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Indian Ocean Tsunamis
What areas are affected ?
The earthquake which occurred at 7.59am local time on Sunday 26 December 2004 close to Aceh on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia and the tsunamis which followed have severely affected countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
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What is Port Phillip doing about the impact of the tsunami?
The City of Port Phillip held a community vigil in the St Kilda Botanical Gardens on Australia Day. Over 150 people joined the vigil to pause and reflect on the tsunami and the way forward for the devastated communities. At the vigil, Mayor Cr Darren Ray praised the community their generous response to the tsunami appeals.
The Council consulted with overseas aid groups to identify the best way that Port Phillip could offer long-term practical assistance to help rebuild communities devastated by the tsunami. What is being done to help the countries affected?
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Mobilising women in rebuilding Sri Lanka after the tsunami
On March 29, the council agreed to donate $20,000 to a project hosted by the International Women's Development Agency (IWDA), a Melbourne-based non-government organisation with a long and proud record in working with women in developing countries.
In Sri Lanka, IWDA is working in partnership with a local organisation, Kantha Shakthi, to provide short-term trauma counselling and develop sustainable livelihoods through 'microcredit' or small loans.
Per capita, Sri Lanka was worst hit by the tsunami than any other country in the region. It is believed to have left more than 800,000 people homeless and displaced.
Mayor Darren Ray said that the IWDA project would last between three to five years and cost around $350,000, of which $240,000 has already been raised. “Our involvement would be on a short-term, community-to-community basis through an accredited aid agency - and it can start happening sooner rather than later. The IWDA project to mobilise women in the rebuilding of Sri Lanka has already started.
“Port Phillip would be one of several partners involved in its Sri Lankan project. IWDA is working with communities from both the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups and collaborating with local organisations which do the same. Melbourne is also home to many Sri Lankans,” he said.
“The IWDA project will concentrate on improving the well-being of women and promoting the restoration of their livelihoods and the rebuilding of their communities. Visit the IWDA WEBSITE at www.iwda.org.au
“In 2006, IWDA will expand its program to provide vulnerable communities with small loans to help raise them out of poverty. In the short term, the Sri Lankans need material aid and need intensive counselling support but, in the longer term, they will require economic independence and the human dignity that comes with it,” he said.
So what can you do when communities who have lived on the coast all their lives are traumatised by the mere sight of water?
Since January, IWDA's local partner, Kantha Shakthi, has trained five staff in grief and trauma counselling. So far they have reached almost 600 women in the southern Hembantota and Matara districts.1000 of the most affected women will benefit from this support.
“We are working to give affected people a sense of hope, and confidence that they can rebuild their lives and even improve them,” says Kantha Shakthi Director, Rohini Weerasinghe.
Long-term support is crucial to this work; that's why Kantha Shakthi's next priority is to help affected women recreate social networks and develop their livelihoods.
Before the tsunami struck, Kantha Shakthi was already working with 81 women's savings groups in rural Sri Lanka with the support of IWDA. At weekly meetings, women contribute to a group savings fund and work to improve their livelihoods. Issues of community concern, such as violence against women, are also discussed.
International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) is using Port Phillip's tsunami gift to assist traumatised women and communities in Sri Lanka. In depth counselling continues while those who are able are now forming savings groups to start small businesses and rebuild their lives.
Any parent would hope never to be in the position where they have to close down a child's bank account because they have died and the parent is in desperate need of the funds in the account. After January's tsunami many throughout Asia were faced with the awful task of wrapping up their loved one's affairs. For the very poorest people their task was made so much harder by the fact that they live in an area where basic survival is already so difficult.
IWDA's local partner in Sri Lanka, 'Kantha Shakthi' (strength of the women), has worked hard over the last year to link people with services - basic services like toilets, dry rations and water, which are all variously available from government bodies and NGOs, but which the very vulnerable were not getting access to. And yes in one case Kantha Shakthi helped a grieving mother close her daughter's bank account so she herself could afford to purchase food.
Part of Port Phillip's gift was used to train counsellors to help people face life again. In the words of Katntha Shakthi's Director the counsellors: 'Patiently listened to (the victims') stories and shared their grief.' These counsellors continue to support those needing ongoing help and are now organising social and recreational activities to help rebuild this devastated community.
Suzette Mitchell IWDA's Executive Director recently said thank you to the City of Port Phillip for it's generous gift and particularly for supporting women who do less well as a group than men in every country of the world, and who suffer even more when disaster strikes. As one woman said to a counsellor. “It is good to have a women's organisation in the village to voice women's concerns. Women bear up everything alone; they never speak up. It is good to have a women's group in the village for them to talk to”
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Rotary Melbourne South and Rotary Club of Colombo ....
The Tsunami has gone and so have peoples' livelihoods! Melbourne South is sponsoring Fishing Boats as a small step to regain self sufficiency for some fishermen on the East Cost of Sir Lanka. $650 puts a fishermen back to sea
Please consider forming a syndicate to buy a boat or make a donation to:
Treasurer, Melbourne South Rotary Club, PO Box 419, South Melbourne 3205.
Donations are tax deductible!
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How to deal with a traumatic experience
Information, advice and support for individuals, families and friends affected by the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.
What assistance is available for Australians?
Australians wishing to check on friends and relatives in affected areas should call:
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade phone 1800 002 214
Fact sheets and other information:
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Indian Ocean Tsunami Info Sheet #5
