BONN: 12th January 2005 --  In a press release issued today from Bonn, the Don Bosco Network announced that it has distributed Euro 737,000, close on a million US dollars worth of aid to areas affected by the Asian Tsunami.  These funds have been distributed to assist the local response by the 93 Salesian communities in those areas.

    The response of Salesians who are managing the relief at the local level has clearly been one of gratitude.  "It is heartening to see how many people, from all corners of the world, provide their voluntary help in this tragic circumstance", underlined Fr James Theophilus, SDB Provincial of Tiruchy which covers the badly affected areas of Tamil Nadu.  There are 12 Salesian communities our of 23 in the Province sheltering, between them some 10,000 survivors. "We must start a process of economic and social rehabilitation to give a meaning to the future of these people, and we must therefore set up a process of rehabilitation to daily life."

    Similar thoughts come from Thailand.  "The re-opening of schools has been a means of getting back to normality", says Fr John Lissandrin, Provincial Secretary of the Thai Salesian Province, "However many students need to be psychologically supported in order to face the new reality of their country and family".

    The situation has differed in Indonesia, where the control of the Government over affected areas is stronger, and where access is by invitation only.  The Salesians actually do not have communities in the affected areas.  But they have been receiving aid and distributing it through the Episcopal Conference and to Caritas  which has access via the dioceses to the disaster area.

    The first two of DBN's stated aims for aid distribution are now largely fulfilled, namely the provision of immediate sustenance and shelter.  The project now looks to the remaining three aims, reconstruction, tools and work needs, long-term support for children.

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