| Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe of the Kurunagala Diocese of the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka today met representatives of Dundee-based charity Link Overseas exchange and Councillor Jill Shimi to talk about the efforts to construct a community centre and housing in his home country.
With Dundonians having contributed over £100,000 to the appeal set up by Lord Provost John Letford in the aftermath of the disaster — and money still coming in — discussions are now at an advanced stage to fund a project, which, it is hoped, will regenerate a whole community.
Although his own diocese was not affected by the tsunami, Bishop Illangasinghe has been heavily involved with relief work in other areas as the chair of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, and has seen first hand the devastation caused by the natural disaster.
He has worked closely with Link, Dundee West Church and the Lord Provost’s Appeal amongst other agencies to plan the community centre project in the east of Sri Lanka, and today stressed that he hopes it will become a hub for people and part of strong and continuing links with Dundee.
He said, “The important thing now is to look to the future and the possibility of providing habitable accommodation and opportunity for those badly affected by the tsunami.
“The immediate needs in Sir Lanka post-tsunami were met by a wide range of aid agencies.
“The response was as effective as it could be under the circumstances and now a considered approach is necessary, which addresses issues such as employment, education, rebuilding of livelihoods and community well-being.”
He continued, “The proposal to build a community centre, which can be a place for the co-ordination of such development, will go a long way to heal the wounds left in the wake of the tsunami.
“It will provide the basis for the sort of learning and community development that will rebuild confidence and bring people together with possibilities for the future.”
Dundee administration leader Jill Shimi said she was delighted that the generous response of people in Dundee to the disaster would directly improve the lives of people who had suffered in its wake.
“The people of Dundee have given so much since the relief campaign started and now it will be good to be able to show them something tangible with the construction of the community centre,” she said.
“We want to focus the aid so it is going to something relevant and making a real difference to those who have had everything taken away from them.”
The Dundee Tsunami Appeal Fund has already committed money to send the Mercy Bus to Sri Lanka, a mobile clinic that can house a team of two or three doctors, a technician, three nurses and one driver.
Despite some difficulties over regulations to Sri Lanka, it has now arrived and will deliver aid to remote communities. |
