Making it Happen

Thanks to the generous donations of so many concerned people around the world, Amenti Relief is pleased to report that re-construction has begun. Alistair has arrived in Sri Lanka to begin deploying the efforts of the first month of fund-raising, focussed on the fisherman's village in Weligama. There we have identified the first nine families that will receive aid and we have completed a list of their requirements. We have also made contact with the local school and Alistair will be able to fulfill their requirements when he arrives. Getting the schools open is an important priority at the moment as it allows the children to return to some aspects of the routine of "normal" life.

The necessary infrastructure is in place. The builder we are working with has kindly agreed to work free of charge despite the fact that his own house and all his possessions were lost in the wave. We have identified several boat suppliers and are heartened by their willingness to negotiate. We have also identified a source of trainee carpenters, plumbers and electricians who are willing to volunteer their services and we hope we will be able to utilise their skills.

Small, volunteer based groups like Amenti have popped up all along the coast and are working frantically to begin the re-building process. We are connecting with these groups, enabling all of us to be fully informed on what is really going on on the ground and progress being made. Though Amenti Relief is not involved in day to day work in the refugee camps we have been amazed at how well this network has been able to share information and expertise and even resources. In one incident recently excess food in one camp in the south was seamlessly transferred to another in the east that was in severe need.

We hope to be able to continue this ethos in the re-building phase. We are seeing in practice the benefits of small, independent units, networked together and the speed with which such organisms can react to needs and impact lives.