neverhappened

Kozyndan

<repost alert>  You can buy this Hokusai inspired bunny tsunami poster here for $15.

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Hokusai Levis

Caroline Calvin created the 22 foot high by 12 foot wide canvas in seven days using 35 pairs of jeans. The wearable art ranges in waist sizes from 32-33-34-38, and each jean is hand numbered inside the front pocket. Each “Love and Peace 501® Jean” is adorned at the waist with a vintage button from Calvin’s personal collection gathered from her travels around the world, and packaged with an 11-by-182 inch “Japanese style” scroll that visually tells the design and development process in 26 images. All images featured on the scroll were shot by Peter Calvin.

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Tsunami Bracelet

Together with Microseed we will produce a Tsunami bracelet in Kathaluwa....
check the Microseed webpage for more details. Here you can also add yourself to
the mailinglist as well as  get personally involved!

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NEWS on Lankawave

1.) Lankawave is now a registered trust attested by Simon & Associates in Colombo. This will hopefully help to make the donation process a little more transparent.

2.) Donations are coming in from all over the world!!!

3.) Lankawave has a website: http://www.direct-help-fund.de/ (Both German and English) - www.lankwave.org will be active soon!

4.) Lankawave will have a donation account in the UK soon besides the ones in Sri Lanka and Germany.

5.) Please do not hesitate to contact us for questions and to be put on the mailinglist.

Finding Sunshine Version 2

Finding Sunshine

Finding Sunshine is an arts-based project working to restore semblances of hope for a brighter future for orphaned or under-privileged children in Sri Lanka. In light of the recent Tsunami disaster, this most affected and vulnerable group of victims have found themselves more in need of help then ever before.

Understanding the very real possibility of a child faced with a futile future for the lack of basic welfare and resources, Finding Sunshine will seek to raise funds through the auctioning of works by artists and photographers showcasing their interpretation of the search for hope in trying circumstances. Part of the proceeds will also go in aid of the Budding Artists Fund, a programme of The Arts House supporting young artistic talents hampered by less then ideal economic status.

Finding Sunshine working in conjunction with the YMCA of Singapore will ensure that the appropriate channeling of funds will go to where it is most needed.

YMCA of Singapore

YMCA of Singapore is a charitable institution and carries out community service programs to make a difference in the lives of its beneficiaries .One of its main focus is to develop the potential of the young to be leaders of tomorrow.

In response to the tsunami calamity that has claimed many lives and devastated communities in the affected countries, YMCA, in partnership with 24 other Singapore-based organizations are carrying out emergency relief and long term restoration work, focusing on restoring homes and communities in the affected areas in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Sri Lanka YMCA.

YMCA of Singapore will also be mobilising volunteers from Singapore through its partner organizations to help develop and run youth and children's programs in collaboration with the local YMCAs in Sri Lanka. The funds raised will be directed towards these programs that are being planned.

Project Title:
Finding Sunshine

Project Initiator:
Nadya Hutagalung

Artists including(in alphabetical order):

Painting-
Ann Healey
Elaine Roberto Navas
Ketna Patel
Nadya Hutagalung
Paul Tan

Photography-
Cher Him
Geoff Ang
Henne Mercer
Lisa Cunico
Tan Kheng Ju
Jay Subyakto

Contributing editor:
Melissa WS Wong

Opening:
17th of February, 7pm

Exhibition:
17th to 24th of February

Official Charity:
YMCA

Official Venue Sponsor:
The Arts House

Official F&B Sponsor:
Thumper

Official Public Relations Sponsor:
PR Communications Pte Ltd

Official Supporters:
Utterly Art
Vertu

Update & Thanx from Sri Lanka

Dear Friends,

First of all we would like to express our gratefulness for your support in the past few weeks. We receive daily emails from people who in their thoughts and actions are connected with our work here in Sri Lanka. On the one hand we are receiving financial support for our work however it extends beyond this and we are very grateful for the moral support we are getting from you. This shows to us that we are on the right track and not alone with our cause.

Having this close connection between us we would like to give you an idea on where your kind donations are going and we would like to quickly explain and outline our present activities here on the ground.
As there is still not a guaranteed supply of basic goods from government agencies we are still heavily involved and constantly working on getting basic supplies such as Food, Clothing, Mattresses as well as medication to the affected people. 
There are still people living in refugee camps or temples. However, many others have returned to their homes, or what is left of them to start with clearing up and laying the foundation for a new future. To support the return of these people to their former places of living we have organized and distributed 40 big-size tents along the south coast of Sri Lanka.

There is now a shift in the approach of aid distribution on our side as well as other aid organizations here. This is due to the fact that people are moving away from camps back into their old communities. Still this shift is not an indication that the people need less support and basic supplies of aid!
We are now working closely with several other local aid-organizations to link and communicate to ensure that an equal and fair distribution of aid is guaranteed.

Last week school started again:

All in all 59 schools were completely destroyed and 110 were partly damaged. Around Galle, where we live and operate, 13 are completely destroyed as well as 9 partly damaged. Many pupils have lost their homes and everything in them including books, pens and Uniforms – sometimes even their parents.
We are getting exact lists from the school directors to determine what is needed to hold classes. With your money we are organizing these materials now and they are being distributed to the pupils. Our estimations are that to fully equip one pupil with the materials needed to attend lessons 12 Euros (8£) are needed – minimal equipping can be done with 6 Euros (4£).

The money collected is also used for the rebuilding of the Kathaluwa School (Photos can be viewed at www.barnabys.blogs.com  - please click on tsunami under categories or select the respective album). Only fragments of the buildings are present as the school was built directly on the coastline. Deformed School chairs and child drawings on the wall silently urge us to act rapidly.

Plans are to rebuild the school in a different location (at least 1km inland). To get the necessary permissions to do so we are in close contact with the local authorities, village heads and the ministry of education who are generally very supportive.

Parallel to Kathaluwa we are identifying future long-term as well as semi long-term projects we would like to support.

The Government plans for the whole island are to forbid the rebuilding of any structures on land close to the beach. Instead, it is planned that whole villages and communities are being moved. In other words, this means that fishing families who have lived for generations close to the sea are supposed to move into multi-story apartment blocks further inland.
It doesn’t look like the governments’ plan is being supported by anyone but the government itself!

This is why we are also engaged with collecting information on traditional adobe house- building as well as other natural materials. The idea is to give people the necessary materials and actively involve them in building their new homes with cost effective results. Women can cut palm tree leaves for roofs and walls which gives them the possibility of a small income. Men can cut wood and build scaffolds for the future house, which has the possibility of expansions and annexes.
This project will in a simple and cost-effective way give people the opportunity to work in small scale-projects in their communities. We are expecting building plans as well as estimated cost-spread sheets in the coming week.

To support these as well as other projects in a transparent and professional manner we have decided to found a foundation.

One of the major Law Firms in Colombo is supporting us in this effort by doing their part free of charge. We hope that by the end of the week all necessary steps for this have been completed so that we can make the details public in the coming week.
The opening of a  “Lankawave” donation account as well as a charitable society in the United Kingdom is also in the pipeline for further information please contact [email protected].

Our Homepage (www.lankawave.com) is also progressing and developing so that we can keep you updated and keep out activities documented.

Till then you will find further reports at www.barnabys.blogs.com. Please also send an email to [email protected] to put you on our mailing list.

Once again many thanks for your steady support – Sri Lanka needs your support even when the tsunami is not on the agenda of the world media.

From Sri Lanka to London

Back in London and a here is my roundup of my last few days in Sri Lanka:

Colin Powell Visit: The guy got choppered into Galle for a photo shoot. Guarded by bodyguards and US Marines he surrounded himself with empty containers with “US AID” written on them and a whole lot of International Press.

Kofi Annan Visit: The UN estimates five to ten years of rebuilding time for areas hit by the wave.

“LankaWave” will hopefully found a trust as soon as lawyers are fully reopened and will establish itself as a local NGO in the South of Sri Lanka. I will personally further try to raise funds and awareness here in London. Already your money is pouring into the donation account from all ends of the world. Members of our group have identified further projects that need support and rebuilding.  I will be updated by family members and other members of LankaWave and will keep barnabys.blogs.com posted with news and progress reports. Klick here for a selection of photos of the Tsunami destruction from the South of Sri Lanka. For photos of the Kathaluwa School please klick here.

After 40000 deaths in Sri Lanka there is the hope voiced by many intellectuals and in the local press that the Tsunami might help the country to end 20 years long civil war.  Unfortunately it doesn’t look like this is going to happen as already there has been a dispute between the two parties over Kofi Annan not visiting rebel controlled territories. What seems certain is that the LTTE has been substantially weakened by the wave. What is uncertain is where the rebel leader is and what happened to him – so far there have not been any official statements by him. What is also uncertain is the role of the US Military in Sri Lanka from now on – given that no high ranking US official has visited the country since 1972 and now suddenly the US Marines and Military Advisors are close aides to the Sri Lankan President.

My First impression of being back in Europe: Wow!!!  This has received an amazing amount of media attention over here.  Hopefully, we will not see a compassion fatigue for helping, donating and rebuilding as soon as the attention of the world media moves on to the elections in Iraq at the end of January. We shall be reminded with a warning that the earthquake of Bam happened also in 2004.  Bam – where was that again?  In the earthquake-shattered Iranian city even today most of the victims still live in tents and a good number of the promised aid never arrived.

Another focus of the attention of the media, besides the ever reoccuring crash-course on how Tsunamis happen should be why they are so devastating in certain areas and not in others. Areas where previously coral reefs and mangrove forests have been destroyed have suffered heavier devastation than those who have “natural protection”.

…what a relief not to hear constantly helicopters swirling over the place I sleep in.

Ataullah Von Roda

Help Rebuild Kathaluwa School

In the past few days I went further south and what I have seen at the side of the road is still horrible. Down south (Tangalle and Hambantoda) rumours of the spread of diseases are increasing and we are unsure of what is hidden by the local authorities. However, we are slowly starting to see a great effort from organizations and still more great individuals from all over the globe. One such individual is a Doctor friend from Australia who is coming to stay at my family home near Galle to give aid to the locals. We have further donated food and tents around my parents village. So many people are in great need because they have lost everything.

Kathaluwa (a village close to Galle and Kogala) has lost its primary and secondary school. I have visited the school, or  what is left of it. The school was built close to the waterfront and all that is left are deformed child size chairs and concrete blocks. I will post pictures as soon as I get to a connection better than 16.8kbs. The rebuilding of this school will be one of the main projects carried out by my sister and our team when I am gone. We will provide all donors with update reports and photos of the progress as things are developing. The account designated for donations is a Euro account so currency fluctuations won't affect the donated money.

Rebuilding schools is a priority as the future of Sri Lanka now lies in the hands of the young.  The money will be used wisely and in appropriate areas.  People, organizations or schools who would like to get personally involved with rebuilding or material donations are more than welcome.  We can also find individual donation projects for your organization here in the south.  Please contact my sister at [email protected] or me at [email protected] for any further information. Regular updates on running projects and on the situation in the South of Sri Lanka can be found on barnabys.blogs.com and later www.lankawave.com.

Please send your kind donations to:

Helene von Roda

Commercial Bank Galle Fort Branch, Sri Lanka

Acc. No.: 8050001232
Swift Code: CCEYLKLX

Details: "Lankawave"

Thank you for your kind support to the people of Sri Lanka.... they'll never forget your help!
Please forward this appeal to anyone who would like to help.

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HOW SINGAPOREANS CAN HELP

Financial Aid

Cash/cheque donations can be made at the following organisations:

Singapore Red Cross (www.redcross.org.sg)

Post your cheque to Singapore Red Cross Society, 15 Penang Lane, Singapore 238486.

Make out the cheque to 'Singapore Red Cross Society' and write 'Tidal Waves Asia' on the back. Indicate your name, address and telephone number.

Alternatively, you can make a donation in person at the above address from 9.30am to 5.45pm on weekdays.

Mercy Relief (www.mercyrelief.org)

Donations are accepted in the following ways:

   a.. Call 1900-911 1150 to make a $50 donation or 1900-911 1110 to make a $10 donation.
   b.. Post a cheque to Mercy Relief , 36 Purvis Street, #02-03 Singapore 188613. Make out your cheque to 'Mercy Relief' and write 'Asia Tidal Waves' on the back. Indicate your name, address and telephone number.

Alternatively, you can drop off your cheque at any DBS/POSB branch office, indicating the following account number on the back of your cheque - 054-900493-6.

   c.. Make a direct donation at any DBS/POSB ATM or via Internet Banking. Mercy Relief's account number is 054-900493-6.

Brahm Education Centre

On behalf of the Buddhist Fellowship in Singapore, Brahm Education Centre is collecting cash/cheque donations.

Make out your cheque to 'Brahm Education Centre Ltd' and indicate 'Suffering Relief Program' on the back. Post your cheque to Brahm Education Centre Ltd, 9 Lorong 29 Geylang #04-02 Singapore 388065.

The Salvation Army (www.salvationarmy.org.sg)

Donations can be made in the following ways:

   a.. At The Salvation Army kettle stands island-wide
   b.. On-line via their secure donation portal (https://secure.salvationarmy.org)
   c.. By cheque made payable to 'The Salvation Army'. Please write 'South Asia Disaster Fund' on the back of the cheque and post your cheque to The Salvation Army, Ang Mo Kio Central P O Box 640 Singapore 915605.

Any person wishing to volunteer their services to help man the kettle stands should make contact with Ms Tan Hwee Keow at 6555 0232 or [email protected].

World Vision Singapore (worldvision.org.sg)

Donations can be made via credit card, GIRO and cheque at their above website address. For more information, contact Ms Elaine Tan at 62211040 or [email protected].

City Harvest Community Services Association

Cheques should be made payable to 'City Harvest Community Services Association', and indicate on the back of your cheque 'Tidal Waves Disaster Relief', along with your full name, NRIC number and address.

An acknowledgment receipt will be sent to you for.

All donations will be tax-exempt.

Mail your cheques to City Harvest Community Services Association, Raffles PO Box 0625 Singapore 911721.

Habitat for Humanity (www.hfhap.org)

Donations can be made to the Asia Tsunami Response Fund at the above website address.

The Fund is administered by Habitat for Humanity's Disaster Response Office for the re-building of homes for victims of war and natural disasters worldwide.

Sri Lanka High Commission

Cheque donations can be made out to 'Sri Lanka High Commission, Singapore' and mailed to or dropped off at 51 Newton Road #13-07/12 Goldhill Plaza Singapore 308900. Indicate 'Disaster Relief' on the back, along with your name, address and telephone number.

High Commission of India

Cheque donations can be made out to 'The High Commission of India, Singapore' and mailed to or dropped off at 31 Grange Road Singapore 239702.

Indicate 'Disaster Relief' on the back, along with your name, address and telephone number.

The Embassy of Indonesia

Cheque donations can be made out to 'The Embassy of Indonesia, Singapore' and mailed to or dropped off at 7 Chatsworth Road Singapore 249761. Indicate 'Disaster Relief' on the back, along with your name, address and telephone number.

Donations In Kind

Donations in kind of first aid and medical supplies, body bags, essential food items, clothes, tents, water purification tablets, portable generators and blankets can be made at the following places:

Tisarana Buddhist Association

Please pack the items in bags or boxes and label them separately eg. Food, blankets, medicine. Clothes should be separated and labeled 'male', 'female' and 'children'. If using boxes, please do not seal.

The items can be dropped off at Tisarana Buddhist Association, 90 Duku Road (off Still Road). Boxes and volunteer packers are urgently required. Please call 6345 6741.

Mercy Relief (www.mercyrelief.org)

Mercy Relief is urgently seeking donations of medical and first aid supplies, garments (especially disposable panties), baby milk bottles and body bags. Volunteers are also needed to help pack these items. Please contact Hassan at 63326325 or 98287531 or Iuzan (after 2 January 2005).  Mercy Relief is located at 36 Purvis Street, #02-03 Singapore 188613.

NTUC FairPrice & Shell

From 1 to 31 January 2005, you can purchase NTUC Fairprice Food Relief Packages comprising milk, rice, tuna and cream crackers at $10 per package.  These packages will be directed to Mercy Relief for airfreight overseas.

Donations of essential food items can also be made at donation boxes at NTUC FairPrice and Shell petrol stations island-wide.

HOME (Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics) - www.home.org.sg

Donations in kind can be dropped off at HOME's office during office hours at 8 Veerasamy Road Singapore 207316.

Volunteer packers and drivers (with vehicles) are also needed to help transport the donations to the respective embassies.

Counselling support is also available for foreign workers who have suffered loss of families back in their home countries.

Tamil- and Singhalese-speaking volunteers are needed to help with translation.

City Harvest Community Services Association

Drinking water, food and medical supplies can be dropped off at City Harvest Church, 1, Jurong West Street 91,  Singapore 649041.

Ananda Travel branches

Branch offices of Ananda Travel are accepting donations of items to Sri Lanka during office hours. Please call 64358422/64358418.

Virar's Rehab Centre

Donations in kind to Sri Lanka can be dropped off at 553A Balestier Road or 2 Changi South Ave 2.

Sri Lankan Airlines

Small parcels can be sent to their office at 133 Cecil Street, Keck Seng Tower, #13-02 Singapore 069535 during office hours.

Sri Lankan High Commission

The High Commission is accepting donations during office hours at 51 Newton Road, Goldhill Plaza, #13-07/12 Singapore 308900.

Restaurant 1827

The restaurant is collecting donations for Sri Lanka and Indonesia at its premises at 1 Old Parliament Lane, The Arts House, Old Parliament Building.

The Embassy of Indonesia

The embassy is accepting donations during office hours at 7 Chatsworth Road Singapore 67377422.

Singapore Polytechnic

Donations in kind can be made at the counters along the walkway between Dover MRT station and the polytechnic from 6pm to 9pm.

Medical & Nursing Volunteers

Mercy Relief (www.mercyrelief.org)

More medical and nursing volunteers are needed to be on stand-by for relief work in the disaster-hit countries. Mercy Relief is heading to Sri Lanka with Dr Kevin Chan and volunteers on 3 January 2005. Please call Hassan at 63326325 or 98287531 or Iuzan (after 2 January 2005).

City Harvest Community Services Association

A team of seven workers consisting of a doctor, nurses and volunteers have departed for Aceh, Indonesia on 28 December 2004 to help in administrating medical help and supplies.

Another two teams will be departing on 31 December 2004 and on 4 January 2005 respectively.

Please call City Harvest at 6737-6266 for more details.

Check www.nvpc.org.sg/tsunami for updates on organisations and aid efforts.

 

Happy new year from Sri Lanka

31th of December:

More transports came in this morning at 4am.  They brought medication and food for distribution and a little fuel and basics for us. Spent the day at home trying to come down from what has happened in the past few days.  How long has it been now?

Glad that emails from a lot of people who want to help are rolling in. The situation is still critical.
We are now getting reports that refugee women are being raped. The temples attract robbers from the local villages as they have got now more food for their refugees than the locals.

The support from amateurs and the Rotary Club and other clubs and societies in Colombo is still impressive. News of fifty 12 x12 feet tents donated by friends in Colombo make us extremely happy. All amateur helpers in the south were invited to the New Oriental Hotel for an organization and coordination meeting this morning.  Strategies for immediate help and future projects including a coordination office were discussed.

We have been trying to open a Euro account exclusively for donations for two days now, however as the main branch has been washed away our efforts have been unsuccessful. This is very disappointing but unfortunately the reality. Hopefully some good news on this will come through in the new year.

Gathering with reporters and help organizations at the Lighthouse Hotel this afternoon we experienced a mixed crowd. There was the Sky News reporter who tried to get our story on the prime time sensational news,  and more conservative media such as AP (Associated Press). It looks like AP will conduct an interview with our group in the next days.
Next to media presence we found German Technical Help Organization (THW) who specialise in water supply reconstruction. They also gave us an insight to the bureaucracies international organisations have to go through till they can act on the ground. This is one of the reasons why we have not yet seen many down here. Good news is that they reported that the spread of disease is unlikely as people are aware about the risk of dirty water and wells. The Sri Lankan Red Cross is now present down here  - unfortunately not well equipped like their European counterparts. Great medical help is being provided by a privately organized medical camp run by Italian  doctors in Unawatuna.

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