LWR PARTNER PROJECT INAUGURATED BY SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT
Baltimore, April 25, 2006 — Inaugurating a housing reconstruction project in the Kallutara district of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse praised Lutheran World Relief and the other agencies involved for following through on their commitment to help rebuild after the tsunami. Many relief agencies, he said, had made promises they had not kept.
The Eco-village project, led by LWR partner organization Sarvodaya, consists of 55 family homes, all with environmentally friendly features such as rainwater harvesting and solar panels for heat and power. LWR provided household furnishings – including chairs, tables, beds and kitchen equipment — to the families who moved into the village after the March 28 ceremony.
“All the Sri Lankan papers covered the event,” said LWR Sri Lanka country representative James Williams, who participated in the inauguration ceremony. “It was really special to be a part of it.” Three other similar villages in Kallutara and two in Galle are also underway, and LWR will provide the furnishings for each of the homes, approximately 200 in all. “The tsunami has given us a new opportunity,” said one of the Eco-village residents after receiving the keys to his new home.
Housing remains a priority in post-tsunami Sri Lanka, with more than 250,000 people still living in transitional shelters. Reconstruction has been challenging partly because of the difficulty obtaining land deeds from local government officials and buffer zone restrictions that require people who had lived near the coast to relocate further inland. In addition to shelter, LWR’s tsunami recovery work in Sri Lanka includes education, healthcare and psychosocial care, water and sanitation, recovery of livelihoods and disaster preparedness.
Lutheran World Relief's tsunami recovery programs have been funded by gifts to the Wave of Giving™ campaign for South Asia, which is now fully funded. See www.waveofgiving.org for many inspiring stories of tsunami survivors and the most up-to-date information about LWR’s tsunami recovery efforts.
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.
