LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF PREPARES FOR THE LONG HAUL IN SOUTH ASIA
Baltimore, January 5, 2005 -- The temporary sign hastily taped last week to the door on Lutheran World Relief's makeshift Tsunami Control Room has been replaced by a more permanent one. The change epitomizes this 60 year-old relief and development agency's long-term plans for their efforts in South Asia.
"We've been working in the areas affected by the tsunamis for more than 50 years," says Kathryn Wolford, LWR's President. "So we're certainly not going anywhere. But our plans for survivors of this disaster, as is typical of our work around the world, will cover many years," she adds.
While the name may imply that Lutheran World Relief only does relief work, LWR also specializes in long-term development designed to help people lift themselves out of poverty. "We'll make sure families who survived this disaster have food and water and medicine, but we're already planning programs with them that will help rebuild small businesses, get the healthcare they need and provide for their families," adds Barbara Wetsig, Associate Director for Asia for LWR. "Through local building experts, we'll also teach them techniques and designs that hold up better against high water and the winds that often wreak havoc on these coastal communities," she concludes. "Our disaster shelters," Wetsig adds, "are designed to provide shelter during storms and are built to withstand flood waters; that's why they're built on stilts," she explained, pointing to a picture of one of the structures built in 1992 following a similar disaster. True to its design, this one, in Southeast India, housed some 1,500 people who fled the waves for its higher ground, having been trained to do so as part of the comprehensive disaster preparedness program that accompanied its construction.
"We'll be building more shelters; they're already in the plans," adds Wolford, who also is the moderator of the Executive Committee of Action by Churches Together, ACT, a global aid coalition of churches and church-related aid organizations. "Initial plans from our partner include building at least 15 more disaster shelters, as well as houses and other structures, job training and psychological counseling for survivors," Wolford adds.
Lutheran World Relief launched WAVE OF GIVING™ to fund its rebuilding efforts in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. In just its first week, WAVE OF GIVING™ has generated more than $4.7 million dollars, a "tremendous outpouring of compassion and generosity," comments Fran Troxler, LWR's Mission Advancement Manager. "We'll be able to rebuild the lives of entire communities thanks to these gifts."
WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.
Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.
For more information contact Emily Sollie at esollie@lwr.org or 410-230-2802.
