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THAILAND TSUNAMI EMERGENCY
Insights from humanitarian aid teams
FCF Project Partner Builders of the Future
(http://www.familycare.org/network/p21.htm)
reports:
June 15, 2005
Under supervision of the Phang-Na Education Service Area Office, we are
participating in a program providing 12 to 18 months of education for
students in 10 schools. These children, ages 5 to 7 years, either suffered
directly as a result of the tsunami, having lost one or both parents,
or come from underprivileged circumstances.
We are also establishing a children’s library, the purpose being
three-pronged:
- To reinstate a sense of normalcy and harmony
- To create an educational facility to promote a love for learning
and to empower these children with the ability to experience self-education.
- A child-friendly library would not only enrich their educational
opportunities, but would create beneficial recreation to occupy their
minds and introduce them to new realms of possibilities and adventure,
beyond their immediate and often difficult surroundings.
The library’s IT Lab will provide two immediate advantages. Computer
and IT literacy is becoming an increasingly important ingredient for success
in today’s modern world. Additionally, the children will benefit
from access to the wide variety of computer-or internet-specific educational
resources, as well as access to a learning center for computer sciences.
FCF assures that 100% of all donations
designated for tsunami relief will be used for tsunami relief efforts
in the disaster areas, bypassing all other overhead.
May 25, 2005
Long-term Planning
Our focus has now changed a long-term plan for assisting with ongoing
reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. To this end, we made several
return trips to the southern provinces of Phuket, Phang-Na and Rayong,
and offered our skills, effort and time to working with children, delivering
and distributing supplies and toys, visiting the infirm, conducting seminars
for teachers of traumatized children, working at daycare centers, providing
moral support for those building housing for displaced tsunami survivors,
etc.
Thanks to a grant from Family Care Foundation, and under supervision of
the Phang-Na Education Service Area Office, we will be providing 12 or
18 months of education for 10 schools.
Approximately 800 Thai children were left orphaned by the Asian tsunami,
but many more children also suffered loss in other forms, whether through
receiving injuries at the time of the tsunami, or by the untimely deaths
of friends, classmates, teachers, the destruction of their homes and schools,
seeing their parents or other family relatives lose their livelihoods,
children or loved ones.
It’s impossible to accurately express the very great upheaval the
tsunami brought into the lives of the many hundreds of children living
in these provinces. Their worlds, their frame of reference, have been
completely turned inside out. For them, the contrast between life before
and after the tsunami is stark.
For many children who have experienced extreme shock or trauma, it is
difficult to explain their emotions and feelings. There is much that they
do not understand and even more that they do not know how to express.
Yet expressing their grief and fears and feelings is very much a part
of the process that is essential to their emotional and psychological
healing.
From discussions with local community elders, social workers and those
directly involved in the restoration of the affected provinces, and our
desire to be of service and assistance to the Thai children who have undergone
such severe turmoil was borne the concept of establishing a children’s
library.
To create a modern and multifaceted library will be an undertaking of
some proportions, and will involve a great deal of time, manpower, resources
and collaboration on various levels. We at Builders of the Future
have been specifically requested to assist with the development and construction
of the library’s IT Lab.
January 15, 2005
At the disaster relief camp, the heat in the tents becomes almost unbearable
under the midday sun. Many of the villagers have put up little awnings
using sticks and blankets to try and escape the blazing heat.
Going from tent to tent to talk with and encourage the survivors, we spoke
with one young mother who sat in with her 3-year-old daughter. The little
girl accepted us immediately and was eager to play with us, and we were
only too happy to accommodate her.
The previous day was her daughter's third birthday, and she had asked
for a tricycle. It was a difficult thing for the mother to explain to
her preschool-aged daughter that they would have to wait to get her a
tricycle, as they would first need to get a house, and daddy would need
to find work.
Your help can make this child's birthday wish come true.
January 9, 2005
Yesterday was Children's Day, and the local community, provincial government
and people from near and far came together to give the children living
at the disaster relief camp--where over 3,000 tsunami-affected villagers
are living in small tents and makeshift shelters-- a day of fun, games,
activities and enjoyment. It was very touching to see how everyone involved
put so much effort into making the day special for them.
A stage had been erected where the children were able to exhibit their
talents in singing, dancing, and dramas. A large tent near the stage had
been designated the activity area. We joined the children in their games
and activities, learning arts and crafts alongside them, and getting to
know some of them personally.
Two little girls, Ploy (Gem) and Suan (Park), aged 10 and 9, were happy
to make friends with us. Thankfully, their families had survived but they
had lost everything else, including their homes, so they were among the
thousands who had now made this 'tent city' their abode. They laughed
as we talked together and soon joined their friends on stage for a lively
song and dance routine that they had prepared for the occasion. It was
wonderful to see the children at the camp excited about the events of
the day and enjoying themselves, in spite of the difficulties they and
their families now face and the terrible tragedy they had so recently
witnessed.
The slogan "Children are the hope of the future" couldn't be
more truly said than of the children at this relief camp.
January 7, 2005
We were invited to Phang-nga province, to do a program at a school where
the children had been directly affected by the tsunami. 200 hundred of
the children attending this school used to live in one of the worst hit
villages along Pang-nga's coast, Ban Nam Kem. 50 of those 200 children
perished in the disaster. The remaining 150 children now live with their
parents or surviving relatives at the nearby temporary camp for the displaced.
Service trucks take the children to school and back every day.
We had songs, drama and games prepared, as well as gifts and prizes to
distribute to the children. The time we spent there was incredibly rewarding
and touching, as the children responded so enthusiastically and joined
in the songs and games wholeheartedly.
Our immediate goals are: to continue to work with the children at the
various temporary camps and shelters; to offer our services in translating
or coordinating for various volunteers and medical personnel who continue
to flow in from around the world; to begin a long-term program of visitation
to the schools in the area in order to provide encouragement as well as
physical assistance in any way that we can; to collect and distribute
needed supplies to villages and centers in the affected areas; to personally
reach out to and comfort the hearts of those that have lost so much in
this tragic disaster.
FCF Project Partner Central Thai Mission
(http://www.familycare.org/network/p20.htm)
reports:
January 6, 2005
We drove 3 hours north to the edge of Ranong province, approximately 200
km from Phuket, to a small village right on the beach which had suffered
the full impact of the tsunami. We drove to the spot we had been directed
to and at first we thought we had missed it because we couldn't see sign
of a village anywhere. We ere indeed at the very spot where the village
stood--until the tsunami washed it completely away. There literally was
not one brick left in place and about 50 percent of the villagers there
had died, many of them being small children. The survivors had moved to
a nearby village and were living in relatives' houses or simply camping
wherever they could. Because it is a small and remote area, these people
had received very little in the way of supplies or assistance and were
trying to do the best they could to help each other.
We met the daughter of the village elder, as she came to help us locate
the survivors. She too, had an amazing story to tell. When the wave hit,
she had no chance to escape and was sure that she would die. The wave
carried her in a matter of minutes to a temple about 2 kilometers inland
where she found herself, miraculously alive and not seriously injured.
Since then she has been helping her father to acquire assistance and find
shelter for the other villagers.
Among the items loaded on our truck are toys which we passed out to the
children. We gave a Mickey Mouse doll to a four-year old girl, whose face
lit up when she received it. She promptly sat down and clung to it for
the rest of the time that we were there. From her grandmother we found
out that child's father had died when the wave hit; since then the child
had been very quiet and rarely smiled. "She had so much wanted a
doll," said her grandmother. We hope that that simple gift might
in some way be the beginning of the healing process in her young life.
We also talked with some of the parents and villagers there. Each person
we met had been personally affected in a dramatic way by the tsunami-having
either been a victim of the disaster, or being called upon to help those
who were now left homeless. It was a wonderful experience to be able to
reach out to these needy-and nearly forgotten-people.
January 5, 2005
At their invitation, we are now partnering with a government agency that
has established an orphanage for the children that have lost their parents
in the disaster. So far we have 300 orphans, but the officials expect
the number to rise dramatically. This will be an ongoing project requiring
rotating our emergency personnel to assist, as well as the sourcing of
necessary supplies needed for the running of the orphanage itself.
We are also helping to provide necessary supplies and materials for the
many temporary shelters housing the many thousands of displaced people.
While we have received large amounts of aid delivered to our center in
Bangkok, our greatest need is the cash to enable us to move the supplies
to the disaster areas, as well as pay for the volunteers’ transportation
and other on-the-ground costs.
So cash donations are needed for:
- Transporting supplies and volunteer personnel to the various arenas
of the disaster area.
- Distribution of supplies from our relief base to the outlying villages
and towns by pick up trucks
- Maintaining Orphanage set up for newly-orphaned children
- Further surveying the extent of damage in surrounding towns and villages,
in coordination with local government officials.
January 4, 2005
The situation in general has improved greatly, as the government and international
relief organizations continue to work tirelessly in the affected areas,
constructing temporary housing for the homeless, restoring damaged infrastructure,
clearing away the rubble and debris that was scattered all along the once-pristine
coastline. The needs of the people there are still great, and the real
work in some respects has only just begun, but the united efforts of everyone
involved has made progress swift and raised spirits noticeably.
Refugee Camp Orphanage
Our work at the children's center in the main disaster refugee camp has
been going very well. We have been called upon to help in a wide array
of capacities:
- Working with the staff to set up a database to compile vital information
concerning the children and their family situation.
- We've helped to organize arts and crafts lessons, English classes,
activities and games, which the children seem to enjoy a great deal.
- A large tent was erected to be used as a handicrafts center, where
young people and others in the camp can learn skills such as basket
weaving.
- We've also been helping with the general maintenance and cleanup of
the shelter.
- Above all, we try to spend as much time as we can talking with the
children individually, listening to them and encouraging them and offering
counsel and friendship.
Mobile relief team
With additional colleagues joining us, we were able to work in two teams
which enables us to continue to concentrate on some of the more remote
areas that still need assistance, in addition to focusing on helping the
many newly-orphaned children at the relief center.
Our "mobile relief team," as we came to call it, has been travelling
to different affected areas, visiting and comforting survivors, encouraging
the clean-up and reconstruction crews, distributing supplies as needed,
etc. In one devastated area we met some men who were clearing the site
of what had been a school, about a mile in from the beach. The only thing
left standing was the flagpole in what had been a courtyard. The rest
was gone. Thankfully the wave hit on a Sunday, so the children that would
have normally filled the classrooms were safe at home. A new school is
now being constructed on a nearby hill.
A short distance up the road we met a young lady, Khun
Petch, who was trying to salvage what she could from the wrecked remains
of her house and clear some of the debris from what had been her front
yard. She had lost her younger sister and brother in law, and confided
to us that although she was just now beginning to come to terms with the
tragedy, her mother and father were taking the loss very hard. We talked
with her for quite some time, and she told us that just being able to
talk to someone, to know that someone cared enough to take the time to
listen to her, meant a lot and lifted some of the burden from her heart.
We were able to leave a few boxes of supplies with her to distribute to
her relatives and other families that were temporarily living in tents
in the hills nearby.
January 2, 2005
A second group of 15 volunteers arrive in Phuket, bringing further supplies
to distribute to the most severely affected families, and to bring moral
support and encouragement to both victims and relief workers. We have
already distributed 10 tons of donated supplies, clothing and food to
needy situations, and are in the process of distributing a further 20
tons.
Of course, this only a drop in the bucket when compared with the immense
need that exists--whole villages were washed away when the waves hit,
and thousands of already very poor people have lost their homes and all
their belongings--and it will take more than just food and clothing to
rebuild their livelihoods, and perhaps more importantly, to lift their
despairing spirits and strengthen the will to start again and continue
on.
December 28, 2004
With a smaller team of six we headed for Krabi which took in a lot of
the survivors from Phi Phi Island. On the way, we dropped in at Phanga
Hospital where once again, we took some time to minister to the patients
there. With many foreigners lingering in the corridor of this hospital,
we were told that this hospital had taken in the bulk of foreigners who
were injured and therefore, folks were still here searching for clues
of missing loved ones.
We gave each a token bag of food as well as clothes that would fit them.
Traveling another 100 km, we went to Krabi where we met up with our Swedish
volunteer there, Ake and his Thai wife Jeab, and their family. Our Swedish
colleagues took on the roles as translators for the many Scandinavians
there.
December 27, 2004
CTM staffer John Frost and another volunteer packed their truck with 30
boxes of supplies and drove 12 hours to Phuket . Project manager Debbie
Ekner and her team of four others arrived the same evening by plane. Our
base in Phuket warmly received us and others who had come to help. Joe
and Mook opened their home to us and the use of their pickup. It was just
fantastic to see the high-level of co-operation and motivation there.
Whether it was having to sleep on the floor, or go for several days without
a proper lunch as we were constantly on the road traveling to the various
towns – nobody complained and everyone was just happy to be of some
service somewhere, making a difference for someone.
On the street though, death, despair and destruction affronted me as
I stood amidst the rubble and debris at the village of Ban Nam Kem. This
small village was totally devastated by the tsunami wave which brought
torrential waters, destroying everything in its path.
Tears quickly welled up when I saw toys scattered amidst; children's
shoes still floating in the receding waters, a computer keyboard and mouse
brings home reality -- just as if I could have been that person sitting
by the computer when the waves came.
In the distance, at this time of dusk, I see the beautiful sunset above
the calm sea – the sight that has attracted many -- foreigners and
locals – to the beaches of Khao Lak. It’s no wonder that this
same beauty caused a boom in this village of Nam Kem as shopping centers,
a cinema, new businesses & homes sprung up quickly in the last few
years. It’s an incredible contrast at this point to see the devastation
in front of me caused by this same innocent sea in the distance.
Only one house is left standing in this whole fishing village and Khun
Anantra, the owner, told us of how the second floor of the house provided
refuge to three children left alone in a nearby house, when their parents
went fishing. They along with a few others rushed upstairs and were spared.
The only tragedy in that household was an uncle who was caught unawares
downstairs when the powerful waters rushed in.
At this time of our visit – just two days – after the disaster,
dog-sniffing teams still on the look out for bodies or survivors joined
us. There was a distinct stench in the air, perhaps from rotting food
left in the homes or animals we’d like to think, and we kept our
masks on. This was bearable unlike the stench of dead bodies at nearby
Wat (temple) we just passed by. The stench along with the sight of grieving
folks and rows of coffins was all too much at the end of this day.
We headed first towards the Takua Pa Hospital where it was reportedly
swamped with casualties, being that it is closest to the pristine Khao
Lak area and the heavily-populated Ban Nam Kem fishing village which was
the worst hit. All 5,000 rooms of Khao Lak's resorts were fully booked
during this peak season.
At the hospital, our balloon sculptors Ike, Angela and Sunny headed for
the children’s ward where they cheered up many of the kids and visiting
relatives with their ballooning gifts. Others on the team were also able
to go around to talk, play with kids and encourage the hearts of family
and friends.
Others went to the adult wards where they encouraged and comforted patients.
We all fought back our tears as we heard story after story of how the
raging torrents so quickly engulfed and dragged away loved ones . We prayed
with all of them to receive the blessing of God’s strength, hope
and peace at this time as such a tragedy was beyond human understanding
and comfort. The team then went on to minister to the homeless who were
camped out in the basement of the hospital.
Our volunteers were also responded to hospital announcements asking for
help in translating as most of us are versed in Thai and English.
Taking the Khao Lak route home, we were shocked by the extent of damage
in this area. It was just incredible to see how the sea, which was perhaps
3 km from the road we were traveling on, could have come up right across
the road and onto the other side, destroying everything in its way. There
were vehicles, smashed and strewn all over on both sides of the road,
along with flattened buildings – some of which being multi-storeyed
resorts.
Excavators were busy clearing rubble, perhaps finding bodies aswell .
Traffic crawled at snail’s pace as motorists made way for the constant
flow of ambulances and rescue vehicles whirring their sirens in urgency.
At one point, we counted 17 trucks piled with bagged bodies going by us.
If that wasn’t enough to sicken the stomach, we finally came to
a point where all the traffic almost stopped and when we looked to find
out what was the cause, we saw an open area like a carpark where rows
of bodies were lined up in body bags . There were lorry loads of coffins
by the side and rescue vehicles ready to take off.
December 27, 2004
We mobilized both personnel and humanitarian aid to assist the
survivors of tsunamis that battered Thailand's southern coasts on the
morning of December 26th. The first 10 tons of relief supplies will accompany
the first teams in (food, clothing, cooking accessories, personal hygiene
products, blankets, baby supplies, drinking water, household products,
etc.)
Fifteen volunteers are already mobilized in Phuket and Phangna (one of
the worst hit areas) and assisting provincial officials by translating
and coordinating for injured foreigners and those in the area. Some of
our folks were in Phuket the day the floods hit, so volunteered their
services at the Patong Hospital to help translate for the injured foreigners
and answer the flood of phone calls that were coming in from abroad from
concerned relatives. The next day they majored on translating for the
tourists who came to report missing friends or loved ones to the police.
Many of the police are not too proficient in English so the help was very
welcomed.
With over 5000 people dead, and over 6000 people still missing,
the stench of death still lingers in the air. At least 10000 people, both
Thai and foreign, were injured in Sunday’s catastrophe. Our volunteers
are engaged in one-on-one counseling during hospital visitation in both
Phuket and Bangkok, bringing a message of comfort, solidarity and hope
that broken hearts and destroyed homes can be restored.
Urgently needed material items include: bottled water; clothing; dry foodstuffs
(rice, instant noodles, powdered milk, etc.); undergarments; shoes; toiletries
and sanitary napkins; tents; blankets and bedding; pots and cooking utensils,
etc. Another need: coffins and body bags are needed.
To assist tsunami victims at the grassroots level, please donate online:
Tsunami
Fund
FCF assures that 100% of all donations
designated for tsunami
relief will be used for tsunami relief efforts in the disaster areas,
bypassing all other overhead.
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