Posted Date : 04/13/2005 CST Prior to the South East Asian tsunami, the beautiful coastal towns of Sri Lanka would bustle with life as a myriad of people would go about their daily life. Among them would be fish vendors going from house to house on their bicycles, brightly colored scooter taxies careering along the seaside roads carrying tourists and a large number of vendors selling their wares such as fruits, vegetables, reed baskets and home made candy on market day. Along the coast, fisherman could be seen getting their boats and nets ready for a long day at sea. Tourists in brightly colored cloths would be strolling along the windy sea side roads browsing among the small curio shops and stopping at restaurants that line the streets. Brightly lit and beautifully designed hotels would dot the coast as far as the eye could see. It is these very same people who are devastated and left destitute today after the destruction of the tsunami. Living in temporary houses and camps with no means of earning a living, they face a dismal future. Some have chronic injuries and psychological illnesses that prevent them from working. This I-FREED designed collaborative project aims at restoring the livelihoods of these people and assist them with equipment, funds to repair and rebuild businesses, medicines, medical services and basic necessities till they get on their feet. To this end, The College of General Practitioners, Rotary Club – Sri Lanka and the Sinhala Women’s Organization has joined hands with I-FREED to provide relief and empower these affected families with targeted help in order to become self sufficient. The funds collected by “Run for Tsunami Relief” will be utilized for this project. I-FREED will also solicit funds from foundations, organizations and individuals to expand this project to many others. Your contributions and support for this as well as other I-FREED projects are valued greatly. For more details on how to be a sponsor, contact the project directors. Click here to view the project proposal.
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