AERO - Living Heritage partnership

Patrick Harrigan presents AERO co-founders Razeen and Dr. Raeez with computer hardware, office furniture and supplies including 17" monitor, printer, scanner, UPS, CD writer, fax machine, and office furniture, etc. worth Rs. 200,000 (ca. US$2,000) together with a pledge of further support from Living Heritage Disaster Relief

Children and staff of Tiru Navukkarasu Nayananar Gurukulam, Tambiluvil, whose original boy's home was destroyed by the tsunami, received delivery of a brand new desktop computer system worth Rs 65,000 (ca. US$650) on 8 February 2005. The donation was facilitated by AERO and Living Heritage as part of a program to provide a computer with e-mail facility to every childrens' home on the east coast of Sri Lanka.

AERO (Ampara Economic Recovery Organisation) is a community-based organisation in Kalmunai started by Dr. K.L.M. Raeez, M.B.B.S., a Medical Health Officer attached to Kalmunai General Hospital and his engineer brother Razeen. Both brothers are devoting their entire family resources toward the goal of putting tsunami-ravaged Kalmunai town and neighboring villages back on their feet. Although the task is a daunting one, their sincerity and determination has begun to attract support.

As neither brother had ever set up an NGO, or even set up an office, Living Heritage Disaster Relief Administrator Patrick Harrigan has been helping AERO to register a web domain for development as well as plan and execute an economic recovery strategy for Kalmunai.

In the photo at right, Living Heritage Disaster Relief Administrator Patrick Harrigan presents AERO co-founders Razeen and Dr. Raeez with computer hardware, office furniture and supplies including 17" monitor, printer, scanner, UPS, CD writer, fax machine, and office furniture, etc. worth Rs. 200,000 (ca. US$2,000) together with a pledge of further support from Living Heritage Disaster Relief to support activities in the Kalmunai area and all over disaster-stricken Ampara district.

Living Heritage Disaster Relief and AERO have agreed to pool resources and work together throughout Ampara district so that all tsunami victims can rebuild their homes and find a new livelihood, sometimes at a distance from the coastal homes and businesses that they lost. The AERO office in Kalmunai with residential facilities will serve as the east coast regional field office for Living Heritage Disaster Relief. A special fund is being set up to assist AERO recovery activities; for the time being, donors may simply specify that their donations are earmarked for projects in Ampara district.

AERO and Living Heritage Disaster Relief encourage foreign volunteers to come to Ampara district to join in the task of rebuilding whole communities and the lives of those who lived through the tsunami disaster. Especially needed are volunteers with writing skills who can draft proposals and computer-literate professionals with experience in office administration. For details contact Patrick Harrigan or write to info@kalmunai.org

Volunteer needed now!
7 January pix of Tsunami damage to Kalmunai area
13 January pix of Tsunami damage to Kalmunai area