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January 23, 2006
From Northwest Arkansas to Nagapattinam with Love
The pictures are still tinged with sadness, yet not without hope. Memorials dedicated to the buds that were plucked off by Tsunami, even before they could bloom, were seen all over the town and villages. The wayside restaurants are busy cooking, children are back in school, some roads are being constructed as well as a few houses. But not exactly what one would call progress after one year. People still live in the temporary sheds that were set up as a makeshift shelters. Seruthur, a village dear to our heart, remained basically in the same shape we saw it last year--rubble and ruins. The day we went in search of the two children for whom we were carrying Barbie dolls donated by our church's children, all the villagers had gone to protest before the District Collector's office, asking for a piece of land where their houses could be relocated. But we could see hope in the eyes of the children orphaned by Tsunami, especially in the eyes of the children who were helped by St. Gabriel's Tsunami Relief effort and the help of Father Xavier and Mr. Rethinam. This year we added 80 more children to our program giving them each a deposit of $229 (10,000 Indian Rupees). A young girl who told her story of survival through Guideposts for Teens magazine, received over $2,000 raised by the magazine. The boat yard owner who had lost everything was busy, engaging fifty families at work and providing for their families, thanks to the seed money given to him by St. Gabriel's Tsunami Relief. Two boats, bearing the names, St. Gabriel's I and St. Gabriel's II, that our relief funds bought Kameshavaram village were busy serving the village community in their fishing enterprise. Many religious organizations have been engaged in teaching skills other than fishing, like computing, sewing and embroidery. A miniature version of our community college was also in the working. This time they need a building to house the orphans and the learning centers that offer them life's coping skills. Would you like to be a part of this project? Let us help them to help themselves. If there is anyway you could contact any agency that may be willing to assist with the rebuilding of these children's lost dreams, by providing them shelter for the orphanage, facilities for the community college, a place for the learning center run by the Bon Secours Nuns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your help would mean so much to the children and the people of Nagapattinam. God Bless you all!
Posted by frleo at 8:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 15, 2006
St.Gabriel's Tsunami Relief 2006
One year after Tsunami waves swallowed up the coastline of Nagapattinam, especially the villages like Seruthur, Kameshvaram, Akkaraipettai, my wife Holly and I went to this devastated area. And we returned last week. We will keep you updated on St.Gabriel's ongoing effort to support the victims and the orphans of Tsunami. For us it is an anniversary, for many of them it is an ongoing misery, without basic needs like housing and basic amenities! Keep visiting this website for pictures and events from the Tsunami Relief Efforts!
Rugged roads and terrains, as if Tsunami was not enough, the coastal region like rest of Tamil Nadu had experienced torrential rains that had inundated land, eroded the roads and rendered life more miserable in the areas already devastated by Tsunami. Time is a healer we think. One year could have meant so much for so many people in terms of rehabilitation and development. Though there were signs of growth and development, some areas that had been neglected by the rest of the relief agencies and even the government, still suffer. One such village was Seruthur! We will update you more on this...
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