Tracking the NGOs (Feb 8)
I never found to time to do that collation of the NGOs tsunami reconstruction activities over the weekend (see this and this), but turns out that ST (Feb 9) has a story today that does just that:
- BUDDHIST charity organisation Tzu Chi Foundation has set a $15 million fundraising target to provide new housing for some 1,000 Sri Lankan families made homeless by the tsunami in a town called Kajuwatta in Hambantota district, one of 15 new settlements to be built in Sri Lanka's tsunami-hit southern and eastern areas. These will be permanent housing, estimated to cost about $10,000 each, inclusive of labour and materials. To raise the money, Tzu Chi, which has 5,000 members in Singapore, will hold a month-long street collection drive here, starting on Feb 18. Funds will also be raised by its Malaysian branch. In addition, the group also plans to tap funds collected by the Singapore Red Cross Society.
Tzu Chi is relying on its Singapore and Malaysia teams to spearhead the Sri Lankan drive because of their members' closer proximity to the island nation and their ease of communication in English. Local and overseas architects and engineers will be deployed to oversee the construction efforts. The group aims to involve locals--especially tsunami survivors--whenever possible in the rebuilding work, so as to give them jobs.
- Students from Singapore Management University (SMU) are also pitching in by reviving a low-cost and simple method of building houses. The method--developed by the Thailand Institute of Science & Technology Research--uses a portable press to quickly and cheaply produce bricks made of locally available soil and cement. The bricks, produced on site, are then fixed together, Lego-fashion, to build a house. SMU hopes to improve and adapt the method, first used in 2003 to build low-cost housing in villages in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Said director of student life at SMU, Mr Stanley Lee: 'It's simple technology that can be used by anyone, on site.'
A 60-member team from SMU will leave for Krabi, Thailand in April, set up a prototype in about 14 to 18 days, and then move on to other tsunami-stricken areas in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. 'We'll impart the know-how and leave the equipment, so they can continue building after we leave,' said Mr Lee.
- The non-governmental organisation Youth Challenge will build a US$200,000 (S$320,000) orphanage in Aceh, and provide medical, counselling and educational services over a five-year period. To offset costs, Youth Challenge will approach Singapore Red Cross Society, whose chairman, Lt-Gen (Ret) Winston Choo, heads the committee overseeing the $65-million Tsunami Reconstruction Fund. The committee has received eight applications so far for funding.
- Another group seeking funding is Buddhist Fellowship Singapore, which estimates it needs $3.5 million to build 500 prefabricated houses in Sri Lanka.
- Mercy Relief Has started to design and plan a relocation centre, which will be ready mid-year, in Desa Empaewe town in Aceh Besar to accommodate about 800 people. In Meulaboh, it will rebuild two orphanages, one school, one polyclinic and an intensive care unit for the Meulaboh General Hospital. Will take between three to six months to complete.
- Singapore International Foundation's Youth Expedition Project (YEP) is helping to build shelters that last two to three years for some 1,500 people in Banda Aceh, until the government can provide permanent housing. Its Singapore Volunteers Overseas programme will launch a two-year Social and Community Health Care Training Project, to train Indonesians to provide basic health care and social services, such as trauma care, psychological support and counselling, especially for women and children affected. The foundation has also set up the SIF Tsunami-Affected Communities (TAC) Fund, to get the estimated $3 million needed for the projects.
- Singapore Telemedia Group, with subsidiaries Indosat and StarHub will rebuild schools in Banda Aceh. Indosat will support these schools in their long-term educational needs. The group has pledged: $1.3 million for this purpose.
- Buddhist Fellowship Singapore aims oo build 500 homes in Sri Lanka. It will hire locals in reconstruction work, to enable them to learn construction skills, such as plastering, plumbing and painting, and rebuild their self-esteem. It will also seek to equip local volunteers with trauma and family counselling skills, and to sponsor a group of students, by giving them school packs, containing school uniforms, school bags, stationery, shoes and socks. Amount needed: About $4 million.
- From next month to June, some 70 teams of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Singapore will build new houses and repair damaged homes in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. Each team will spend about one week, clearing debris, reworking foundations and building or repairing homes.
- Renci Hospital and Medicare Centre have plans to help construct 'Villages of Compassion' in Hambantota Town in Sri Lanka, each consisting of 1,000 units of low-cost housing, schools, clinics and community halls.
From other sources:
- Touch Community Services International's Tsunami Relief Fund has collected S$403,026.63 as of end Jan. Its medical teams have returned from Ampara, Sri Lanka and Meulaboh, Indonesia. (From their website)
- Progress reports and know needs of YMCA's ongoing efforts in Sri Lanka can be found here on their website.
- News updates of the (massive) efforts of World Vision can also be found on their website (there's a lot there, I'll see if I can do a collation soon).
- BUDDHIST charity organisation Tzu Chi Foundation has set a $15 million fundraising target to provide new housing for some 1,000 Sri Lankan families made homeless by the tsunami in a town called Kajuwatta in Hambantota district, one of 15 new settlements to be built in Sri Lanka's tsunami-hit southern and eastern areas. These will be permanent housing, estimated to cost about $10,000 each, inclusive of labour and materials. To raise the money, Tzu Chi, which has 5,000 members in Singapore, will hold a month-long street collection drive here, starting on Feb 18. Funds will also be raised by its Malaysian branch. In addition, the group also plans to tap funds collected by the Singapore Red Cross Society.
Tzu Chi is relying on its Singapore and Malaysia teams to spearhead the Sri Lankan drive because of their members' closer proximity to the island nation and their ease of communication in English. Local and overseas architects and engineers will be deployed to oversee the construction efforts. The group aims to involve locals--especially tsunami survivors--whenever possible in the rebuilding work, so as to give them jobs.
- Students from Singapore Management University (SMU) are also pitching in by reviving a low-cost and simple method of building houses. The method--developed by the Thailand Institute of Science & Technology Research--uses a portable press to quickly and cheaply produce bricks made of locally available soil and cement. The bricks, produced on site, are then fixed together, Lego-fashion, to build a house. SMU hopes to improve and adapt the method, first used in 2003 to build low-cost housing in villages in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Said director of student life at SMU, Mr Stanley Lee: 'It's simple technology that can be used by anyone, on site.'
A 60-member team from SMU will leave for Krabi, Thailand in April, set up a prototype in about 14 to 18 days, and then move on to other tsunami-stricken areas in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. 'We'll impart the know-how and leave the equipment, so they can continue building after we leave,' said Mr Lee.
- The non-governmental organisation Youth Challenge will build a US$200,000 (S$320,000) orphanage in Aceh, and provide medical, counselling and educational services over a five-year period. To offset costs, Youth Challenge will approach Singapore Red Cross Society, whose chairman, Lt-Gen (Ret) Winston Choo, heads the committee overseeing the $65-million Tsunami Reconstruction Fund. The committee has received eight applications so far for funding.
- Another group seeking funding is Buddhist Fellowship Singapore, which estimates it needs $3.5 million to build 500 prefabricated houses in Sri Lanka.
- Mercy Relief Has started to design and plan a relocation centre, which will be ready mid-year, in Desa Empaewe town in Aceh Besar to accommodate about 800 people. In Meulaboh, it will rebuild two orphanages, one school, one polyclinic and an intensive care unit for the Meulaboh General Hospital. Will take between three to six months to complete.
- Singapore International Foundation's Youth Expedition Project (YEP) is helping to build shelters that last two to three years for some 1,500 people in Banda Aceh, until the government can provide permanent housing. Its Singapore Volunteers Overseas programme will launch a two-year Social and Community Health Care Training Project, to train Indonesians to provide basic health care and social services, such as trauma care, psychological support and counselling, especially for women and children affected. The foundation has also set up the SIF Tsunami-Affected Communities (TAC) Fund, to get the estimated $3 million needed for the projects.
- Singapore Telemedia Group, with subsidiaries Indosat and StarHub will rebuild schools in Banda Aceh. Indosat will support these schools in their long-term educational needs. The group has pledged: $1.3 million for this purpose.
- Buddhist Fellowship Singapore aims oo build 500 homes in Sri Lanka. It will hire locals in reconstruction work, to enable them to learn construction skills, such as plastering, plumbing and painting, and rebuild their self-esteem. It will also seek to equip local volunteers with trauma and family counselling skills, and to sponsor a group of students, by giving them school packs, containing school uniforms, school bags, stationery, shoes and socks. Amount needed: About $4 million.
- From next month to June, some 70 teams of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Singapore will build new houses and repair damaged homes in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. Each team will spend about one week, clearing debris, reworking foundations and building or repairing homes.
- Renci Hospital and Medicare Centre have plans to help construct 'Villages of Compassion' in Hambantota Town in Sri Lanka, each consisting of 1,000 units of low-cost housing, schools, clinics and community halls.
From other sources:
- Touch Community Services International's Tsunami Relief Fund has collected S$403,026.63 as of end Jan. Its medical teams have returned from Ampara, Sri Lanka and Meulaboh, Indonesia. (From their website)
- Progress reports and know needs of YMCA's ongoing efforts in Sri Lanka can be found here on their website.
- News updates of the (massive) efforts of World Vision can also be found on their website (there's a lot there, I'll see if I can do a collation soon).
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