The foundations for rehabilitation in Hambantota

Plan Sri Lanka is laying the foundations for rehabilitation and recovery, focusing especially in the areas of housing construction, livelihood, education and water and sanitation. Much of the work will be in the Hambantota District, an area we've worked in since 1996.
 
We've committed an initial US$5million (approx. 500 million rupees), which is the largest amount from any NGO in Sri Lanka. We've already spent US$574,000 (approx. 57.4 million rupees) for immediate disaster response, and to start the recovery process.

Plan distributing generators in Sri Lanka

More than half of this figure was spent on:

• supplying 150 water tanks for camps
• 11 generators for camps and three for hospitals
• provision of five more pumps to clear contaminated wells for the Hambantota district
• essential medicines for use nationwide.

We're also supplying further bowsers (water tankers) to distribute water to camps, and will construct latrines and bathing places in the temporary shelters as camps move out of schools.
           
We donated US$50,000 (approx rupees 5 million) to the women’s microfinance organisation, Janashakti, to write off loans of women who have lost everything in the disaster, and to allow fresh loans to go out to them to re-start small businesses.

People are already trying to rebuild their damaged homes with what little they have so they can start again. We'll supply building tools so that this reconstruction can be carried out, allowing thousands of people to rebuild their homes in the Hambantota district.
 
Education is an important priority for children and their parents, providing a positive focus and a forum for children to talk and work through their experiences with other classmates. Many children lost everything and the distribution of school supplies such as books and school uniforms will allow them to continue their education uninterrupted.

“Helping disaster affected children to get back to school is a number one priority for Plan,” explains Sri Lanka Country Director Myrna Evora. “So Plan has already ordered school kits (exercise books, pens, pencils, maths sets, crayons) for 20,000 children, and we expect to provide school uniforms, for up to 10,000 children. We also are distributing 100,000 booklets for children on health, hygiene and other issues.” We're also developing a set of psycho-social teacher resource kits, which will be essential tools for the well being of children and their families now and in the future.