updated May 3, 2005

$405,000 Given for Tsunami Aid

Setting the foundation for a concrete block house in Vannativa, Sri Lanka

Mission Tithes are helping rebuild the lives of December 26 Indian Ocean tsunami survivors. Community of Christ members and friends expressed overwhelming desire to provide disaster relief through the church. In response, all January contributions to Oblation and World Hunger and all donations above the average during February were committed to tsunami relief for a total of $405,000.

Initial humanitarian aid was given in January through a $75,000 grant to the Red Cross and $20,000 for immediate assistance to church members in Sri Lanka. Based on early estimates of January contributions, an additional $230,000 ($135,000 Oblation and $95,000 World Hunger) was granted in March to support programs operated by South Asia Partnership Sri Lanka (SAPSRI), Sri Lanka Centre for Development Facilitation (SLCDF), and Save the Children.

Final calculations of January contributions and the portion above the average for February resulted in an additional $80,000 ($50,000 Oblation and $30,000 World Hunger) for tsunami aid. In May, $40,000 was granted to help reconstruct a village with a strong church presence in Sri Lanka. Another $40,000 was granted through Outreach International (OI) to support school rebuilding and a school-to-school linkage program in Sri Lanka.

Deepa's husband was a fisherman whose life was lost in the tsunami. She stands in front of the new home she shares with her 3 small children. Deepa is a community leader and serves as a "red-shirted" volunteer in the rebuilding of her Sri Lanka village.

Putting Your Dollars to Work
A $40,000 grant will help with the rebuilding effort in Karamba, Sri Lanka, where new homes must be constructed from concrete block, rather than the traditional poles and coconut branches. Construction began in late May on 22 new homes. To improve local income and self-reliance, concrete-block-making machines were purchased. Two new fishing boats will enable several families to resume their livelihood while providing food for the community. An expanded, rebuilt bakery will increase income, employment, and bread production. Necessary infrastructure—electricity, water, roads, bridges—is also being created.

A combination of volunteers and paid craftspeople from the village are providing the labor. Apostle Jac Kirkpatrick visited Karamba. He said, “This effort directly affects church families and is engineered and directed by church leaders.”

The $40,000 provided through OI will support its partnership with Counterpart International and Free the Children to rebuild schools along the affected coast of Sri Lanka, most of which were destroyed. “We are very happy to be part of this coalition,” said OI president Matthew Naylor.

OI and Counterpart reported that children now attend class under trees or in the overcrowded classrooms that survived. The children remain committed to learning and the teachers to teaching despite the loss of books and supplies. With Free the Children, a preschool, elementary school, and vocational education center will be built in the Ampara District of the North East Province, Sri Lanka. More than 21,000 schoolchildren there have been affected.

Beyond the immediate need to rebuild, Counterpart will create the infrastructure to support information-technology-based distance learning initiatives between Sri Lankan and United States donor schools to foster long-term, sustainable relationships in both cultures.

The $95,000 World Hunger grant for SAPSRI and $60,000 Oblation grant for SLCDF were provided through World Accord. World Accord executive director Terry Fielder explained that after years of working together he has “confidence in the capacity of both these locally managed and directed agencies.”

SAPSRI works to empower women left destitute in tsunami-affected areas by helping them achieve sustainable livelihoods. Many had been making a living through sewing, weaving, and related work, but all their materials and equipment were swept away by the waves. Some were employed by small export companies that were also severely damaged. By focusing on income generation and micro-enterprise initiatives, SAPSRI will benefit hundreds of families by reengaging women in familiar income-generation activities more efficiently than before.

SLCDF also assists families reestablish income. Fishing supplies, bicycles, tools, sewing machines, and raw materials are among the list of provisions purchased on micro-credit loans. Depending on local needs, some larger loans may help community groups purchase items such as motorboats or market-display rooms.

A $75,000 Oblation grant was given to Save the Children, which is focusing on large-scale, long-term strategies for child survivors of the tsunami in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India. Besides providing for immediate needs, Save the Children is at the forefront of protecting these children from exploitation. The organization is overseeing a major effort to register and reunite separated or orphaned children with families and communities, and get them back in school.

Ministers Help in Tsunami-Affected Areas
Community of Christ ministers are making a human impact beyond these financial commitments. Ministers whose salaries come from the World Ministries budget are on the ground in some areas hardest hit by the tsunami. They have provided details about where funds are needed, been of assistance in distributing direct aid for church members and communities, helped ensure funds are used appropriately, and continue providing practical and spiritual ministry to survivors.

World Church minister Rupa Kumar and her daughter Cordelia, the church’s Tamil translator, are working closely with World Accord relief efforts in India. World Church minister Henry DeSilva is deeply involved with efforts to rebuild in Karamba, Sri Lanka, where there is a Community of Christ congregation. That entire village was washed away.

Your contributions to Oblation, World Hunger, and World Ministries are helping to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace in areas of the world where there is so much need. On behalf of all the lives that continue to be impacted by your generosity, thank you.

--Kendra Friend reporting
--Photos by Apostle Jac Kirkpatrick