandate of these emergency relief originations was to provide exactly that, and as a result there was an overwhelming response and over supply of immediate needs: food, clothing and medical support. All this was essential but little attention was focused on the long-term needs such as housing, education, counseling, rebuilding jobs and communities and families. It was clear early on that these larger organizations, having satisfied their purpose, began stockpiling donations for future rainy days, meaning that the majority of what donors had contributed for would never see tsunami relief. I realize now that this is the business side of giving to such charities. I am sure that these charities realize that when people are extremely generous one day, they wont the next, and if it hadn't been for the severity and timeliness of the tsunami, there may not have been available reserves for future disasters as Katrina and the Pakistan earthquake that followed. The sad thing was that tsunami survivors still lacked a future...
continued....see My Story/After for a full report on progress in 2005
FUNDS RAISED FOR THE PURCHASE OF LAND FOR CENTRE.
KALMUNAI COMMUNITY CENTRE IS NOW NO.1 PRIORITY
Following Yoga Yogendren's visit to Sri Lanka in August, www.unitingtheworld.org will be focusing its efforts on assisting Rose Charities to raise funds for the Kamunai Community Centre and it's outreach posts. With the sterling efforts of Richard Anthony and cooperation of 23 local school headmasters and local teachers, Rose Charities have performed miracles in the Kalmunai community with providing much needed medical, counselling and teaching support. We are seeking support of donors for this project with a target of $50,000usd to complete it.
SUMMER UPDATES FROM SRI LANKA:
Over the summer months we have been fortunate to have Yoga Yogendran and a group of Ottawa business graduates volunteer their time and expense to update us on development of projects we support.
We are pleased to confirm that all the money collected to date has been successfully put to work in a number of projects including Crista Illam Girls Home, EDS non-profit school, and Room to Read's efforts in building pre-schools in the Kalmunai area. In August Yoga diligently reported back improvements in all these areas and now strongly recommends support behind the Rose Charities' initaitive to construct and develop a Community Centre for Kalmunai through the coordinated efforts of Rose Charities in Vancouver, Richard Anthony (who continues to volunteer in Sri Lanka after nine months) and a reputable board of trustees to oversee it's construction.
Rose Charities have taken the important step in purchasing the necessary land for the centre's construction, and along with support from 22 local schools are currently coordinating outreach counselling to schools and camps. Unfortunately many people still remain in temporary refugee camps, which the government admits may still be operating for another two years. Conditions remain unbearable for these people, however it is part of the Community Centre project along with it's outreach centres, to support these people through counselling and additional schooling for the children.
Earlier in July, Ottawa grads volunteered their summer break identifying new projects, reporting back progress of current ones as well as volunteering themselves in community projects like the clearing of Kalmunai beach.
Very special thanks to Seamus McWolfe and Jason Benevoy who are International Development
majors while Sarah Jamal is in International Studies at Univerity of Ottawa. Nathan Prier is in
Globalization at Carleton
University. They are also attempting to insitutionalize an International
Development Co-op at U of O. Thank you for the impact they made on so many lives in Sri Lanka and for proving such valuable feedback at a time when communcations were extremely difficult.
ROOM TO READ HITS $60,000 TARGET WITH BC SCHOOLS & PRINCIPALS
With special support from schools like Glen Elementary, Collingwood, Panorama, Bodwell, Queen Elizabeth II Secondary and Vernon & Betsy Puff's 'Tsunami of Kindness', Room to Read Canada, the BC Principals & VP Association and UTW were able to successfully reach their target this month. Thanks so much to all participating schools and individuals, including coordinators Michelle Balogh, Anja Haman, Tanis Frame,
Tom Hierck and Stanley French. Funds raised and matched will all go to schools and libraries already under construction in Sri Lanka. Efforts will continue so any schools wishing to participate in projects, please contact Room to Read Canada at: Tanis Frame [tanis.frame@telus.net]
 
Glen Elementary Principal Brad Aitchison surrounded by Tanis Frame (R) Glen Elementary students present their
from RTR Canada and Michelle Balogh from UTW and her little helpers own tsunami posters at a special assembly
Lacika and Sophia. Glen Elementary's $2500 was matched by RTR Canada. on June 20th.
ROOM TO READ CANADA MATCHES DONATIONS BY SCHOOLS 5/30/05
UTW has joined forces with Room to Read Canada and the BC Principals Association to raise $30,000 by JUne 15th.
All money up to this amount will be matched in an effort to reach their goal of $2.4m for the construction of 42 schools and 24 libraries in Sri Lanka, including three in Kalmunai which are already being built. The Friendship Band Project is now part of the long term efforts of Room to Read Canada where our schools will be able to maintain regular updates on developments through their site at: http://roomtoread.org/tsunami.html http://roomtoread.org/pdfs/Sri_Lanka_Message_of_Hope.pdf
All future funds from BC schools can be sent directly to Room to Read Canada (BC Principals Fund) at 21 West 13th Ave , Vancouver BC V5Y1V5
Librarians Funding Libraries
Mrs. Fariyal Pirani, Librarian at Collingwood School (second from the right) with the assistance of Colligwood School teachers, sponsored a henna fundraiser. There were a lot of questions about dress, cuisine etc. and it was educational in itself. The choice of henna has been deliberate for 'mehndi' is a reminder of the cycles of life. It is created, and then it fades away, only to be renewed again. The event raised $400 and funds are going to the Room to Read Canada school and library projects.
100 days after the tsunami is a very important time for all Sri Lankans. Little long term progress has been made so far.
Please ask the charity you gave money to, to explain what they have done to date.
Sri Lankan Childrens Exhibition: April 11-25th in Vancouver
 
Rose Charities presents a public exhibition of children's' drawings from Kalmunai Sri Lanka at the Pendulum Gallery. HSBC Building at 885 Georgia Street. The exhibition will run from 11-26th April. Special thanks to HSBC bank.pecial BC.
These drawings are from the Rose Children's Clinic and from counseling sessions in the schools. They are extremely powerful images of the impact of the tsunami drawn by children as part of their healing. We hope that the exhibition will show case some of the work of Rose Charities but also provide an insight into the needs of these children and give the public some sense of where their donations have been spent. We also want to give a positive message about optimism and resilience. For more details contact Rose Charities at (604) 739-4371 www.letsjusttry.org
BC PRINCIPALS ASSOC. TAKES BAND PROJECT TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
 
Pres. Tom Hierck & Exec Director Stanley French Meantime Bodwell High School took their project
receive their first shipment of Friendship Bands to Capilano Mall last Saturday. Their Global Awareness
for BC public schools. Program begins after Club with the support of teachers Allison Rowlands and
Spring break throughout British Columbia. Kristy Harrison Bodwell have raised almost $2000.
VANCOUVER MAYOR SUPPORTS FRIENDSHIP PROJECT:
 
Larry Campbell met with Lawrence & Lori-Ann Keenan Alex, Chantal and their team of supporters at
over lunch Tuesday in One Restaurant in Gastown, Collingwood West Vancouver last month. They
throwing his support behind the Friendship Band raised $2098 through donations of the Friendship
Project for BC Schools.
bands at the Morven & Wentworth campuses.
(right click & 'save as' for smooth viewing
A GOOD NEWS TSUNAMI STORY.
Alex Quicho and Chantal Facchin are two ordinary school kids who want to make an extraordinary difference in Sri Lanka. With the support of their principal, teachers and parents, they have introduced a special tsunami project to their school, Collingwood in West Vancouver. They may come from privileged homes but they are not taking that for granted: Alex and Chantal are committed to engaging other students in their dream over the next three weeks of their lunch breaks. They have chosen to support a girls' home and orphanage in Kalmunai. Alex has already donated $50 of her own money that she knows has gone to buy scalpels at the Kalmunai Base Hospital and she even knows of Dr Bahavan, the doctor who uses them. The circle is connecting. Inspired by the rescue missions of Dr Mike Seear and Anthony Richard in Kalmunai (as told by Global TV & CBC), BC students are now making a difference with children in tsunami affected Sri Lanka. Through a special campaign developed for BC schools, the Friendship Band Project is connecting them with these hand-picked micro-projects.
"Since my return from Sri Lanka, I have noticed that students are wanting to play a more active, ongoing role in what's happening and where their money is going," says Lawrence Keenan, founder of the Friendship Band Project. "They are realizing that they can make a difference, even just one student at a time, as we can see here at Collingwood. When I see students taking this type of responsibility and leadership, I know our future is in good hands. Giving money is not always enough. " for more go to Friendship Band. Media & schools contact: lawrence@csli.com
Friendship
Band: a Project for BC Schools:
  
This exciting new project has been designed specifically for
adoption by local schools. It is a structured program of where your schools gets
to choose it's micro-level cause, raise funds and get to monitor its progress
through our online updates.
Our Expanded Mission:
Connecting our communities with those in Sri Lanka through
directing funds to and raising awareness of those in need:
Schools & donors: We do this through partnering with communities
like our schools and other caring fundraisers so they may adopt one of our
micro-projects and participate in its growth. We wish to show kids they really can make a difference!
Independent fundraisers: Through our database we wish to
assist independents to find their own causes who share common values and
objectives.
Business to business: The database network will also
provide opportunities for business to form partnerships in the rebuilding
process, therefore creating jobs, economies and communities.
If you have been seeking an established legitimate micro-level project where you can see how YOU can make a difference, then this is the place to start:
A thought for today: http://www.inlibertyandfreedom.com/Flash/Think_It_Over.swf
"Why is There a Need to Give More?"
This was a very honest and intelligent question asked of me by a student while visiting her school. Simply put, imagine you giving a beggar money on a street: it will pay for what they need now, but it won't help them from needing more tomorrow. Most of what was given was given to good emergency relief organizations, whose job it is to provide for survivors immediate essential needs, temporary shelter, food, medicine. Agreed, excessive funds have gone for these purposes but it is unlikely that much will go to rebuilding families, jobs and communities, permanent houses, schools, churches, businesses or roads. Some contributions will never reach tsunami affected regions as they are now destined for the next disaster. Survivors need sustainable, long term support, and this is where most funding is not reaching and unfortunately this is where the real expense is. Sadly few governments deliver on their pledges also. If you have given, check to see if it reaches where you intended. Thank you for caring.
Sri Lanka Trade/Relief Mission, departs July:
Are you motivated to learn more about our projects and wish to get involved? Do you have funds that you would like to contribute but need more information first? Are you a business that wanting to help through trade opportunities in Sri Lanka?
Trade/Relief Mission: this summer by Yoga Yogendran: Departs Vancouver for Colombo, Hambantota and Kalmunai visiting our projects and real business opportunities. This mission is only for serious investors and donors who are required to pay their own way. For more information: yogayogendran@shaw.ca
What
Has To Happen For This Child To Feel Love?
ALL IMAGES ARE FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCES
My Journey Through Sri Lanka
by Lawrence Keenan
see My Story
Home
Uniting the World Home
unitingtheworld.org is the working website for Sri Lanka tsunami aid projects in the community of Vancouver and British Columbia, Canada.
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