austraLasia 990
Asia Tsunami: what we are doing and what you can
do
ROME: 8th January 2005 -- Now that the
immediate and urgent needs are being met (without wanting to understate both the
urgency and immediacy that cannot be removed so simply) it is worth an overview
of some of the longer term responses being devised by the Salesians around the
world - with a comment on how the reader of austraLasia could play his or her
small but important part.
The Salesian communities in the affected
zones are all thinking longer term now. Along the Kerala Coast, an area we
have not reported on so much, the Salesian province of Bangalore which
covers this region is planning in three areas - the prevention of school
dropouts due to the disaster, the rehabilitation of homeless and
orphans, and the provision of psycho-social support to those affected. All
of this requires long-term effort.
In Sri Lanka we know that the Salesians are
producing building blocks, bricks, to assist in reconstruction. They are
also planning to look after on a long term basis 12% of the children orphaned in
the Southern and Western region and 10% of those in the Tamil separatist
region. This is a massive undertaking. And we have already reported
separately on the Thai plans under Bishop Prathan to provide for education needs
especially for villagers in their affected areas.
VIS meanwhile along with other member
groups of the Don Bosco Network, the European umbrella Salesian Volunteer
Organisation (including also Jovenes del Tercer Mundo from Madrid and
Jugend der Dritte Welt from Bonn) have sent considerable financial aid
to the Salesians in affected areas - several hundred thousand Euro in
total. ASMOAF, the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund, has
seperately sent some AUD 30,000 to selected Salesian projects in those
areas.
Can you do something? Here is a
suggestion. Go to www.sdb.org and on the
homepage there you will find, amongst the forums (down, right) TSUNAMI.
Take a look - people have begun to send in their messages of support. It
is a form of solidarity that helps unite members of the Salesian Family around
the cause; it costs nothing but a little effort. Think of it as a
prayerful act. You will note that the contributions in English are a
little fewer than those in other languages....but you don't have to write in
English if your mother tongue is Tagalog, or Swahili (both of which languages
are amongst austraLasia's recipients)! But the contribution of a
few words will be noted by thousands.
I have a small story to share along these
lines. austraLasia ran an item several days ago about a practical
response from the boys in Lahore, Pakistan. The Salesian looking after
those boys received a copy of that news item and was able to gather his boys and
read back to them what effect their offer had had - that the 'world' as they saw
it, knew of their thoughts and concern. They were deeply moved. The
power of a few words. How about it?
___________________________
'austraLasia' is
an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia-Pacific. It functions
also as an agency for ANS, based in Rome. Try also www.bosconet.aust.com and Lexisdb
