Dear friends,
Greetings from Chennai. Here is a brief report for you on the work that
has transpired thus far.
At present there are 4 YWAM teams that we are overseeing that are
working long term in relief, rehabilitation and developmental work.
They are as follows:
• Colachel - South Tamil Nadu. They have
presently been building relationship with 45 Muslim families who have
had no relief work being done amongst them. We have built a community
kitchen for them and just the other day we put the electricity in it
for them. We have also built a washing area for them. We are also
trying to start a tutoring centre for the children which will give us
long term relationships into the community. We have an Indian outreach
team there right now that is building relationships with them. Also in
another village the other day we have distributed 1015 kilos of rice
203 kilos of dhal, 203 liters of cooking oil. This was given to 203
families who are still living in tents. We are now looking at starting
a tailoring unit there. We are now providing a large fishing net that
can be used and owned by 50 people along with three boats. Since the
fishermen have adopted a strategy of not using the fishing boats or
nets distributed to them until everyone in the village has got
them, we are making them agree to a contact between YWAM and the
village. The contract is as follows:
- They use the net
immediately upon receiving it, failing which, we will take
the net back and give it to another village which will use it
immediately.
- They pay a
nominal fee as a village for the net they use, which in turn will
be used by us in that village for other developmental purposes.
- They save money
to purchase another net within a certain period and if they do so, then
they can stop paying the nominal fees.
This has been
adopted by us so that they would work towards their own development.
When the fishermen saw our intention of not
just handing out free nets and boats to them they were very happy as
they felt some dignity and wanted to also show their ability to use
what was given to them. We are also looking into starting a tuition
center in partnership with Compassion International and they will then
start supporting select children from age 4 to the time they graduate
from high school and possibly college.
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• Andaman Islands: We have a couple there
for the next two years. Right now a team from YWAM Varanasi and YWAM
Pune are there with them helping with the relief work. Some of them
went to Hut Bay which is a ten hour boat journey from Port Blair the
Capital. In many places for ½ to 1 kilometer inland houses and
buildings are devastated. Even concrete structures have come down. The
team stayed in one of the few houses that was still standing. They were
able to give our soap, sandals, clothing, mats and other basic
essentials to 630 families who were very grateful. We are looking into
building temporary houses right now for several families. You can see a
picture to the right where our workers are giving out relief materials.
• Kottivakkam, Besant Nagar, Chinnandikuppam – Chennai.
These are three fishing villages on the south side of Chennai. YWAM has
a ministry in these areas for the last several years. We are now
expanding that. We are now starting a new tailoring unit in one village
in partnership with a local church to help the ladies get alternative
employment. We are expanding another tailoring unit that we have in
another village. We are also going to bring in a person who can just do
counseling for those who are struggling with post tsunami problems. In
another area we have identified 25 peanut salesmen who lost their
entire business due to the tsunami wave that hit where they were
living. We are supplying new pushcarts for them so they can go back to
selling their peanuts. We are also looking into taking a place where we
can start a Sunday School program. In this village there is no church
but through this one could be planted.
•
Thoraipakkam – Chennai. About 500
families from a tsunami hit area were moved into this slum. YWAM
already has a ministry going on in this slum which has a population of
more than 100,000 people in it. Just near to this slum the government
has built a huge area of temporary housing for those who were affected
by the tsunami. There are more than 1400 families moving into this area
that you can see below. More of these temporary sheds are being built
right now.
Our team there is starting a tuition centre
for 400 children who have been affected by the tsunami. We are in the
process of securing the land right now and putting up the temporary
shelter. Teachers have already been identified from local churches in
the slum or around the slum which will also help with the long term
work there.
These families will be living in these
temporary sheds for about 6 months after which the government will move
them to another location where they are building for them permanent
flats. Our team is already planning on entering that new place so that
when the people are shifted we can continue on with job training and
relational building with them.
We
also are now forming partnerships with other churches and para church
organizations that are doing excellent work but lack funding. We are
now starting to fund an effort in Nagapattinam for a brick kiln. Since
construction is going to be a big emphasis there will be a need to
provide construction materials. Many fishermen will not go back to
fishing because of the politics with the government going on as
explained above. Therefore a brick kiln will help them to find
alternative work options. We are also looking into funding an effort
for women to make sanitary feminine napkins. Many of them are suffering
from infections due to the unsanitary methods they presently use and
this would give employment to quite a few. We are also negotiating with
churches to help them run medical clinics and start small tuition
centres so they can build a better rapport with their local communities
and thus make their churches grow.
Below
are a few pictures from the Andaman Islands of how the tsunami brought
destruction.
Thank
you for praying for us as we continue on this task.
YWAM
Chennai Tsunami Relief Committee.
Giving to the Disaster
Relief Work through YWAM - 100% goes as designated
