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WHY SCHOOLS? - Rotary’s Rationale |
In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami disaster the District Task Force moved swiftly into action. All Rotarians from around the country were involved in the provision of Emergency Relief which was the immediate need.
Even as we did so, however, our thoughts began to move to what the long-term strategy would be and how best Rotary could make a meaningful contribution towards the nations rebuilding efforts.
Rotary was ideally placed to play a key role in the rebuilding plans of the nation. We had Rotary Clubs in almost all the affected areas – a vital source for local information and logistic issues. We also had excellent rapport with key officials on both sides of the political divide. Above all we had the commitment of every Rotarian in the country and the solid support of all Rotarians throughout the world.
We looked for an area where we could provide a lasting solution; preferably address the needs of large communities and not individuals; one that would be in harmony with Rotary’s ideals, make optimum use of our resources, and showcase Rotary to the world as a truly caring organization. |
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Four Key Areas:
There were four key areas that were badly affected by the disaster – Infrastructure, Fishing Industry, Housing and Schools.
Infrastructure – this was quickly eliminated as the country’s infrastructure was clearly a task for the government who were far better equipped to handle the complicated process of rebuilding roadways, bridges and restoring electricity and telecommunications.
Housing – this was a dire need but with many complications. Here one had to deal with individuals – all with different agendas and aspirations. A major problem was that a majority of those displaced did not own the land their houses were built on – a result of generations of selfish politicians encouraging squatters on state land for vote grabbing reasons. Housing has been a perennial problem in the country and our previous experiences with housing had all been full of ownership disputes and inter-family wrangling over design of houses. It also did not give us the opportunity to cover all areas of the country which we were keen to do.
Fishing – the fishing industry was almost totally wiped out. With more than two-thirds of the country’s coastline being affected, the fishing community was easily the most affected and in need of assistance. However, one of the biggest development banks in the country offered to assist the fishermen through a special grant scheme which enabled them to be self sufficient over a short time. One of the curious features of the fishing industry in Sri Lanka is that the majority of the boats are not owned by the fishermen but by rich mudalalis (barons) who rent out the boats to the fishermen on a weekly or monthly basis. The Development Bank was clearly in a better position to handle this key area.
Schools – assisting the rebuilding of the schools seemed to be the logical choice. Children and education have always been at the heart of all Rotary’s initiatives globally and we could think of no better way to commemorate Rotary’s Centenary. Moreover, we had to deal with a responsible institution – the Ministry of Education, and it allowed us the opportunity to provide assistance to all affected areas of the country.
We offered to rebuild all the schools affected by the tsunami. Our offer was graciously accepted by the President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Kumaratunga who is also the Minister of Education in the country. In a personal letter to District Governor Lucky Pieris, the President thanked Rotary for its offer and indicated that she was well aware of the good work done by Rotary for the children of the world and made particular mention of PolioPlus – our global initiative for the eradication of Polio.
Although the government was keen to give us all the schools, we were approached by several International NGO’s and agreed to let the Ministry allocate some of the schools to them. Rotary was finally allocated 25 schools – the largest number given to any private NGO.
The President continues to show a keen interest in Rotary’s efforts with the schools and the Ministry of Education has used Rotary’s approach as a showcase model of Management efficiency when dealing with other agencies. |
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