Tsunami Disaster in India: the AIF response December 2007
17
Tsunami Disaster in India: the AIF response December 2007
Transcript of Tsunami Disaster in India: the AIF response December 2007
1 2
The American India Foundation (AIF) is dedicated to accelerating social and economic change in India.
To contribute to building an India where all people can gain access to edu- cation, health care, and livelihoods opportunities and where all Indians can realize their full potential.
To build a trusted bridge between the dreams and aspirations of individuals who care about India and their realization.
To provide a secure channel for philanthropic funding in the United States and its effective investment in the best Indian non-governmental organizations that have innovative and scalable projects.
To build a professional organization that is secular, transparent, credible and accountable for all its activities.
mission
vision
about AIF Founded at the initiative of President Clinton in 2001, AIF is a trusted bridge for Americans to channel philanthropy towards India. Since incep- tion, AIF has invested in nearly 90 high-quality Indian NGOs who are working on primary education, women’s economic empowerment and HIV/AIDS. AIF has sent 169 Service Corps Fellows to serve for ten months with Indian NGOs, and the Digital Equalizer program has brought tech- nology to touch the lives of over 570,000 students and 17,000 teachers in 1,400 schools across India.
Cover Photo: Tsunami effects on Akkrapattai village in Nagapattinam district. Tamil Nadu.
letter from our honorary chair
Dear Friends:
On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a de- structive tsunami which affected 12 countries and took hundreds of thousands of lives. Across the region, millions of people were displaced and billions of dollars in property damage was caused. India was among the countries that were hardest hit by the tsunami.
In response to this tragedy, individuals, governments, and organizations re- sponded with unprecendented generosity. People from all over the world were moved to donate their time, money, and skills to help rebuild the affected region. I was proud to work first with former President George Bush and then as United Nations Special Envoy to support this endeavor and to coordinate the recovery effort.
The American India Foundation was a prominent contributor to this process. In the aftermath of the tsunami, AIF worked to restore families’ livelihoods, create educational opportunities, and rebuild infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Kerala.
The response of organizations like AIF was critical to the recovery of Southeast Asia after the tsunami. Still, we must continue working to sustain this effort and to apply the lessons we’ve learned. The final story of the tsunami has yet to be written, but if we can apply the knowledge we’ve gained to save lives and mitigate the impact of disasters to come, we can rest assured that we’ve made the world safer for future generations.
Sincerely,
3 4
Dear Supporter:
The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 was one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history – over 270,000 lives were lost in 12 countries. An estimated 12,000 to 16,000 lives were lost in India on the extensive coastline in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The state of Tamil Nadu was the worst affected by the tsunami, as over 6,000 deaths were recorded within its Nagapattinam district alone. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands suffered nearly as many losses.
The world responded to the tsunami with one of the largest philanthropic outpouring ever. Several billion dollars in aid were donated by governments, charitable organizations and individuals. AIF established a Tsunami Relief Fund and raised two million dollars for tsunami victims in India.
Geographies AIF focused on two of the worst affected regions, Tamil Nadu and the Anda- man & Nicobar Islands. In partnership with UNDP, AIF also supported work in Kerala. AIF’s work in the Andamans was limited because of a derth of reli- able NGOs working there and as the Government of India had a very strong role in determining what interventions took place.
Communities The bulk of AIF’s support went to non-fishing communities – farmers, petty traders and salt pan workers – as they were left out of most interventions, either because of their caste or the general focus on the fishing communities. The limited resources available to these communities made them extremely vulnerable.
Sectors and Interventions AIF’s intervention at the relief phase was minimal due to its limited presence in the affected areas and the swift and significant response of the government. AIF restricted itself to areas which did not receive adequate relief.
AIF focused on the rehabilitation phase where it supported interventions executed by secular NGOs in the following areas: • Crèches that provide counseling and pre-school inputs to very young children. • Using technology to enhance lives and livelihoods of communities.
• Enabling communities, especially women and young people, to seek and build alternative livelihoods by: - Building institutions like farmers’ groups and self-help groups - Enabling credit and bank linkages - Providing training, placement and business development services for local market-based needs • Agriculture enhancement through saline land reclamation, and water harvesting structures. • Non-farm enterprises like dairy, poultry and salt producing collectives.
AIF stayed out of activities like housing and provision of fishing boats and nets because this required huge investments and the efforts of the government and large international agencies were concentrated here. Though AIF wished to intervene in education, there was little need as most schools were intact and hence restricted itself to pre-primary education and establishing digital equalizer centers.
In the three years since the disaster, AIF has made a significant amount of progress. AIF’s rehabilitation work is making a difference in the lives of many tsunami victims; however, long-term rehabilitation requires continued dedica- tion in the years ahead. Therefore, AIF will continue to closely monitor the projects it has funded in order to ensure complete success.
In its fundraising, AIF reached out to organizations throughout the country to work together to provide the strongest response and support to the survivors. In the development of the tsunami campaign, we partnered with Bay Area Unites, Indo-American Arts Council, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Founda- tion, Nasscom Foundation, Share and Care Foundation, and many others. This shared undertaking strengthened our effort immeasurably.
We thank you for your support, and hope that you will continue to stay involved in our work.
Lata Krishnan Pradeep Kashyap Shankar Venkateswaran President Executive Director Executive Director, India
5
WBVHA
QSSS
KRDA
TNWC
SEEDS
Communications
our work in tsunami affected areas
Kichankuppam village men organize their fishnets at the end of the day. Tamil Nadu.
7
funds management
rehabilitation grants
After the tsunami disaster struck India, AIF launched a Tsunami Relief Fund with the goal of raising $2 million. This goal was met in early 2005 by reaching out to donors through direct appeals and fundraising events.
The AIF tsunami rehabilitation campaign is now complete as the funds have been committed to various relief and rehabilitation programs as follows:
The direct program expenses reflect only the out-of-pocket expenses incurred in working with tsunami program consultants, travel, communications and audit- ing expenses. It does not include administration and management costs of AIF but includes direct grant-making and administration costs of our partners.
rehabilitation grants $1,847,107
agricultural/dairy $455,286 (25%)
Rosemary used microcredit services to start a tailoring business. DHAN, Tamil Nadu.
9
she sells sea shells by the sea shore S. Chitra earned a living going door-to-door selling simple sea shell hangings. She made an average of Rs. 20 (50¢) per day. After the tsunami, it became difficult to earn even this meager amount until she came across AIF partner Integrated Women’s Development Institute’s (IWDI’s) Sea Shell Craft Produc- tion Unit in Cuddalore.
With the support of AIF, IWDI has organized 600 women affected by the tsunami. Through self-help groups, women are being trained in alternative livelihoods and offered pre-school services. Groups also gain access to credit through bank linkages. Chitra was part of a group of 30 women who upgraded their handicrafts skills in the sea shells industry to meet the market demands. They learned over 30 new designs, acquired equipment and began working as a group. Linkages with the Ministry of Handcrafts and Cottage Industries have facilitated certification, insurance and other social security benefits.
Now Chitra can proudly display her craft while also earning a descent living for her family. “This training helped me learn many new designs and earn more. Now I do things faster and of better quality. Working in a group helps to get peer support and learn new things. Now I am able to produce things worth Rs. 100 ($2.50) per day.”
With this livelihood and her husband’s construction work, her two sons Vijaya- kumar (14) and Sivakumar (12) are able to go attend school regularly.
Tsunami-affected women, including Chitra (far left), display their craft, helping their families earn a livelihood. IWDI, Tamil Nadu.
11
livelihoods grow in coconut groves Like many landless farmers, Y. James and his family were already struggling to make ends meet when the tsunami hammered their village of Varichakudi in Tamil Nadu. Until the time it hit, James relied on cultivating rice paddy on leased land and rearing goats to support his wife, Malathy, and three young boys, Jennifer Raj (12), Sathya Rubin (9), and Henry Moses (6). To supple- ment his meager income, James worked part-time as a conductor for a local transport company, earning less than Rs. 3,000 ($75) per month. When the tsunami swallowed his goats that were grazing on the coast, it dealt a fatal blow to his already precarious financial position.
The Madurai-based NGO, Development of Human Action Foundation (DHAN), focused its post-tsunami rehabilitation efforts on small farmers whose land be- came saline and the landless labor working on it. Many of these people had been overlooked in other relief efforts from the government and civil society. With the support of AIF, DHAN distributed coconut saplings to collectives to promote a cost-effective sustainable livelihoods solution. James and his fel- low landless farmers pooled their saplings together and decided to plant all 40 of them on local temple land, which is not controlled by landowners. Now James manages the coconut grove for which he earns a steady wage and also continues his part time work.
The family’s precarious situation also sparked the empowerment of Malathy. She began to work as part of the field staff for DHAN. The increase in their household income has enabled them to continue their children’s education and reclaim their house from a local money lender. James and his fellow farm- ers look forward to the day when they can cultivate coconuts and sell them in the local market.
K Gnanadoss, Y James and Krishnamurthy (left to right) show off their coconut saplings. DHAN, Tamil Nadu.
13
love lost, love found, love sustained
Fishing communities in Tamil Nadu are generally made up of small, family en- terprises that work closely together to make ends meet. Tharangambadi was one such village where Subramaniam would fish in the early mornings and his wife Palani Ammal would greet him on the shores to unload his catch and sell it. The morning of the great tsunami was no different, until one of the giant waves hit their shore. The hard-working couple was swept into the ocean, leav- ing three young children: Ilamaran (14), Illavarsi (12) and Malarvizhi (9).
The children were taken into the homes of Subramaniam’s mother Pooranam and his brother Arumugam. Both Pooranam and Arumugam themselves lived lives of hardship and needed to find means to support the children.
AIF, in partnership with South Indian Federation of Fisherman Societies (SIFFS), identified the need for information coordination and dissemination so that people in need could receive assistance. SIFFS established the Naga- pattinam Coordination and Resource Center (NCRC) to enhance communica- tions between the local government and NGOs as well as among the NGOs working in the area. Information was provided electronically to the appropriate NGOs about the relief requirements for each village. This type of coordination was immediately successful, as it allowed relief to be efficiently administered. To coordinate long-term rehabilitation projects, NCRC set up a network of 13 Village Information Centers (VICs) along the coastline to provide informa- tion on an on-going basis to all participating agencies and community mem- bers. The AIF grant funds have been used to install computers, networking and wireless communications equipment to create this VIC network, which is linked to a main Information Exchange Center in Nagapattinam.
Through this network of VICs, Arumugam found that the children were eligible for Rs. 4 lakhs ($10,000) as death compensation for the loss of both parents and Rs. 5 lakhs ($12,500) from the Social Welfare Board for educational ex- penses. He was able to get the funds deposited into joint accounts to which each child will have direct access at the age of 18, beginning in 2008 for Ila- maran.
Arumugam adopted his young nephew and nieces when a tsunami wave took his brother and sister-in-law. SIFFS, Tamil Nadu.
15
Bhoomika Trust – $6,866 To provide non-food relief items for fish-dependent communities in Kanyaku- mari district in Tamil Nadu.
Development of Humane Action Foundation (DHAN) – $6,866 To provide immediate relief and conduct a survey of long-term rehabilitation needs of agricultural communities in Kanchipuram.
Development Promotion Group (DPG) – $4,691 To provide trauma counseling and educational support for school children throughout Kanyakumari and Nagapattinam districts in Tamil Nadu.
Integrated Women’s Development Institute (IWDI) – $6,293 To provide food items and other relief materials to 2200 families in the Chen- nai, Cuddalore and Thiruvallar districts of Tamil Nadu. Also to provide trauma counseling in these areas.
Samerth Charitable Trust – $1,144 To provide medical relief and supplies to Tsunami victims in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu.
West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA) – $6,667 To provide educational support to schools and students in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Tsunami-affected Koyilpatti Neravy village. Tamil Nadu.
17
rehabilitation grants Total: $1,847,107
Fishing-dependent communities: Total: $116,092
South Indian Federation of Fisherman Societies (SIFFS) – $92,072 In partnership with The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Foundation SIFFS is an apex organization of fisherman societies that aims to protect the fishing community and sustain its economy by working with 50,000 fishermen and women throughout Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. AIF’s part- nership enhanced the boat production capacity to around 50 boats per month at Tharanagambadi, located in the worst affected district of Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. The boat production reached a peak level of 82 boats per month in early 2005 due to a severe shortage of boats, but has since leveled off to 40-50 boats per month as the demand has stabilized.
SIFFS - $24,020 In partnership with TiE and NASSCOM Foundations SIFFS completed a project to enable relevant and sustainable information flow to fishery-dependent communities in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu to improve their livelihoods through informed decision-making. Market informa- tion for 60 fish species from eight locations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala has been made available online. Weather forecasts are included for quick reference by the sea going fishermen. Relevant information is also referenced from web- sites of various governmental and international agencies.
Agricultural/Dairy-dependent communities: Total - $455,286
Development of Humane Action Foundation (DHAN) – $69,079 DHAN rebuilt the livelihoods of 805 families of small farmers and landless laborers in 17 coastal villages of Karaikal district affected by the tsunami. The project allowed revival and reclamation of agricultural lands, promotion of livestock production and financial assistance by setting up a revolving fund. Coconut seedlings were distributed to 1,000 families throughout the area to promote coastal horticulture.
Destroyed boats block a bridge which connects Nagapattinam town to tsunami-affected villages.
20
Cement brick making group at Singarathoppu village. IWDI, Tamil Nadu.
Kudumbam - $213,798 In partnership with Steptoe and Johnson LLP Kudumbam has implemented sustainable agricultural practices in two ways: 1) promotion of a local livestock breed to enhance bio-manure and bio-pes- ticide production at the farm and community level and 2) expansion of a sustainable agriculture program to cover the entire affected area. The pro- gram has directly benefited 3,250 families of marginal farmers and landless agricultural laborers of 21 coastal agricultural villages south of Nagapattinam. Sustainable livelihood options were developed such as vermi-composting to produce bio-fertilizers and a new crop livestock farming system to enhance the incomes of poor farmers.
Rural Education and Action for Liberation (REAL) - $131,550 REAL is supporting 850 families in 10 remote villages in the Villupuram area for restoration of agriculture-based livelihoods. It promotes dairy and related activities such as livestock development, fodder promotion and marketing fa- cilities including milk collection centers and market linkages. It also promotes nurseries and organic vegetable cultivation through the formation and train- ing of self-help groups. The project focused on landless agricultural laborers and marginal farmers with a special focus on dalit communities. REAL is col- laborating with PLAN International and Concern Worldwide on this project.
Village Educational Services Association (VESA) – $40,859 In partnership with Steptoe and Johnson LLP VESA worked with 1,760 families of landless agricultural laborers from 17 villages of the Nagapattinam district that had lost their cultivatable land in the tsunami. These villages did not appear on the government list and thus had no access to any relief or rehabilitation funds. VESA conducted advocacy and lobbying programs for dalit and other minority communities to obtain access to the government programs. A participatory survey was conducted to determine community needs and skills building for alternative livelihoods. Pre-school support was provided to young children.
Alternative Livelihoods: Total - $820,330
CAP Foundation - $112,500 CAP is creating an employment training program for 1,000 disadvantaged youth from Cuddalore district. The vocational training program begins with a scan of the local economy to identify market needs, followed by the design of training programs to meet these needs. Local youths participate in the train- ing program and receive assistance with job placement or self-employment.
rehabilitation grants cont...
21 22
Integrated Women’s Development Institute (IWDI) – $111,853 In Partnership with Share and Care Foundation for India IWDI focused its post-tsunami rehabilitation efforts on vulnerable groups in the villages of Sonankuppam, Akkarakori and Singarathoppu in Cuddalore dis- trict. 300 families from the non-fishing community were supported by empow- ering women organizing self-help groups, providing alternative livelihoods training and establishing childcare services. Key activities included training to develop skills in production of fish nets, building materials, sea shell handi- crafts, and boat repair. Access to microcredit and pre-school support were also provided.
Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective (TNWC) – $114,001 In partnership with Indo-American Arts Council TNWC is a collective of 35 women’s organizations and 10 other associate orga- nizations seeking to empower women through developmental activities such as education, self-help groups and skills building including management of micro loans and bank accounts. AIF’s grant supported work with families of marginalized groups in eight villages of Tuticorin district who were left out by the government from the relief or other long-term support programs. Around 1,200 families received assistance in building alternative livelihoods such as salt pan works, tailoring, goat rearing, nursing, computers and driving ser- vices. Preschool support was also provided to young children.
Grants in Partnership with United Nations Development Program – $481,976 AIF has partnered with UNDP to create formal jobs training programs and develop entrepreneurship to generate alternative livelihoods options for 3,191 tsunami affected people in the Kanyakumari and Kollam areas. Three programs are being conducted through the International Labor Organization (ILO) via several local NGOs. • Training for Economic Empowerment (TREE) for obtaining gainful employment • Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) program to support entrepreneurship • A combination of training and entrepreneurial support (Integrated) The job placement rates after such trainings have been over 80 percent.
rehabilitation grants cont... Jobs Training (TREE Program) - $344,541 Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) $ 27,835 Kumari Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI) $ 41,643 Kerala Rural Development Agency (KRDA) $ 29,493 Quilon Social Service Society (QSSS) $ 71,053 CAP Foundation $ 106,875 Covenant Center for Development (CCD) $ 19,592 Stella Maris Institute of Developmental Studies (SMIDS) $ 22,612 Palmyrah Workers Development Society (PWDS) $ 25,438 Entrepreneurship Training (SIYB Program) - $104,139 National Institute for Small & Medium Enterprises(NIMSME) $ 43,051 Gandhigram Rural University(GRU) $ 14,725 Social Welfare Association (SWAN) $ 46,363 Combination Training (TREE & SIYB Programs) - $32,296 Covenant Center for Development (CCD) $ 4,230 Stella Maris Institute of Developmental Studies (SMIDS) $ 7,044 Palmyrah Workers Development Society (PWDS) $ 2,013 Gandhigram Rural University (GRU) $ 8,798 Social Welfare Association (SWAN) $ 11,211
Other Grants: Total - $455,399
Digital Equalizer (DE) Centers – $112,500 The AIF DE team will establish DE Centers at local middle and high schools to enhance education through the use of technology to engage, educate, enrich and empower the under-served children in tsunami-affected regions of Tamil Nadu. The access to technology and information is very important to prepare them for the emerging Digital Age.
Friends of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) - $108,990 Through a donor advised fund, the Foundation provided solar powered torches and other supplies to the victims of the tsunami disaster in Tamil Nadu.
24
Chinna was trained to be a boat engine mechanic in Cuddalore. IWDI, Tamil Nadu.
rehabilitation grants cont... Praxis – $88,132 Praxis promotes participatory development so that the needs of those direct- ly affected by the development plans are addressed. Praxis included 10,000 households from 28 villages of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts in the post-tsunami rehabilitation planning process. Participatory Social Mapping Processes were undertaken to map the previous locations of homes and fixed assets within the affected communities. This informed rehabilitation pro- grams for many NGOs, including AIF partners.
SIFFS Nagapattinam Coordination and Resource Center (NCRC) – $119,558 In partnership with TiE and NASSCOM Foundations To facilitate information collection and distribution, SIFFS established NCRC in Nagapattinam to improve the relief and rehabilitation process. Initially, they were able to enhance communications between the local government and NGOs as well as among the NGOs. For long-term rehabilitation, 13 Village In- formation Centers (VICs) were established and made accessible to local com- munities, with the support of AIF. The VIC network has laid the foundation for an e-governance network in Nagapattinam. For example, a video conferencing facility has been installed in several VICs to enable redress of grievances of people in remote villages directly by the Collector from the district headquarters.
Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) – $21,918 SEEDS works at a local level to make communities less vulnerable to disas- ters. It was the first NGO to provide aid to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the tsunami struck. AIF’s grant was used for the research and design of a prototype shelter resilient to future natural disasters, to be used as a resource and demonstration center. The design, which uses locally-based materials, has been accepted by the Indian government.
Communications – $4,301 In partnership with journalists, Micah Rubin and Max Garcia. AIF licensed the film “Tsunami: The Wave That Shook The World” by NOVA as a tool for AIF NGO partners to further their education efforts. Dubbed into Tamil and Hindi (for Andaman & Nicobar Islands), the film provides scientific information on what tsunamis are, how they are formed and how they are monitored in the Pacific Ocean. Residents have commented that the knowl- edge has allayed fears and helped with tsunami preparedness. Journalists Mi- cah Rubin and Max Garcia raised funds for this project in New York by exhibit- ing survival art and pictures by the tsunami-affected children of Nagapattinam.
25
donors Partner Organizations: The following organizations raised funds independently of AIF but chose to invest their funds in relief and rehabilitation projects through AIF.
Bay Area Unites Club of Indian Women of Illinois IIT Midwest Indo-American Arts Council, Inc. Indian American Community of Sharon, MA India Association of Fort Myers, Inc. Indian American Medical Association Charitable Foundation of Illinois Indo American Cultural Association of Augusta, GA Indian Women Association of West Lafayette, IN Network of Indian Professionals Rajdhani Mandir of Virginia Share and Care Foundation for India South Asian Journalists Association South Asians in Finance, New York The Indus Entrepreneurs Foundation United Way
$100,000 or more Community Foundation Silicon Valley Covansys Corporation Malavalli, Kumar & Vijaya Rani & B. N. Bahadur Family Foundation Sethi, Neerja & Bharat Desai
$50,000 to $99,999 Barrett Foundation Rajendra & Padmaja Vattikuti Foundation Saxena, Parag & Usha Shah, Ajay & Lata Krishnan Steptoe and Johnson LLP Syntel Corp.
$25,000 to $49,999 Bhatia, Sabeer Camacho, Robert Flextronics Foundation Hasan, Talat & Kamil HCL Technologies of America, Inc. Microsoft Corporation
PMMM Propperties LLC Syntel, Ltd
$10,000 to $24,999 Ayco Charitable Foundation Ariba Disaster Relief Fund Bharadwaj, Ash & Tanuja Bali Brewer, Eric Chugh, Navneet & Ritu Dalton Family Foundation Dalton, Mark & Susan Deshpande, Gururaj & Jaishree Dhar, Madhav & Patricia Dham, Vinod & Sadhna East West Entertainment Inc Godhwani, Anil & Jyoti Goradia, Vijay & Marie Iyengar, Sridar & Anita Kailath, Thomas & Sarah Mathan, Samuel & Shanti Menon, Sreedhar & Saroj Narain, Dhruv & Sandhya Subbarao Naren and Vinita Gupta Foundation Nesamoney, Diaz Rangrajan, Murali Sathaye, Shirish & Archana Solectron Centum Synova Vanguard Charitable Foundation Wang, Stanley & Franny
$5,000 to $9,999 Aggarwal, Alok & Sangeeta Ahmed Pervez Altria Group Inc. Bagri Foundation Bhandari, Anil & Natasha Braham, Tor & Cathleen Chellam, Kris & Evelyne Cvsa, Vishy Dave, Tushar & Reshma Devitre, Dinyar & Aashish Dutta, Rajiv & Sumita Foudy, Richard Jagadeesh, Anu & B.V. Jain, Nirmal & Shashi Naik, Nilesh & Chetna Nayar, Madhavan
Fishermen repair their nets after a long day at sea in the Nagapattinam harbor. Tamil Nadu.
27 28
Puri, Anupam & Rajika Raghunathan, Arvind & Sribala Rekhi, Kanwal & Ann Rose International, Inc. Sara Beth Lurie Foundation Tandon, Chandrika & Ranjan Virtue Foundation Walker, Peter
$1,000 to $4,999 Advani, Dilip Aiyer, Kamesh & Geeta Anonymous Apple Core Hotels Ashraya Corporation Asiatech Management, LLC Associated Student Body Attaway, Denise Azarm, Mariam Banerji, Vivek Bansal, Anil & Kumud Bean, Brian & Kathleen Bhandarkar, Gopal & Pratibha Bhavsar, Natvar & Janet Bhindi, Tazeem Bierce, Andrea Billimoria, Farrokh Brown, Billy Burkhead Capgemini Corp. Carlisle, Carrie Chandra, Amitabh & Reema Chatterjee, Pallab Chatterjee, Swadesh & Manjusri Chhabra, Davinder Chitale, Anil Circle Road Trade & Translation LLC Danapani, Vijay & Kamini Dargan, Surinder & Parminder David R. Leeds 1992 Rev. Trust Desai, Raj & Sapna Dhingra, Amit Doshi, Narin Duggal, Rakesh & Neena Dutia, Suren & Jas Grewal Egon Zehnder International Inc. Fessenden, Nancy Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Gaitonde, Sujata & Sunil
Gandhi, Meera & Vikram Gaur, Umesh & Sunanda George, Sajini & Jacob Ghoshtagore, Ujjal Gill, Sunil & Tina Ginn, Mike Goldsmith, Marshall Govil, Vandana Gupta, Rakesh Gyani, Mohan Haldea, Shruti Hammett, Suzanne Havenon, Michael HSBC-North America, Community & Philanthropic Services Iyer Family Charitable Fund Jagwani, Chandru Jawahar, Chirimar Jog, Vikram Johary, Arun Joshi, Asha & Chandu Joshi, Vivek Judson, Willliam Kaipa, Sudhakar Kamra, Deepak & Christina Kamthan-Sanjay, Vinita Kapadia, Kalpesh Kapoor, Vinod Kashyap, Pradeep & Reena Kashyap, Sudha Keynote Systems Khanna, Deepak Kirsch, Steve & Michele Kohli, Ujjal & Sarita Kothari, Tushar & Sangeeta Krishnan, Basker Kumar, Tarun Kung, Hsing & Margaret Leikind, Harry & Ellen Lervold, Jill & Joe Loening, George Lon & Pam Tiggelaar Family Fund Lone Pine Foundation, Inc. Lu, Lucy & Hong MacKenzie, Iain & Chantelle Mahajan, Mahesh Mahendroo, Vikesh & Kiran Mahurkar, Monish & Padmini Malhotra, Sushil & Lata
Manja, Vani Manne, Liora Master-Trivedi Charitable Trust Mehra, Pravesh & Neeru Mehra, Ramesh & Joyce Mehrotra, Sangeeta Mehta, Amit & Ruchi Mehta, Asheet Mehta, Krishen & Geeta Mehta, Ravindra & Manisha Mellacheruvuv, Vamsi Meteor, Inc Mittal, Ritu & Manish Nakhoda, Shehzaad Narasimhan, Ashok Nelivigi, Nandan Netsap - DC Foundation, Inc. Nigam, Reshma & Anil Noorani, Ajmal Northrop Grumman Page, Carl Pandit, Vivek Pangloss Productions LLC Panjwani, Raju & Kimberley Parmar, Shailesh Patel, Haresh & Vina Patel, Nimish Patel, Prakash Patel, Ramji Patel, Rashmi Pherwani, Raj Piltch-Loeb, Debbie Polsky, Cynthia Popat, Vijay Prasad, Mukesh Prasad, Narayan & Poonam Puri, Himayani Pynnonen, Brett & Melissa Raghavan, Chitra & Raghu Rai, Sangeeta & Kula Raj Lunagaria Inc. Rajan, Srivatsan & Leena Chawla Rajappa, Aswin RBS Greenwich Capital Foundation Reddy, V.J. Revson, Paul & Lisa Dettelbach Revson Rickman, Alan Roy, Chetan S.M. Sehgal Foundation
Saagar Enterprises, Inc. Sakhuja, Ravinder & Rohini Sampathkumar, Jayanthi Sampathkumar, Nithyalaksmi Sawhney, Krishna Sawhney, Mohanbir Sawhney,Tia Sehgal, Suri Sen, Rashmi Sen, Robin Shah, Shannon Shah, Shashi & Anita Sharma, Deven & Anjali Sharma, Raghav Shivdasani, Indur & Aroon Shree Ganapati Corp. Shrivastava, Ritu Singh, Harjinder & Parminder Kaur Sloan, Barbara Softsol Resources Inc. Spohr, Stefan & Lidya Srinivas, Kasy Subhedar, Sanjay & Suniti Subramaniam, Somu & Meena Subramanian, Sriram Sud, Vikram Systems Task Group International, Ltd. Systime Computer Corporation Talwar, Rakesh & Suneeta Tilley, Allison Trans-Ocean Import Co., Inc. Udayakumar, Puduvankunnil Victory International (USA) LLC Vidya J. Dehejia Family Rev. Trust Vital-Ahuja, Maria Wang, Gary & Judy Wasserman, David & Carolyn Wesberry, Renee Weston, Gerald & Lynn We apologize for any errors or omissions in this list. We also wish to thank the signifi- cant number of donors below $1,000 who we are unable to acknowledge individually by name.
AIF greatly appreciates Prashant Panjiar for donating photographs immediately following the tsunami.
30
Perangipettai town relief camp where four days after the tsunami, clean drinking water was still in short supply. Tamil Nadu.
appreciation of our work
“Bay Area Unites (BAU) was formed as an ad hoc organization in the Silicon Valley to raise funds for tsunami victims in multiple countries. AIF was se- lected as the partner to manage the funds allocated for India in this effort, because of their professional presence and due diligence capabilities. We un- derstand the projects were completed with great results.” Dr. Kailash Joshi, Trustee Bay Area Unites
“The Indo-American Arts Council is a not-for-profit arts council passionately involved with mother India. It zealously raises funds and awareness for impor- tant causes in India by contributing to rebuild communities and assist victims of all disasters. Funds raised have been channeled to specific projects ear- marked, organized and executed through AIF. We are very happy to work with AIF because of its professional and transparent approach.” Aroon Shivdasani, President & Executive Director Indo-American Arts Council, Inc.
“Both AIF and Share and Care share common goals of bringing about per- manent, positive changes in the lives of the needy through educational and empowerment programs focused on needy women and children. In the IWDI partnership with AIF, we are extremely happy with the management of funds, formulation of proposal and objectives leading to future independence, track- ing of the set objectives, its documentation and reporting. In the future, it will be our pleasure to work with AIF in other deserving causes.” Jayant Shroff, Trustee, Past President & Chairman of the Board Share and Care Foundation
“TiE Foundation has worked with AIF to restore and enhance the livelihoods of many tsunami victims by utilizing modern information and communications technology to provide them effective fishing market information. The village information centers in remote villages have connected the local community with their government in Nagapattinam and also with other NGOs. AIF’s strong presence on the ground and its ability to work with multiple partners has resulted in this successful intervention.” Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, President The Indus Entrepreneur Foundation
AIF is grateful to Ajit Kothari for volunteering his time to track the tsunami campaign and producing this brochure.
Back Cover Photo: Three years after the tsunami, Kichankuppam village harbor in Nagapattinam district. Tamil Nadu.
N on
-P ro
fit O
The American India Foundation (AIF) is dedicated to accelerating social and economic change in India.
To contribute to building an India where all people can gain access to edu- cation, health care, and livelihoods opportunities and where all Indians can realize their full potential.
To build a trusted bridge between the dreams and aspirations of individuals who care about India and their realization.
To provide a secure channel for philanthropic funding in the United States and its effective investment in the best Indian non-governmental organizations that have innovative and scalable projects.
To build a professional organization that is secular, transparent, credible and accountable for all its activities.
mission
vision
about AIF Founded at the initiative of President Clinton in 2001, AIF is a trusted bridge for Americans to channel philanthropy towards India. Since incep- tion, AIF has invested in nearly 90 high-quality Indian NGOs who are working on primary education, women’s economic empowerment and HIV/AIDS. AIF has sent 169 Service Corps Fellows to serve for ten months with Indian NGOs, and the Digital Equalizer program has brought tech- nology to touch the lives of over 570,000 students and 17,000 teachers in 1,400 schools across India.
Cover Photo: Tsunami effects on Akkrapattai village in Nagapattinam district. Tamil Nadu.
letter from our honorary chair
Dear Friends:
On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a de- structive tsunami which affected 12 countries and took hundreds of thousands of lives. Across the region, millions of people were displaced and billions of dollars in property damage was caused. India was among the countries that were hardest hit by the tsunami.
In response to this tragedy, individuals, governments, and organizations re- sponded with unprecendented generosity. People from all over the world were moved to donate their time, money, and skills to help rebuild the affected region. I was proud to work first with former President George Bush and then as United Nations Special Envoy to support this endeavor and to coordinate the recovery effort.
The American India Foundation was a prominent contributor to this process. In the aftermath of the tsunami, AIF worked to restore families’ livelihoods, create educational opportunities, and rebuild infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Kerala.
The response of organizations like AIF was critical to the recovery of Southeast Asia after the tsunami. Still, we must continue working to sustain this effort and to apply the lessons we’ve learned. The final story of the tsunami has yet to be written, but if we can apply the knowledge we’ve gained to save lives and mitigate the impact of disasters to come, we can rest assured that we’ve made the world safer for future generations.
Sincerely,
3 4
Dear Supporter:
The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 was one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history – over 270,000 lives were lost in 12 countries. An estimated 12,000 to 16,000 lives were lost in India on the extensive coastline in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The state of Tamil Nadu was the worst affected by the tsunami, as over 6,000 deaths were recorded within its Nagapattinam district alone. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands suffered nearly as many losses.
The world responded to the tsunami with one of the largest philanthropic outpouring ever. Several billion dollars in aid were donated by governments, charitable organizations and individuals. AIF established a Tsunami Relief Fund and raised two million dollars for tsunami victims in India.
Geographies AIF focused on two of the worst affected regions, Tamil Nadu and the Anda- man & Nicobar Islands. In partnership with UNDP, AIF also supported work in Kerala. AIF’s work in the Andamans was limited because of a derth of reli- able NGOs working there and as the Government of India had a very strong role in determining what interventions took place.
Communities The bulk of AIF’s support went to non-fishing communities – farmers, petty traders and salt pan workers – as they were left out of most interventions, either because of their caste or the general focus on the fishing communities. The limited resources available to these communities made them extremely vulnerable.
Sectors and Interventions AIF’s intervention at the relief phase was minimal due to its limited presence in the affected areas and the swift and significant response of the government. AIF restricted itself to areas which did not receive adequate relief.
AIF focused on the rehabilitation phase where it supported interventions executed by secular NGOs in the following areas: • Crèches that provide counseling and pre-school inputs to very young children. • Using technology to enhance lives and livelihoods of communities.
• Enabling communities, especially women and young people, to seek and build alternative livelihoods by: - Building institutions like farmers’ groups and self-help groups - Enabling credit and bank linkages - Providing training, placement and business development services for local market-based needs • Agriculture enhancement through saline land reclamation, and water harvesting structures. • Non-farm enterprises like dairy, poultry and salt producing collectives.
AIF stayed out of activities like housing and provision of fishing boats and nets because this required huge investments and the efforts of the government and large international agencies were concentrated here. Though AIF wished to intervene in education, there was little need as most schools were intact and hence restricted itself to pre-primary education and establishing digital equalizer centers.
In the three years since the disaster, AIF has made a significant amount of progress. AIF’s rehabilitation work is making a difference in the lives of many tsunami victims; however, long-term rehabilitation requires continued dedica- tion in the years ahead. Therefore, AIF will continue to closely monitor the projects it has funded in order to ensure complete success.
In its fundraising, AIF reached out to organizations throughout the country to work together to provide the strongest response and support to the survivors. In the development of the tsunami campaign, we partnered with Bay Area Unites, Indo-American Arts Council, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Founda- tion, Nasscom Foundation, Share and Care Foundation, and many others. This shared undertaking strengthened our effort immeasurably.
We thank you for your support, and hope that you will continue to stay involved in our work.
Lata Krishnan Pradeep Kashyap Shankar Venkateswaran President Executive Director Executive Director, India
5
WBVHA
QSSS
KRDA
TNWC
SEEDS
Communications
our work in tsunami affected areas
Kichankuppam village men organize their fishnets at the end of the day. Tamil Nadu.
7
funds management
rehabilitation grants
After the tsunami disaster struck India, AIF launched a Tsunami Relief Fund with the goal of raising $2 million. This goal was met in early 2005 by reaching out to donors through direct appeals and fundraising events.
The AIF tsunami rehabilitation campaign is now complete as the funds have been committed to various relief and rehabilitation programs as follows:
The direct program expenses reflect only the out-of-pocket expenses incurred in working with tsunami program consultants, travel, communications and audit- ing expenses. It does not include administration and management costs of AIF but includes direct grant-making and administration costs of our partners.
rehabilitation grants $1,847,107
agricultural/dairy $455,286 (25%)
Rosemary used microcredit services to start a tailoring business. DHAN, Tamil Nadu.
9
she sells sea shells by the sea shore S. Chitra earned a living going door-to-door selling simple sea shell hangings. She made an average of Rs. 20 (50¢) per day. After the tsunami, it became difficult to earn even this meager amount until she came across AIF partner Integrated Women’s Development Institute’s (IWDI’s) Sea Shell Craft Produc- tion Unit in Cuddalore.
With the support of AIF, IWDI has organized 600 women affected by the tsunami. Through self-help groups, women are being trained in alternative livelihoods and offered pre-school services. Groups also gain access to credit through bank linkages. Chitra was part of a group of 30 women who upgraded their handicrafts skills in the sea shells industry to meet the market demands. They learned over 30 new designs, acquired equipment and began working as a group. Linkages with the Ministry of Handcrafts and Cottage Industries have facilitated certification, insurance and other social security benefits.
Now Chitra can proudly display her craft while also earning a descent living for her family. “This training helped me learn many new designs and earn more. Now I do things faster and of better quality. Working in a group helps to get peer support and learn new things. Now I am able to produce things worth Rs. 100 ($2.50) per day.”
With this livelihood and her husband’s construction work, her two sons Vijaya- kumar (14) and Sivakumar (12) are able to go attend school regularly.
Tsunami-affected women, including Chitra (far left), display their craft, helping their families earn a livelihood. IWDI, Tamil Nadu.
11
livelihoods grow in coconut groves Like many landless farmers, Y. James and his family were already struggling to make ends meet when the tsunami hammered their village of Varichakudi in Tamil Nadu. Until the time it hit, James relied on cultivating rice paddy on leased land and rearing goats to support his wife, Malathy, and three young boys, Jennifer Raj (12), Sathya Rubin (9), and Henry Moses (6). To supple- ment his meager income, James worked part-time as a conductor for a local transport company, earning less than Rs. 3,000 ($75) per month. When the tsunami swallowed his goats that were grazing on the coast, it dealt a fatal blow to his already precarious financial position.
The Madurai-based NGO, Development of Human Action Foundation (DHAN), focused its post-tsunami rehabilitation efforts on small farmers whose land be- came saline and the landless labor working on it. Many of these people had been overlooked in other relief efforts from the government and civil society. With the support of AIF, DHAN distributed coconut saplings to collectives to promote a cost-effective sustainable livelihoods solution. James and his fel- low landless farmers pooled their saplings together and decided to plant all 40 of them on local temple land, which is not controlled by landowners. Now James manages the coconut grove for which he earns a steady wage and also continues his part time work.
The family’s precarious situation also sparked the empowerment of Malathy. She began to work as part of the field staff for DHAN. The increase in their household income has enabled them to continue their children’s education and reclaim their house from a local money lender. James and his fellow farm- ers look forward to the day when they can cultivate coconuts and sell them in the local market.
K Gnanadoss, Y James and Krishnamurthy (left to right) show off their coconut saplings. DHAN, Tamil Nadu.
13
love lost, love found, love sustained
Fishing communities in Tamil Nadu are generally made up of small, family en- terprises that work closely together to make ends meet. Tharangambadi was one such village where Subramaniam would fish in the early mornings and his wife Palani Ammal would greet him on the shores to unload his catch and sell it. The morning of the great tsunami was no different, until one of the giant waves hit their shore. The hard-working couple was swept into the ocean, leav- ing three young children: Ilamaran (14), Illavarsi (12) and Malarvizhi (9).
The children were taken into the homes of Subramaniam’s mother Pooranam and his brother Arumugam. Both Pooranam and Arumugam themselves lived lives of hardship and needed to find means to support the children.
AIF, in partnership with South Indian Federation of Fisherman Societies (SIFFS), identified the need for information coordination and dissemination so that people in need could receive assistance. SIFFS established the Naga- pattinam Coordination and Resource Center (NCRC) to enhance communica- tions between the local government and NGOs as well as among the NGOs working in the area. Information was provided electronically to the appropriate NGOs about the relief requirements for each village. This type of coordination was immediately successful, as it allowed relief to be efficiently administered. To coordinate long-term rehabilitation projects, NCRC set up a network of 13 Village Information Centers (VICs) along the coastline to provide informa- tion on an on-going basis to all participating agencies and community mem- bers. The AIF grant funds have been used to install computers, networking and wireless communications equipment to create this VIC network, which is linked to a main Information Exchange Center in Nagapattinam.
Through this network of VICs, Arumugam found that the children were eligible for Rs. 4 lakhs ($10,000) as death compensation for the loss of both parents and Rs. 5 lakhs ($12,500) from the Social Welfare Board for educational ex- penses. He was able to get the funds deposited into joint accounts to which each child will have direct access at the age of 18, beginning in 2008 for Ila- maran.
Arumugam adopted his young nephew and nieces when a tsunami wave took his brother and sister-in-law. SIFFS, Tamil Nadu.
15
Bhoomika Trust – $6,866 To provide non-food relief items for fish-dependent communities in Kanyaku- mari district in Tamil Nadu.
Development of Humane Action Foundation (DHAN) – $6,866 To provide immediate relief and conduct a survey of long-term rehabilitation needs of agricultural communities in Kanchipuram.
Development Promotion Group (DPG) – $4,691 To provide trauma counseling and educational support for school children throughout Kanyakumari and Nagapattinam districts in Tamil Nadu.
Integrated Women’s Development Institute (IWDI) – $6,293 To provide food items and other relief materials to 2200 families in the Chen- nai, Cuddalore and Thiruvallar districts of Tamil Nadu. Also to provide trauma counseling in these areas.
Samerth Charitable Trust – $1,144 To provide medical relief and supplies to Tsunami victims in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu.
West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA) – $6,667 To provide educational support to schools and students in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Tsunami-affected Koyilpatti Neravy village. Tamil Nadu.
17
rehabilitation grants Total: $1,847,107
Fishing-dependent communities: Total: $116,092
South Indian Federation of Fisherman Societies (SIFFS) – $92,072 In partnership with The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Foundation SIFFS is an apex organization of fisherman societies that aims to protect the fishing community and sustain its economy by working with 50,000 fishermen and women throughout Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. AIF’s part- nership enhanced the boat production capacity to around 50 boats per month at Tharanagambadi, located in the worst affected district of Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. The boat production reached a peak level of 82 boats per month in early 2005 due to a severe shortage of boats, but has since leveled off to 40-50 boats per month as the demand has stabilized.
SIFFS - $24,020 In partnership with TiE and NASSCOM Foundations SIFFS completed a project to enable relevant and sustainable information flow to fishery-dependent communities in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu to improve their livelihoods through informed decision-making. Market informa- tion for 60 fish species from eight locations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala has been made available online. Weather forecasts are included for quick reference by the sea going fishermen. Relevant information is also referenced from web- sites of various governmental and international agencies.
Agricultural/Dairy-dependent communities: Total - $455,286
Development of Humane Action Foundation (DHAN) – $69,079 DHAN rebuilt the livelihoods of 805 families of small farmers and landless laborers in 17 coastal villages of Karaikal district affected by the tsunami. The project allowed revival and reclamation of agricultural lands, promotion of livestock production and financial assistance by setting up a revolving fund. Coconut seedlings were distributed to 1,000 families throughout the area to promote coastal horticulture.
Destroyed boats block a bridge which connects Nagapattinam town to tsunami-affected villages.
20
Cement brick making group at Singarathoppu village. IWDI, Tamil Nadu.
Kudumbam - $213,798 In partnership with Steptoe and Johnson LLP Kudumbam has implemented sustainable agricultural practices in two ways: 1) promotion of a local livestock breed to enhance bio-manure and bio-pes- ticide production at the farm and community level and 2) expansion of a sustainable agriculture program to cover the entire affected area. The pro- gram has directly benefited 3,250 families of marginal farmers and landless agricultural laborers of 21 coastal agricultural villages south of Nagapattinam. Sustainable livelihood options were developed such as vermi-composting to produce bio-fertilizers and a new crop livestock farming system to enhance the incomes of poor farmers.
Rural Education and Action for Liberation (REAL) - $131,550 REAL is supporting 850 families in 10 remote villages in the Villupuram area for restoration of agriculture-based livelihoods. It promotes dairy and related activities such as livestock development, fodder promotion and marketing fa- cilities including milk collection centers and market linkages. It also promotes nurseries and organic vegetable cultivation through the formation and train- ing of self-help groups. The project focused on landless agricultural laborers and marginal farmers with a special focus on dalit communities. REAL is col- laborating with PLAN International and Concern Worldwide on this project.
Village Educational Services Association (VESA) – $40,859 In partnership with Steptoe and Johnson LLP VESA worked with 1,760 families of landless agricultural laborers from 17 villages of the Nagapattinam district that had lost their cultivatable land in the tsunami. These villages did not appear on the government list and thus had no access to any relief or rehabilitation funds. VESA conducted advocacy and lobbying programs for dalit and other minority communities to obtain access to the government programs. A participatory survey was conducted to determine community needs and skills building for alternative livelihoods. Pre-school support was provided to young children.
Alternative Livelihoods: Total - $820,330
CAP Foundation - $112,500 CAP is creating an employment training program for 1,000 disadvantaged youth from Cuddalore district. The vocational training program begins with a scan of the local economy to identify market needs, followed by the design of training programs to meet these needs. Local youths participate in the train- ing program and receive assistance with job placement or self-employment.
rehabilitation grants cont...
21 22
Integrated Women’s Development Institute (IWDI) – $111,853 In Partnership with Share and Care Foundation for India IWDI focused its post-tsunami rehabilitation efforts on vulnerable groups in the villages of Sonankuppam, Akkarakori and Singarathoppu in Cuddalore dis- trict. 300 families from the non-fishing community were supported by empow- ering women organizing self-help groups, providing alternative livelihoods training and establishing childcare services. Key activities included training to develop skills in production of fish nets, building materials, sea shell handi- crafts, and boat repair. Access to microcredit and pre-school support were also provided.
Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective (TNWC) – $114,001 In partnership with Indo-American Arts Council TNWC is a collective of 35 women’s organizations and 10 other associate orga- nizations seeking to empower women through developmental activities such as education, self-help groups and skills building including management of micro loans and bank accounts. AIF’s grant supported work with families of marginalized groups in eight villages of Tuticorin district who were left out by the government from the relief or other long-term support programs. Around 1,200 families received assistance in building alternative livelihoods such as salt pan works, tailoring, goat rearing, nursing, computers and driving ser- vices. Preschool support was also provided to young children.
Grants in Partnership with United Nations Development Program – $481,976 AIF has partnered with UNDP to create formal jobs training programs and develop entrepreneurship to generate alternative livelihoods options for 3,191 tsunami affected people in the Kanyakumari and Kollam areas. Three programs are being conducted through the International Labor Organization (ILO) via several local NGOs. • Training for Economic Empowerment (TREE) for obtaining gainful employment • Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) program to support entrepreneurship • A combination of training and entrepreneurial support (Integrated) The job placement rates after such trainings have been over 80 percent.
rehabilitation grants cont... Jobs Training (TREE Program) - $344,541 Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) $ 27,835 Kumari Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI) $ 41,643 Kerala Rural Development Agency (KRDA) $ 29,493 Quilon Social Service Society (QSSS) $ 71,053 CAP Foundation $ 106,875 Covenant Center for Development (CCD) $ 19,592 Stella Maris Institute of Developmental Studies (SMIDS) $ 22,612 Palmyrah Workers Development Society (PWDS) $ 25,438 Entrepreneurship Training (SIYB Program) - $104,139 National Institute for Small & Medium Enterprises(NIMSME) $ 43,051 Gandhigram Rural University(GRU) $ 14,725 Social Welfare Association (SWAN) $ 46,363 Combination Training (TREE & SIYB Programs) - $32,296 Covenant Center for Development (CCD) $ 4,230 Stella Maris Institute of Developmental Studies (SMIDS) $ 7,044 Palmyrah Workers Development Society (PWDS) $ 2,013 Gandhigram Rural University (GRU) $ 8,798 Social Welfare Association (SWAN) $ 11,211
Other Grants: Total - $455,399
Digital Equalizer (DE) Centers – $112,500 The AIF DE team will establish DE Centers at local middle and high schools to enhance education through the use of technology to engage, educate, enrich and empower the under-served children in tsunami-affected regions of Tamil Nadu. The access to technology and information is very important to prepare them for the emerging Digital Age.
Friends of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) - $108,990 Through a donor advised fund, the Foundation provided solar powered torches and other supplies to the victims of the tsunami disaster in Tamil Nadu.
24
Chinna was trained to be a boat engine mechanic in Cuddalore. IWDI, Tamil Nadu.
rehabilitation grants cont... Praxis – $88,132 Praxis promotes participatory development so that the needs of those direct- ly affected by the development plans are addressed. Praxis included 10,000 households from 28 villages of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts in the post-tsunami rehabilitation planning process. Participatory Social Mapping Processes were undertaken to map the previous locations of homes and fixed assets within the affected communities. This informed rehabilitation pro- grams for many NGOs, including AIF partners.
SIFFS Nagapattinam Coordination and Resource Center (NCRC) – $119,558 In partnership with TiE and NASSCOM Foundations To facilitate information collection and distribution, SIFFS established NCRC in Nagapattinam to improve the relief and rehabilitation process. Initially, they were able to enhance communications between the local government and NGOs as well as among the NGOs. For long-term rehabilitation, 13 Village In- formation Centers (VICs) were established and made accessible to local com- munities, with the support of AIF. The VIC network has laid the foundation for an e-governance network in Nagapattinam. For example, a video conferencing facility has been installed in several VICs to enable redress of grievances of people in remote villages directly by the Collector from the district headquarters.
Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) – $21,918 SEEDS works at a local level to make communities less vulnerable to disas- ters. It was the first NGO to provide aid to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the tsunami struck. AIF’s grant was used for the research and design of a prototype shelter resilient to future natural disasters, to be used as a resource and demonstration center. The design, which uses locally-based materials, has been accepted by the Indian government.
Communications – $4,301 In partnership with journalists, Micah Rubin and Max Garcia. AIF licensed the film “Tsunami: The Wave That Shook The World” by NOVA as a tool for AIF NGO partners to further their education efforts. Dubbed into Tamil and Hindi (for Andaman & Nicobar Islands), the film provides scientific information on what tsunamis are, how they are formed and how they are monitored in the Pacific Ocean. Residents have commented that the knowl- edge has allayed fears and helped with tsunami preparedness. Journalists Mi- cah Rubin and Max Garcia raised funds for this project in New York by exhibit- ing survival art and pictures by the tsunami-affected children of Nagapattinam.
25
donors Partner Organizations: The following organizations raised funds independently of AIF but chose to invest their funds in relief and rehabilitation projects through AIF.
Bay Area Unites Club of Indian Women of Illinois IIT Midwest Indo-American Arts Council, Inc. Indian American Community of Sharon, MA India Association of Fort Myers, Inc. Indian American Medical Association Charitable Foundation of Illinois Indo American Cultural Association of Augusta, GA Indian Women Association of West Lafayette, IN Network of Indian Professionals Rajdhani Mandir of Virginia Share and Care Foundation for India South Asian Journalists Association South Asians in Finance, New York The Indus Entrepreneurs Foundation United Way
$100,000 or more Community Foundation Silicon Valley Covansys Corporation Malavalli, Kumar & Vijaya Rani & B. N. Bahadur Family Foundation Sethi, Neerja & Bharat Desai
$50,000 to $99,999 Barrett Foundation Rajendra & Padmaja Vattikuti Foundation Saxena, Parag & Usha Shah, Ajay & Lata Krishnan Steptoe and Johnson LLP Syntel Corp.
$25,000 to $49,999 Bhatia, Sabeer Camacho, Robert Flextronics Foundation Hasan, Talat & Kamil HCL Technologies of America, Inc. Microsoft Corporation
PMMM Propperties LLC Syntel, Ltd
$10,000 to $24,999 Ayco Charitable Foundation Ariba Disaster Relief Fund Bharadwaj, Ash & Tanuja Bali Brewer, Eric Chugh, Navneet & Ritu Dalton Family Foundation Dalton, Mark & Susan Deshpande, Gururaj & Jaishree Dhar, Madhav & Patricia Dham, Vinod & Sadhna East West Entertainment Inc Godhwani, Anil & Jyoti Goradia, Vijay & Marie Iyengar, Sridar & Anita Kailath, Thomas & Sarah Mathan, Samuel & Shanti Menon, Sreedhar & Saroj Narain, Dhruv & Sandhya Subbarao Naren and Vinita Gupta Foundation Nesamoney, Diaz Rangrajan, Murali Sathaye, Shirish & Archana Solectron Centum Synova Vanguard Charitable Foundation Wang, Stanley & Franny
$5,000 to $9,999 Aggarwal, Alok & Sangeeta Ahmed Pervez Altria Group Inc. Bagri Foundation Bhandari, Anil & Natasha Braham, Tor & Cathleen Chellam, Kris & Evelyne Cvsa, Vishy Dave, Tushar & Reshma Devitre, Dinyar & Aashish Dutta, Rajiv & Sumita Foudy, Richard Jagadeesh, Anu & B.V. Jain, Nirmal & Shashi Naik, Nilesh & Chetna Nayar, Madhavan
Fishermen repair their nets after a long day at sea in the Nagapattinam harbor. Tamil Nadu.
27 28
Puri, Anupam & Rajika Raghunathan, Arvind & Sribala Rekhi, Kanwal & Ann Rose International, Inc. Sara Beth Lurie Foundation Tandon, Chandrika & Ranjan Virtue Foundation Walker, Peter
$1,000 to $4,999 Advani, Dilip Aiyer, Kamesh & Geeta Anonymous Apple Core Hotels Ashraya Corporation Asiatech Management, LLC Associated Student Body Attaway, Denise Azarm, Mariam Banerji, Vivek Bansal, Anil & Kumud Bean, Brian & Kathleen Bhandarkar, Gopal & Pratibha Bhavsar, Natvar & Janet Bhindi, Tazeem Bierce, Andrea Billimoria, Farrokh Brown, Billy Burkhead Capgemini Corp. Carlisle, Carrie Chandra, Amitabh & Reema Chatterjee, Pallab Chatterjee, Swadesh & Manjusri Chhabra, Davinder Chitale, Anil Circle Road Trade & Translation LLC Danapani, Vijay & Kamini Dargan, Surinder & Parminder David R. Leeds 1992 Rev. Trust Desai, Raj & Sapna Dhingra, Amit Doshi, Narin Duggal, Rakesh & Neena Dutia, Suren & Jas Grewal Egon Zehnder International Inc. Fessenden, Nancy Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Gaitonde, Sujata & Sunil
Gandhi, Meera & Vikram Gaur, Umesh & Sunanda George, Sajini & Jacob Ghoshtagore, Ujjal Gill, Sunil & Tina Ginn, Mike Goldsmith, Marshall Govil, Vandana Gupta, Rakesh Gyani, Mohan Haldea, Shruti Hammett, Suzanne Havenon, Michael HSBC-North America, Community & Philanthropic Services Iyer Family Charitable Fund Jagwani, Chandru Jawahar, Chirimar Jog, Vikram Johary, Arun Joshi, Asha & Chandu Joshi, Vivek Judson, Willliam Kaipa, Sudhakar Kamra, Deepak & Christina Kamthan-Sanjay, Vinita Kapadia, Kalpesh Kapoor, Vinod Kashyap, Pradeep & Reena Kashyap, Sudha Keynote Systems Khanna, Deepak Kirsch, Steve & Michele Kohli, Ujjal & Sarita Kothari, Tushar & Sangeeta Krishnan, Basker Kumar, Tarun Kung, Hsing & Margaret Leikind, Harry & Ellen Lervold, Jill & Joe Loening, George Lon & Pam Tiggelaar Family Fund Lone Pine Foundation, Inc. Lu, Lucy & Hong MacKenzie, Iain & Chantelle Mahajan, Mahesh Mahendroo, Vikesh & Kiran Mahurkar, Monish & Padmini Malhotra, Sushil & Lata
Manja, Vani Manne, Liora Master-Trivedi Charitable Trust Mehra, Pravesh & Neeru Mehra, Ramesh & Joyce Mehrotra, Sangeeta Mehta, Amit & Ruchi Mehta, Asheet Mehta, Krishen & Geeta Mehta, Ravindra & Manisha Mellacheruvuv, Vamsi Meteor, Inc Mittal, Ritu & Manish Nakhoda, Shehzaad Narasimhan, Ashok Nelivigi, Nandan Netsap - DC Foundation, Inc. Nigam, Reshma & Anil Noorani, Ajmal Northrop Grumman Page, Carl Pandit, Vivek Pangloss Productions LLC Panjwani, Raju & Kimberley Parmar, Shailesh Patel, Haresh & Vina Patel, Nimish Patel, Prakash Patel, Ramji Patel, Rashmi Pherwani, Raj Piltch-Loeb, Debbie Polsky, Cynthia Popat, Vijay Prasad, Mukesh Prasad, Narayan & Poonam Puri, Himayani Pynnonen, Brett & Melissa Raghavan, Chitra & Raghu Rai, Sangeeta & Kula Raj Lunagaria Inc. Rajan, Srivatsan & Leena Chawla Rajappa, Aswin RBS Greenwich Capital Foundation Reddy, V.J. Revson, Paul & Lisa Dettelbach Revson Rickman, Alan Roy, Chetan S.M. Sehgal Foundation
Saagar Enterprises, Inc. Sakhuja, Ravinder & Rohini Sampathkumar, Jayanthi Sampathkumar, Nithyalaksmi Sawhney, Krishna Sawhney, Mohanbir Sawhney,Tia Sehgal, Suri Sen, Rashmi Sen, Robin Shah, Shannon Shah, Shashi & Anita Sharma, Deven & Anjali Sharma, Raghav Shivdasani, Indur & Aroon Shree Ganapati Corp. Shrivastava, Ritu Singh, Harjinder & Parminder Kaur Sloan, Barbara Softsol Resources Inc. Spohr, Stefan & Lidya Srinivas, Kasy Subhedar, Sanjay & Suniti Subramaniam, Somu & Meena Subramanian, Sriram Sud, Vikram Systems Task Group International, Ltd. Systime Computer Corporation Talwar, Rakesh & Suneeta Tilley, Allison Trans-Ocean Import Co., Inc. Udayakumar, Puduvankunnil Victory International (USA) LLC Vidya J. Dehejia Family Rev. Trust Vital-Ahuja, Maria Wang, Gary & Judy Wasserman, David & Carolyn Wesberry, Renee Weston, Gerald & Lynn We apologize for any errors or omissions in this list. We also wish to thank the signifi- cant number of donors below $1,000 who we are unable to acknowledge individually by name.
AIF greatly appreciates Prashant Panjiar for donating photographs immediately following the tsunami.
30
Perangipettai town relief camp where four days after the tsunami, clean drinking water was still in short supply. Tamil Nadu.
appreciation of our work
“Bay Area Unites (BAU) was formed as an ad hoc organization in the Silicon Valley to raise funds for tsunami victims in multiple countries. AIF was se- lected as the partner to manage the funds allocated for India in this effort, because of their professional presence and due diligence capabilities. We un- derstand the projects were completed with great results.” Dr. Kailash Joshi, Trustee Bay Area Unites
“The Indo-American Arts Council is a not-for-profit arts council passionately involved with mother India. It zealously raises funds and awareness for impor- tant causes in India by contributing to rebuild communities and assist victims of all disasters. Funds raised have been channeled to specific projects ear- marked, organized and executed through AIF. We are very happy to work with AIF because of its professional and transparent approach.” Aroon Shivdasani, President & Executive Director Indo-American Arts Council, Inc.
“Both AIF and Share and Care share common goals of bringing about per- manent, positive changes in the lives of the needy through educational and empowerment programs focused on needy women and children. In the IWDI partnership with AIF, we are extremely happy with the management of funds, formulation of proposal and objectives leading to future independence, track- ing of the set objectives, its documentation and reporting. In the future, it will be our pleasure to work with AIF in other deserving causes.” Jayant Shroff, Trustee, Past President & Chairman of the Board Share and Care Foundation
“TiE Foundation has worked with AIF to restore and enhance the livelihoods of many tsunami victims by utilizing modern information and communications technology to provide them effective fishing market information. The village information centers in remote villages have connected the local community with their government in Nagapattinam and also with other NGOs. AIF’s strong presence on the ground and its ability to work with multiple partners has resulted in this successful intervention.” Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, President The Indus Entrepreneur Foundation
AIF is grateful to Ajit Kothari for volunteering his time to track the tsunami campaign and producing this brochure.
Back Cover Photo: Three years after the tsunami, Kichankuppam village harbor in Nagapattinam district. Tamil Nadu.
N on
-P ro
fit O
