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Plan
for Tsunami Relief in Sri Lanka
as Communicated January 10, 2005
by Br. Henry Dissanayake, Visitor
of the District of Colombo, Sri
Lanka
Prayerful
greetings to you! Thank you for
all the prayers, concern and support
you have expressed. It is a great
encouragement and consolation to
us.
In
Sri Lanka alone more than 30,000
died. Several thousands more are
unaccounted for. Over one million
people have been displaced. The
sad thing is over one third of the
victims are children.
No
one among the Lasallian family lost
life. But several relations of Brothers,
Lasallian partners and students
were displaced and many of them
lost their household goods, school
materials etc.
Here
is an account of the Tsunami damage
to those known and close to us.
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Houses of sisters of 3 Brothers
went under water. One house was
completely destroyed. Household
goods were damaged or lost.
-
Four Lasallian helpers and their
families have been displaced.
Their houses went under water.
Household goods damaged and lost.
-
Approximately 300 families living
in poor houses in the Lasallian
neighborhood have been displaced.
Among them are 200 or more students
attending our pre-schools and
schools.
Many
government, non-government and voluntary
organizations are engaged in relief
work. Already, a number of our institutions
have been engaged in various relief
efforts such as running a camp for
displaced families, providing food
parcels to displaced people, cleaning
up water wells in affected areas,
cleaning up a church, a convent
and a school that were severely
affected.
The
Lasallian family in Sri Lanka will
focus on the following short term
and long-term relief services.
- Providing
assistance to repair houses and
to recover essential household
items for those victims connected
to the Lasallian families. In
some cases assistance to find
alternative accommodation.
-
Cleaning up school buildings,
churches, religious houses and
water-wells in affected areas,
particularly in Kaluthara and
Matara Districts.
- Distribute
school materials and uniforms
to children of Lasallian schools
and other children in the neighborhood
who were affected .
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Educating students (up to 50)
whose families were displaced,
parents have died Or lost their
family income. This is a specific
project for our Boys Town.
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