Future Project: Project 5 - To help in settling the IDP's who being released

The IDP's are now being resettled. It is not clear yet as to what assistance they are getting from the governmental and non governmental agencies. Our representative in Wanni is assessing the situation and identifying the area in which urgent assistance is needed for the IDP to get settled.

Future Project: Project 2 Phase II - Provide stationery items to the balance resettling students inside Wanni

In Phase I we distributed essential stationery including clipboard and bag to 5,000 students from Grade 9 upwards, from Thunukkai, Mallwi and Chettikulam camp 3. In Phase II, the balance students from Chettikulam camps who are returning to their homes inside Wanni will be given similar items as in Phase 1.

The future projects will be undertaken up as soon as money is available for funding these projects.

Project 2 - Supplied Clip board, bag and stationery items
to 5,000 students in Chettikulam and Vanni

To see more photos of Project 2 GO TO Photo Gallery

It was initially planned to supply 5,000 Clip board, bag and stationery items to the students from Arunachchalam camp (camp 3) when the student population was over 10,000. In the meantime Government started sending the IDP to Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee districts. It also started resettling the IDP in Malawi and Thunukkai. This resulted in drastic reduction in the camp population. Our representatives in Sri Lanka were in constant communication with the government officials to access the prevailing situation and were updating us on a regular basis. Four Rotarians went to Vavuniya to make the necessary arrangements and oversee the distribution of these items.

On 28th November 2,000 packages containing stationery items were distributed to Grade 9, Grade 10 and GCE AL students from Arunachchalam camp.

On 28th evening a meeting was held in Vavunia with Zonal Directors of Education and Principals from the camps in Chettikulam, Thunukkai, Mallawi and Kilinochchi. Kilinochchi zonal director's office is currently situated in Thunukkai. The Kilinochchi IDP's are also in Thunkkai before being sent to Kilinochchi. At the meeting it was agreed to send 3,000 packages to Thunukkai and Mallawi which will then be distributed to the students who are resettled. Handed over 2000 packages to Thunukkai-Zonal director Mr.Mehanathan and 1,000 packages to Kilinochchi -Zonal director Mr.Kurugularajh at this meeting. They took the responsibility of transporting 117 boxes in Multi Purpose Co-operative Society lorries. They were very enthusiastic in helping us. They also brought to our attention about the hardship faced by the students and the urgent help needed by them.

• One was about the plight of the students who have lost one or both parents, seriously injured in the war affecting their mobility and the children whose parents are missing. They presented us with a list of 100 most needy students.

• The students in Wanni have lost nearly one year of education. They have to catch up with the lost studies to stand any chance in competing in the island wide examinations. They need extra help in the form of additional coaching and mock examinations in the missed out syllabuses.

On 29th December a seminar was held at the Vavuniya campus with the Internally Displaced University Students about the role of Caring Hands Centre & Rotary Clubs in Social work Awareness. The displaced university students also appealed for financial assistance.

The 117 boxes were sent to Thunukkai and Mallawi and all 3,000 packages were distributed on 3rd and 4th December.

With this the Project 2 Phase I stands completed. We take this opportunity to thank the Rotarians, Zonal Directors of Education, Principals, Teachers, Government agent and Kachcheri officials, Camp officials and Other officials from various organisations, Volunteers, Srinco and Super Stationers who helped to complete an urgently needed humanitarian project in a short time.

We would welcome your suggestions to improve ways to help the refugees.

Project 1 - Relief items supplied to IDP in Vavuniya Camps

The Rotarians from Rotary Club of Colombo South on 10th September 2009 distributed the urgently needed clothing to nearly 1,050 families living in Zone 3 - units 6A, 6B & 6C camps in Vavuniya at a cost of over Rs. 5,00,000/- on behalf of Caring Hands Centre. We would take this opportunity to congratulate the Rotary Club of Colombo South for making this project a success in every manner. They even managed to overcome the common myth that relief items cannot be handed over directly to the refugees.

Members of Rotary Club of Colombo South personally visited the camps and distributed the clothing to the IDP's. By reaching the refugees directly they were able to find out their urgent needs. They also met armed force officers who were in charge of the camps, principals, officials from the Education department with whom they are in direct communication to assess the immediate needs of the students. To start with 1,000 pens were given to the Camp 3 Principal for distribution to the GCE AL students.

To see more photos of Project 1 GO TO Photo Gallery