A parting shot of the relief camp, the summer heat is on the day is about 41 degrees cenbtigrade or about 105 degrees F, so a bath in cold water does help to cool off.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Avangalukku Nandri
This Morning the members of the Rotary Club of Chennai Kilpauk went to the relief camp which was visited by Peggy Carswell and where she had promised steel trunks.
Peggy had deisgned the trunks so that not only would they serve the purpose of keeping the belongings of a family but would also serve as a sort of table if required,
180 trunks were given away this morning and I reminded them that it was Peggy who visited them a few months ago who had arranged for this. A group of women came over and said "Avanagalukku Nandri" which means "Thanks to her". Widows were given preference in the distribution of the steel trunks.
Nothing much had changed at the camp, except that it had become a little cleaner, while some of the men had gone back to fishing not all of them had, it is now over4 and a half months after the Tsunami and the effects still remain.
Something needs to be done before it is too late, I think what is required is a lot of talking to and to infuse courage into these people. Start rehabilitating them and motivating them to find their feet.
Here is where Rotary can come in. Bring in people not just money and relief materials I think what is required are people who can come and spend time with the Tsunami affected and change their outlook. Get them to move ahead in life.
Counsel, counsel and counsel. Someone with patience, knowledge of dealing with people who have been through such disasters.
Someone help, read this and tell us what is to be done, someone who is not emotionally touched by these people someone who will take an unbiased view and tell us what is to be done for these people who have suffered so much in just one day.
Peggy had deisgned the trunks so that not only would they serve the purpose of keeping the belongings of a family but would also serve as a sort of table if required,
180 trunks were given away this morning and I reminded them that it was Peggy who visited them a few months ago who had arranged for this. A group of women came over and said "Avanagalukku Nandri" which means "Thanks to her". Widows were given preference in the distribution of the steel trunks.
Nothing much had changed at the camp, except that it had become a little cleaner, while some of the men had gone back to fishing not all of them had, it is now over4 and a half months after the Tsunami and the effects still remain.
Something needs to be done before it is too late, I think what is required is a lot of talking to and to infuse courage into these people. Start rehabilitating them and motivating them to find their feet.
Here is where Rotary can come in. Bring in people not just money and relief materials I think what is required are people who can come and spend time with the Tsunami affected and change their outlook. Get them to move ahead in life.
Counsel, counsel and counsel. Someone with patience, knowledge of dealing with people who have been through such disasters.
Someone help, read this and tell us what is to be done, someone who is not emotionally touched by these people someone who will take an unbiased view and tell us what is to be done for these people who have suffered so much in just one day.
A trip to Chettinad and Kodaikanal
I think all of us at the Cluyb have been working a little harder that we are accustomed to, what with the Tsunami and the changed way of doing business and the world making more demands, Oh! yes, we needed to work harder and then I think we all decided to take a few days off from it all.
We went off in the summer to Chettinad about 350 Kms away frm Chennai, the land of mansions in villages and ghost towns, the mansions built are no more being used and the villages which once were prosperous wear a look worthy of pity and they all roast regardless of who has it or who does not in the heat of the summer.
We spent one night in Chettinad as guests of Velu's parents and then were off to Kodaikanal. The weather as one would expect was great and helped us recoup from the harshness of Chennai. Karthik had arranged for a trek into the woods in the shola forests of Kodaikanal and this 2 hour walk though tiring was refreshing to the soul.
The entire trip was one of fun and enjoyment.
To me the highlight of the Chettinad trip was ther visit to a temple whoich was built by Velu's family many generations ago.
We went off in the summer to Chettinad about 350 Kms away frm Chennai, the land of mansions in villages and ghost towns, the mansions built are no more being used and the villages which once were prosperous wear a look worthy of pity and they all roast regardless of who has it or who does not in the heat of the summer.
We spent one night in Chettinad as guests of Velu's parents and then were off to Kodaikanal. The weather as one would expect was great and helped us recoup from the harshness of Chennai. Karthik had arranged for a trek into the woods in the shola forests of Kodaikanal and this 2 hour walk though tiring was refreshing to the soul.
The entire trip was one of fun and enjoyment.
To me the highlight of the Chettinad trip was ther visit to a temple whoich was built by Velu's family many generations ago.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Tsunami relief and catamarans - status
A report from Rtn. Mohan Roy
The members of the Rotary Club visited the Pudukuppam vilage on the 24th of April to unedrstand the progress of the rehab package offered by us to the village.
Here is a report from Rtn. Moha Roy
27th April,05 This is a ..belated.. report on our visit to PUDUKUPPAM on Sunday the 24th April. Vidya , Latha, Siva, Kalpana and I drove in Siva's car and reached the village by 9.40 am . Devaraj was already waiting for us though he had ,at the same time, to interact with Revenue dept officials who were taking lists of house owners whose dwellings are within 200 anf 500 metres frm the sea coast respectively .
We could see a good number of logs (comes from Kerala and is the same wood that is used for match sticks) lying around in the sun on the seashore .Two CATAMARANS (takes four and upto six logs) floating in the waters while one more was ready to be put to water .
The team of two special carpenters have been poached from another assignment and they have promised to make ready between 10 anf 15 Catamarans by the 10th of May and then they have to go back to take up an assignment which they have left pending.
They say that they have tried and failed in using electically operated tools to speed up the work.That is because the logs have to be matched and shaped almost like components of a piece of clothing . So . indeed it is Vidya's persistence andTim's forthcoming visit that has made progress at least to this extent .
Devaraj and the others confirmed that all the nets hve ben received and they have got them ready for going to sea. There is a ban on fishing because the villagers want to put pressure on the Govt to give them lenient terms for the purchase of boats and the slanging match between the central and state government is only becoming more strident ... they do not know when these grants will come.
Meantime, the Frenchman who owns a neighbourhood property has given them funds for six fibreglass boats..these are now waiting for motors to be fixed. All in all, Pudukuppam seems to be recouping and handling their afffairs better than many others .
The gentleman who supplied the nets was also supposed to meet us there as he has not done his paperwork to our satisfaction .We wanted for him for over one hour and then left after telling Devraj that the balance due to this person will be released only when he has the papers right .The man phones Vidya and Mathew four to five times a day !!!..but goes missing when a meeting is asked for.
Several photos of the logs, boats, work in progress were taken on Vidya's mobil phone and I wonder if she has been able to transfer them to her computer . Even as we were there two fishermen from the village went to sea in a catamaran (old reconditioned) .They were back within half an hour ( we could see them ) with a catch substantial enough for the village to share !!! The fishermen say there are so many fish in the waters that it is going to be very fruitful time for them when the start work.
The members of the Rotary Club visited the Pudukuppam vilage on the 24th of April to unedrstand the progress of the rehab package offered by us to the village.
Here is a report from Rtn. Moha Roy
27th April,05 This is a ..belated.. report on our visit to PUDUKUPPAM on Sunday the 24th April. Vidya , Latha, Siva, Kalpana and I drove in Siva's car and reached the village by 9.40 am . Devaraj was already waiting for us though he had ,at the same time, to interact with Revenue dept officials who were taking lists of house owners whose dwellings are within 200 anf 500 metres frm the sea coast respectively .
We could see a good number of logs (comes from Kerala and is the same wood that is used for match sticks) lying around in the sun on the seashore .Two CATAMARANS (takes four and upto six logs) floating in the waters while one more was ready to be put to water .
The team of two special carpenters have been poached from another assignment and they have promised to make ready between 10 anf 15 Catamarans by the 10th of May and then they have to go back to take up an assignment which they have left pending.
They say that they have tried and failed in using electically operated tools to speed up the work.That is because the logs have to be matched and shaped almost like components of a piece of clothing . So . indeed it is Vidya's persistence andTim's forthcoming visit that has made progress at least to this extent .
Devaraj and the others confirmed that all the nets hve ben received and they have got them ready for going to sea. There is a ban on fishing because the villagers want to put pressure on the Govt to give them lenient terms for the purchase of boats and the slanging match between the central and state government is only becoming more strident ... they do not know when these grants will come.
Meantime, the Frenchman who owns a neighbourhood property has given them funds for six fibreglass boats..these are now waiting for motors to be fixed. All in all, Pudukuppam seems to be recouping and handling their afffairs better than many others .
The gentleman who supplied the nets was also supposed to meet us there as he has not done his paperwork to our satisfaction .We wanted for him for over one hour and then left after telling Devraj that the balance due to this person will be released only when he has the papers right .The man phones Vidya and Mathew four to five times a day !!!..but goes missing when a meeting is asked for.
Several photos of the logs, boats, work in progress were taken on Vidya's mobil phone and I wonder if she has been able to transfer them to her computer . Even as we were there two fishermen from the village went to sea in a catamaran (old reconditioned) .They were back within half an hour ( we could see them ) with a catch substantial enough for the village to share !!! The fishermen say there are so many fish in the waters that it is going to be very fruitful time for them when the start work.
Steel trunks promised by Peggy
The steel trunks which were promised by Pegy were ordered and are now ready. The Club is sending a small committee who will enumerate the village and relief camp and give tokens to the people. On the 22nd of May 2005 members of the Rotary Club of Chennai Kipauk will go to the relief camp and from there to Pudukuppam village and hand over the relief materials (trunks) to the camp and the rehab package (catamarans and nets) to the village.
Rtn. Tim Johnson will be here at that time and will accompany us on this trip.
Rtn. Tim Johnson will be here at that time and will accompany us on this trip.
Why has there been no update for long?
I never did think a 5 month old notebook would face the problem of a crashed Hard Disk. But that is what happened. AND being new I did not bother taking backups and therefoe lost everything I had which I had created, collected, downloaded over the last 5 months. I am now in the process of putting together all daya and pics and other information and hope I have learnt my lesson. Even a day old HDD needs a back up. yes it does.
Also, I have spent a luttle more time on matters other than official work and my office stepped in and now demands more of my time, I can't say no, they pay me.
Also, I have spent a luttle more time on matters other than official work and my office stepped in and now demands more of my time, I can't say no, they pay me.
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