India: Gandhian Unit for Integrated Development Education (GUIDE)

GUIDE have succeeded in bringing together women from tsunami-affected villages through federating Self-Help Groups. Guide has formed a statewide federation, whose conveners consist of 5 men and 2 women, including traditional panchayat leaders. The federation recently came to the decision that they would work to convince each of their village panchayats to elect women as panchayat members in the next election. Read more...

India: Man of Marbles - Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP)

Shankar treads a different path with confidence and conviction. A successful master mason in Sirkali taluka of Nagapattinam District, he has a clear understanding of his duties and his role in building safer homes and a safer society. Read more...

India: Rural Organisation for Social Action (ROSE)

Communities themselves are best able to prepare themselves for natural and manmade disasters. This article details the success story of a village that has managed to do just that. Through a partnership with the innovative NGO, ROSE, community members in the village of Vellakoil now know how to help themselves in the face of disaster, instead of helplessly waiting for somebody else to assist. Read more...

Sri Lanka: Equality-based Community Support and Training (ECSAT)

When Tsunami hit Catherine felt that with so many vulnerable children, serving only the disabled would exclude many of those most in need. She began on her own, visiting people in temporary shelter communities amidst a barrage of relief supplies, pushy NGOs and people who had lost everything realizing what they could gain instantly from compassionate people with money. Read more...

India: ACTED - Longterm Development

ACTED brings relief to tsunami victims in general, throughout its interventions it has primarily attempted to reach the most vulnerable people, particularly the cheduled castes and the backward castes, and among them women, widows, children and elders. Read more...

India: BLESS - Ecosan Toilets


Bless is currently implementing a pilot project building ECOSAN toilets in selected villages. The best part is that they are child friendly. The toilets are raised above ground with two sealed receptacles that are alternately filled and emptied. This prevents effluent from human waste from seeping into the ground water, a burning issue in Tamil Nadu given the proximity of the water table from the soil.
 Read more..

India: M.S. SWAMINATHAN RESEACH FOUNDATION (MSSRF)

During the tsunami MSSRF started working in different costal villages of Tamil Nadu and pondicherry by establishing Village Knowledge Centre that provides information/knowlege to the villagers on various issues such as fish movement, height of waves, weather forecasts etc. Read more...

India: PMSSS - Integrated Village Development

PMSSS has turned Devanampattinam into a model village. Readers may wonder what NGOs mean, when they say, “model village.” Doubts may arise when people question what exactly the village is a model of and what role community members have played. In this case, the village of Devanampattinam is a model of a holistic integrated development scheme with substantial community participation. Read more...

India: Good Practices in Tsunami Rehabilitation - German Agro Action

First time in the tradition of boat manufacturing, women are employed in boat
production. 10 Women of the village Periavilai were given a training on fiberglass cutting, plasting and glueing and are now proudly earning up to 200 INR a day for their work in the boat manufacturing unit “Sharika Boats”. Read more...

Sri Lanka: Community Members Link Wiwth Tourist to Support Those Most in Need

At the time of the Tsunami he saw the first wave hit and alerted his family working in the kitchen. Then he hopped in his rickshaw to warn his neighbors who had a 3-month-old baby. As they collected their things, the second, larger wave hit and the family was immediately swept away. Lal survived by holding onto a tree and soon met up with the rest of his family who had sought shelter in the town temple. Since the day his property was destroyed he has struggled to get his family’s livelihood back on its feet. Read more...

India: Done Undone: Assessing Tsunami Efforts - A Women's Perspective


Communities in Cuddalore district one of the worst affected in the state of
Tamilnadu, India, describe how they experienced relief and rehabilitation.
Anna Williams captures insights from talking to women in five tsunami hit communities.

It is hoped that readers will realize that people do not see themselvesasvictims instead they displayed steel like resilience, and took on the task of immediate relief and rehabilitation and continue to face everyday survival asthey did as first responders. We hope this article is one of the many whichhelps to bust many myths about people in tsunami hitareasas“victims”.Grassroots initiatives documented show how women and community groups sought to bridge the gap between their needs and mainstream interventions and services. Read more...

India: First person accounts from tsunami women survivors turned leaders


When disasters strike, communities are devastated. Women are the human face of disasters. As first responders, they take on the onerous task of restoring life. Restoring home and livelihoods, providing health care to their families, sending children to school, reviving child care their list of contributions after disasters is endless. These first person accounts are from the heart. They are written by ordinary women who showed extraordinary strength. This account salutes these women survivors and highlights their invisible initiatives. It is hoped that readers will do the same. Read more...

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