Feature Artisans

Ten Thousand Villages artisan partners Gospel House Handicrafts, based in Madampe, Sri Lanka, are working diligently to provide relief supplies and help to people who have lost their homes as a result of the December 26 tsunami.

Gospel House staff coordinated a relief trip that included a qualified medical team from a local medical relief organization and two trucks filled with water, food and emergency supplies on December 30. According to a recent e-mail (see below), Gospel House staff and artisans have planned a second trip for January 7.

Ten Thousand Villages has contacted artisan partners in Southeast Asia in areas affected by the December 26 tsunami. To date, communications from artisan partners in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India have indicated that artisans are safe.

To learn more or to donate to Mennonite Central Committee's Asia Earthquake Fund, visit www.mcc.org/asiaearthquake.

Gospel House staff offered this situation report after a December 30 relief trip to Tangalle, Sri Lanka.
Please note: The situation report link above downloads a fairly large PDF file (383 KB) that could take 10 minutes or so to download over a dial-up connection.

Dear Friends,

  It is the very first working day for many of you for 2005 and we at Gospel House wish you a very Blessed New Year.

  The official death count as of noon today is 29,992. This is 0.15% of our population.

  We are constantly in touch with the Refugee Care Center at Seenimodara, Tangalle. All the data of the people who took refuge at Seenimodara are being documented right now. They have food and medicines but water for washing still remains a problem. We did make an SOS call through a Radio Station and did manage to sort out the problem temporarily.

  As we have mentioned before the people—both young and old are suffering with trauma and need counseling.

  We are planning to go back to Tangalle on the 7th afternoon. This time we are planning to give away a resettlement packs for 50 families and also provide undergarments for children, ladies and gentlemen in the Seenimodara Refugee Care Center and sarongs for all the men there. The 50 resettlement packs will be given to 15 families who have expressed their willingness to move back to their homes and the balance will be distributed to the families who lost their belongings in the Kadurupokuna area. In addition to the resettlement packs we will also provide dried milk powder according to the needs of every home. After a further evaluation we will provide another stock of resettlement packs next week.

  Attached is a list of items that will be made available in the resettlement pack.

  We are looking at a long-term plan of rebuilding at least 30 houses for families who lost their houses. We are negotiating with the Government to obtain land for the same. This is still being looked into and the cost is also being discussed.

  Thank you once again for all of you who have partnered in this effort and many of you who have been writing encouraging notes to us.

  With kind regards, 
Gospel House Team

Resettlement Packs Include:

DRY FOOD

• Rice 10 kgs
• Lentils 1 kg
• Green Gram 1 kg
• Sugar 2 kg
• Onions 1 kg
• Garlic 250 gms
• Tea 500 gms
• Assorted Spices 700 gms
• Soya Meat 500 gms
• Cooking Oil 500 ml

TOILETRIES

• Tooth Brushes 4 pcs
• Tooth Paste 1 Pack
• Toilet Soap 5 pcs
• Washing Soap 1 Bar
• Mosquito Coils 3 Packs

LINEN

• Towels 4 Nos.
• Bed Sheets 4 Nos.
• Pillow Cases 4 Nos.
• Pillows 4 Nos.
• Mats (subject to availability) 4 Nos.

KITCHEN UTENSILS

• Knife 1 pc
• Melamine Plates 4 Nos.
• Melamine Cups 4 Nos.
• Stainless Steel Table Spoons 2 Nos.
• Melamine Ladle 1 Pc
• Kettle 1 Pc
• Aluminum Pan 1 Pc
• Plastic Basin 1 Pc
• Tea Strainer 1 Pc
• Mineral Water 10 Liters

Click here to view additional artisan stories from our national Ten Thousand Villages website.