At the one-year anniversary of the Asian tsunami, Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) has completed $8.8 million in recovery and reconstruction efforts in tsunami-affected areas of Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia. CCF will continue its tsunami recovery programs in these countries for two more years, using $9.2 million remaining from tsunami donations and grants, with a focus on continued reconstruction, livelihood restoration and child protection programs.
CCF responded within hours after the tsunami ravaged the coastal areas of South Asia December 26, 2004, when more than 200,000 lives were lost and 1.5 million children and adults were displaced.
CCF emergency response teams, working with local CCF volunteers, immediately distributed food, bedding, clothing, medicine and other basic relief supplies to displaced families and progressed to recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Within days following the tsunami, CCF initiated a recovery mode by setting up Child Centered Spaces, where children could recover from the devastation they experienced and resume normal childhood activities. Two hundred and sixty five Child Centered Spaces were established in the three countries with age-specific activities for 43,000 children and youth and 250 after-school youth clubs organized to date.
Within weeks, CCF launched cash for work programs that paid people for clearing debris from roads, water channels, agricultural fields and community structures to start the rebuilding process. Next came reconstruction of community and school wells; reconnecting water lines to homes, schools, mosques, temples and public facilities; installation of 10,000 water tanks in communities and distribution of 6,000 water storage containers to families for safe water to help prevent the spread of water borne diseases.
John F. Schultz, President of CCF said: “The work in a complex emergency like the tsunami cannot be done overnight or even in a year. It requires a long-term development approach, which is the cornerstone of CCF’s commitment to both beneficiaries and donors. Over the next two years, CCF will continue long-term reconstruction programs, livelihood generation programs and child protection programs to make good on our promise to help the “tsunami generation” survive and thrive in spite of the devastation left by the tsunami a year ago.”
Specific Programs:
In addition to immediate relief programs, CCF-India initiated vocational training programs for adults and youth on the repair of fishing boats, motors and transportation equipment.
More than 560 catamarans and motor boats were repaired or replaced, 172 engines repaired or replaced; over 815 families received fishing nets and fish coolers and 260 fish drying platforms opened for business; micro-enterprise development assistance established for 842 families to start petty trade or small business ventures including new vendor carts, transport bicycles, tea and food stores and mobile stores.
CCF-India is now concentrating reconstruction efforts on building 20 schools, with 12 buildings near completion and others underway.
In Indonesia more than 6,000 men and women were employed under a cash for work program to clear roads, property, drainage canals and agricultural fields for replanting; 150 fish ponds were established for aquaculture and stocked with 22,000 fish; and more than 1500 trees were planted for future income generating activities.
CCF conducted a nutrition assessment resulting in the provision of nutrition programs for 10,750 children; nutrition supplements for more than 6,600 children; and 3,877 pairs of flip-flops were distributed to children to prevent worms and parasites; a measles immunization campaign was initiated for children nine months to 10 years of age.
In Sri Lanka, major recovery projects included renovation of public areas, a maternity ward at local hospital; classroom construction at local college; completion of a community library; construction of a children’s park and repair of playing field and rehabilitation of local fish markets.
CCF initiated a micro-enterprise development program for women by establishing 19 community banks and providing skills training for 18 Women’s Small Business Loan Groups, where 429 members received working capital loans. CCF is also working with the Sri Lankan government to establish a broad social services network to help blended families that have taken in children of deceased relatives and to assist single-headed households.
CCF has worked in India since 1951, in Indonesia since 1958 and in Sri Lanka since 1985, providing programs for approximately 1.5 million children and family members