CCF Interventions and Relief By Country

CCF Interventions and Relief By Country

2005-01-20

India:

  • In India, we are working in five districts: Chennai, Kanyakumari, Nagapattanam, Pondicherry, and Cuddalore where CCF immediately distributed food and emergency supplies. CCF has established a major presence in these areas which were hard hit by the tsunami.
  • According to India National Director Dola Mohapatra, CCF-India is establishing 100 Child Centered Spaces in 40 to 50 villages in these five districts. One of the interesting aspects of this effort is the situation with Dalits or untouchables. In about 20 of the villages, we will need to set up duplicate Child Centered Spaces because the Dalits and the upper caste children are not allowed to mix. CCF-India can't change the centuries old caste system, but will endeavor to provide the services to ALL of the children. CCF is also trying to focus some special attention on "tribals", who are nomadic peoples who do not own land and are having difficulty getting government assistance. These nomadic tribals are actually lowest on the rung and are most likely to get left out of any assistance.  I will send you more on this as it develops.
  • In India, CCF will use the Child Centered Spaces as a gathering point for Health Interventions. One of the main features of that health delivery will be 5 mobile vans run by Save the Children.  CCF and Save the Children are working in cooperation...CCF is providing the gathering point, and Save the Children is providing the health interventions through the mobile vans.
  • CCF-India is assessing the schools and community facilities that need repair in the five districts and will determine how we will assist in that reconstruction effort after a list is completed.

Indonesia

  • CCF-Indonesia has established offices in Banda Aceh, Biruen and Muelaboh. The field office in Biruen will cover Pidie, Biruen and northern Aceh. The field office in Muelaboh will assist Muelaboh and west coast communities. And the office in Banda Aceh will cover communities in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar.
  • CCF and its local partners will deliver basic social services to underserved camps and communities in these areas. The range of services will include health prevention, water and sanitation programs, nutrition, and provision of relief items. Child Centered Spaces, know as Sahabat Anak Indonesia (Close Friends of Indonesian Children) will be established in these camps and communities, providing psychosocial support and as time goes on, Early Childhood Development and literacy programs.
  • CCF will work with provincial and local governments to assess the stability of infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. CCF will work with Bandung Institute of Technology to assess and design earthquake resistant housing and public buildings such as schools and hospitals, and will recommend designs for damaged buildings and houses.
  • CCF will also form Child Well Being committees and youth groups to establish advocacy efforts and networking, to assure that government services are accessible in these communities.
  • As you know from previous reports, CCF has conducted health assessments in Biruen, a community outside of Banda Aceh, which had been overlooked by other NGOs. Our assessment team, under the direction of Dr. Tom Kerkering, stayed in Biruen an additional day because the need was so great, to deliver actual health services in addition to conducting assessments and distributing essential emergency supplies.

Sri Lanka

  • Sri Lanka continues to forge ahead with its emergency response, collaboration with other NGOs and successful grant acquisition. We are working in five districts...Galle, Hambantota, Matara, Trincomalee, and Ampara.
  • Immediately, CCF-Sri Lanka mobilized 500 adult volunteers and 500 youth volunteers who worked in 40 camps for displaced people, handing out emergency supplies and food, and establishing Child Centered Spaces. As people move back to their communities, CCF will continue programs of assistance in five districts.

  • A $1.9 million OFDA (Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance) grant (including a $413,000 matching) will assist almost 38,000 tsunami survivors by allowing us to:

    • increase access to safe drinking water by rehabilitating or constructing 60 water points using paid community labor and skills. This will also provide cash for work for 1,000 older youth workers and others as part of the livelihood interventions through a "cash for work" program.
    • improve sanitation conditions by constructing or rehabilitating 300 latrine facilities  with paid community labor (part of the cash for work program for 1,500 older youth and other workers)
    • repair or construct buildings, bridges and facilities as part of 60 civic works projects with paid community labor (part of cash for work program for 1,000 older youth and other workers)
  • An $1.3 million OFDA grant (including a $539,300 match) will allow CCF to:

    • establish community based child protection and referral networks. This will include training 500 community members who will form 50 community-based Child Well Being Committees  focusing on child protection and emotional issues facing children who experienced the tsunami. These community members will be trained on identifying acute incidences of psychosocial trauma and potentially vulnerable children and will refer them for professional help.
    • establish 50 Child Centered Spaces, reaching 5,000 children, 6 to 12 years of age, in communities in the five districts where CCF is working. In addition, the Child Centered  Spaces will be used to involve young, vulnerable mothers in Early Childhood Development and psychosocial interventions for their children.