At the end of 2004, YMCAs did not stop to think whether responding to the tsunami was part of the Challenge 21 call to “build a human community of justice”. It definitely was. In Sri Lanka, YMCAs immediately mobilised volunteers and staff for emergency relief, including supplying food and water, cleaning drinking water wells, and clearing land. They also analysed what was needed for the rehabilitation phase, a long-term commitment that YMCAs are uniquely placed to deliver.
From the start Sri Lanka YMCA saw the tsunami as both a challenge and an opportunity, also in terms of strengthening their associations. Responding to the tsunami has already reactivated four dormant local YMCAs. As the emergency and mid-term responses (e.g. housing and livelihood projects) are coming to an end, the third and long-term component of the YMCA’s tsunami response is beginning, focusing on movement strengthening. This Global Operating Plan (GOP) initiative began in 2006 with a concept paper for a movement strengthening process for the YMCA of Sri Lanka.
The first YMCA in Sri Lanka was founded 125 years ago and the National Council established in 1962. Movement strengthening is certainly not a new idea, being a basic responsibility of any YMCA leadership. For example, the YMCA of Sri Lanka has run leadership training programmes for volunteer and professional staff, it launched the Rural Development Project, a large-scale initiative that enabled almost all YMCAs to reach out to some of the poorest villagers, and it runs a Peace Reconciliation and Reconstruction initiative which is socially relevant to Sri Lankans of all ages.
Local YMCAs were pleased with the way they were able to respond to the challenges brought to them by the tsunami. However, the National Council published a reflection paper in November 2006 called “Re-visiting the Y Spirit – a critical look at the organisation’s spirit and movement”, calling for a self-critical analysis as a basis for strengthening the movement. “What is important at this stage of YMCA development is to stop being happy about our work and do an internal search to see where we need improvement. That can be done better by being devastatingly honest with ourselves …..for the benefit of the association.”
The Concept Paper for movement strengthening in Sri Lanka sees mission review as a continuing process that will help to make the YMCA contextually relevant. The Paper grapples with the issue of sustainability in programme service, engaging professional staff and increasing volunteer participation. The main aim is to create a culture of self-reliance by the year 2010 so that the YMCA can continue to provide relevant programmes according to its mission.
Four local YMCAs that have not been affected by the tsunami were chosen as pilot cases for developing strategic development plans. All 15 tsunami-affected YMCAs are automatically in the movement strengthening process, especially those with new community centres, vocational training or sports and recreation centres. In addition to local level plans, the implementation plan for 2007 has a strong national dimension with training components in leadership, membership, programme and professional development, and good governance. It is crucial that Sri Lanka YMCA leaders and members don’t see movement strengthening as just another programme, but embrace it as a decisive strategy not only for survival, but for the YMCA to find its unique contribution to communities.
From among the members of the YMCA Partner Coordination Group for Tsunami Response, a GOP Country Focus Group will now be formed under the auspices of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs. It will provide technical and financial resources and evaluate and revise the objectives, programme components and expected outcomes of the movement strengthening process.
Emile Stricker
Executive Secretary
World Alliance of YMCAs
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Sri_Lanka.pdf
Sri Lanka YMCA - Tsunami Programme Targets for 2007
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Since our last update, many exciting events have happened with the YMCAs, providing relief assistances, doing volunteer work, managing visitors, and upcoming meetings!
South
Galle YMCA
The Galle YMCA has developed a Child Transition Center that is currently hosting 52 kids from affected families. The kids have lost their homes and previously were living in refugee camps. All the children are members of the Galle YMCA Children's Club and parents saw the YMCA as the safest place to keep their children. This is the YMCA's first experience in supporting children affected from tsunamis. The children's needs are completely taken care of by the YMCA and even educational needs are met by it. Parents are free to visit the children whenever they want. If the project in Galle YMCA is successful, as it appears to be right now, the YMCA is planning to expand to two other sites.
Matara YMCA
On the requested of the Principal of the St. Mary's Convent (Girl's School) the YMCA of Singapore has pledged to assist the school with the equipment for their science lab in collaboration with the Matara YMCA.
Matara YMCA has further identified 1000 affected students and they will be provided with school uniforms. The uniforms will be made by the skilled woman tailors who are living in the refugee camp. 10 selected tailors will be provided with sewing machines
West
Dehiwela YMCA
Dehiwela YMCA identified 50 fishing families that are living out side the refugee camps and provided them with dry rations for 7 days.
Last Sunday (23rd) 30 YMCA Youth members conducted a one-day work cam on the Dehiwela beach cleaning the area.
Negombo YMCA
Negombo YMCA is working with 2 refugee camps in Negombo where there are over 350 families. Both camps were provided with dry ration for seven days. The YMCA is in the process of collecting the details of affected students in order to assist them with school uniforms and educational materials etc.
Pamunugama YMCA
At the request of Catholic Priests of Wattala/Handala area (About 10 km south to YMCA operational area) Pamunugama YMCA is in the process of assisting the 250 displaced families as the first step. They're also working with well-wishers to assisting the affected families with kitchen utensils.
East
Kallar YMCA
For the past several weeks, the Kallar YMCA has acted as a hub for volunteers in the Kallar area. The YMCA has seen a wide range of volunteers including a French emergency relief team, SCI (a group of Sri Lankan youth from Kandy), and even the British Navy. Because the YMCA has been housing so many different organizations, it has had the opportunity to work along with these other organizations to make the relief effort much more efficient. The groups have mainly been focused on cleaning a hospital and a couple of schools, and running children's programs at a local church.
As a result of the YMCA being one of the only NGOs working in the Kallar area, the YMCA has taken it upon itself to be the coordinating body of all relief efforts in the area. As of this past week, the Kallar YMCA leadership has organized school principals, religious leaders (Christian and Hindu), the Additional Divisional Secretary, the Community General Secretary, the YMCA General Secretary, the YMCA President, and local NGOs to form a relief network committee.
Kalmunai YMCA
Although Kallar and Kalmunai YMCAs are less than 20km apart, the situation at each YMCA and in each community is very different. The leadership at Kalmunai YMCA is having a much more difficult time mobilizing the YMCA and the community to work together in the relief effort. The team has done an incredible job with cleaning roads, houses, wells, and canals within the community.
There are a number of YMCA youth volunteers within the community to help with the relief effort. Most of the youth members have been directly affected by the tsunami whether it was losing a house, a friend, a neighbor, or even multiple family members. The group will often not show up to organized cleaning efforts because most of them are living in refugee camps requiring them to wait in line for everything: food, toilets, relief goods, daily rations…
In order to address the issue, the Kalmunai YMCA proposed a plan to the National Council to fund the YMCA youth members to stay at the YMCA instead of refugee camps. Now the proposal is being implemented and 15 YMCA youth members are staying at the YMCA and continuing the volunteer work in their respective community.
Batticaloa YMCA
Batticaloa YMCA is working directly with the Tsunami victims by coordinating and assisting a local hospital. It is also provides dry rations to the refugees that are staying in refugee camps. With the support of the National Council relief effort Batticaloa YMCA was provided a 1000 gal water trailer bowser. People in the area and refugee camps use the facility.
YMCA is also involve in giving emergency loans to the affected families that the beneficiaries YMCA Micro Credit Scheme.
Komari YMCA
With the direct involvement of the YMCA of Singapore, a group of doctors from Singapore have been sent to Komari area. They are treating the Tsunami Victims staying at Thirukkovil Base Hospital. They will extending the medical assistances to the Tsunami Victims in Akkaraipattu area.
Akkaraipattu YMCA
The Tsunami Relief Assistance programme is being operated at the Akkaraipattu YMCA. The provisions of the refugee camps are being stored at the YMCA and distributed to respective refugee camps in the Akkaraipattu Divisional Secretariat. The YMCA has been requested to run a welfare center for 30 families affected by the Tsunami and the YMCA is in the process of renovating the YMCA building with basic facilities (putting up toilets, water supply and basic needs for people) with the direct assistance of the National Council of YMCAs.
Base Coordinators:
The National Council of YMCAs is in the process of strengthening local movements at the affected YMCAs by appointing base coordinators at Komari, Kaluwanchikudy, Valachchenai, Trincomalee, and Martara YMCAs. 06 base coordinators have been already identified and will be recruited on 01st February.
Volunteers
We have sent out 42 volunteers, half of them Sri Lankan and the other half, from overseas and last weekend because it was a holiday weekend we will send out about another 50 volunteers! It is amazing to see how many people walk into the office weekly saying that they are interested in volunteering for the relief effort and asking how they can help. We have had volunteers from South Africa, Australia, USA, England, Dubai, France, and Bangladesh.
Visitors
As always, we must announce the visits of our world community. The General Secretary of Malta YMCA Mr. Jean- Paul Mifsud in his profession as the TV Programme Producer of Malta National TV arrived Sri Lanka on 18th and visited affected areas in south. Mr. Eilert Rostrup, Director Y-Global, YMC-YWCA of Norway was here for a short visit of 3 days from 22 - 25.
Mr. Emile Stricker of World Alliance of YMCAs arrived on 25th and staying here for 7 days. Mr.Yip Kok Chung is planning to arrive on 27th to help in strengthening the relief proposal and methodology.
Meetings
A special meeting for all local Presidents and General Secretaries of YMCAs to discuss the planning and implementation of the tsunami relief effort will be held on Friday the 28th January 2005 at the NCY office hoping to involve all YMCAs in the development and implementation of the YMCA Tsunami Support Programme.
Also there is another Partner's meeting scheduled for February 14-15.
Other news
The National YMCA is still involved with the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCC-SL) in planning an overall project proposal for the tsunami-affected community.
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The YMCA's affected by the Tsunami are now with NCY and public assistance getting back to operations for normalizing the lives of the victims of the disaster and their YMCA's.
BATTICALOA
The YMCA was affected by the Tsunami and inundated by the waves. Many MEMBERS INCLUDING THE Office bearers have been displaced and they have taken shelter in the Refugee Camps.
DEHIWELA
This YMCA which is in close proximity was affected by the disaster- though not in a very bad way. The parapet wall in the boundary facing the Sea was completely demolished, while the Basketball court adjacent to it was damaged due to a Boat and debris falling on it. The furniture inside the building was damaged. In the indoor Games section, TT Tables, Carom Boards Etc. are beyond repair. Physical training Equipment has been affected by the sea water and the wooden articles are destroyed. The Pre-School too suffered irretrievable damage to furniture and equipment. The Hostel and building was recently renovated and re -furbished and most of the work will have to be re-done. The sewer system is completely blocked and has to be repaired and cleaned. Hostellers have suffered loss and damage to their belongings
GALLE
The YMCA building though over a Kilometer from the sea was under 07 Feet of Water. All equipment in its Communication centre LIKE Photocopiers, Computer, Fax Machine and Telephone system has been destroyed and has to be replaced. The Pre-School and Day Care Centre equipment including equipment for child care and education have been washed away. The furniture and electrical equipment has been damaged or washed away and needs replacement. The building too has suffered damage. Some of the walls need to be repaired and much re-furbishing work including replacement of windows doors and glass panes have to be done. The YMCA is now running a centre for displaced Children in its premises.
KOMARI
The YMCA building has been damaged and the Pre School and Day Care Centre will have to be re -furnished and equipped.
TRINCOMALEE
YMCA was affected by the Tsunami. All equipment in the building was destroyed. Including TV, Office Equipment, and Physical culture equipment. Library books, Indoor games equipment such as TT Tables, Carom Boards, and complete set of furniture in the section are lost to the disaster. The Vocational Training Centre has also been affected very badly. The Vocational Training centre which was providing training to so many has been badly affected. The equipment such as Welding Transformers, Meters, Torches, Workbenches and Tools have been taken away by the waters or unserviceable. YMCA estimates damage as 2.7 M Rupees
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The Secretary General of the World Alliance of YMCAs, the President and General Secretary of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY), are currently in Sri Lanka visiting the tsunami-affected area and discussing disaster response programmes together with the leadership of the National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka. With them are representatives from the YMCAs of Japan, Korea, Singapore, USA and Y Care International- UK.
The team also met with members of the response network composed of the YMCA, YWCA and Y's Men International, and the YMCA Task Force headed by Mr. Eraj Wijesinghe, Immediate Past President of National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka and currently a Vice President of APAY. The National Council presented a draft response proposal including various progranmnses for the recovery of livelihood and community building.
Bart Shaha and Yip Kok Choong
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The activity in the YMCA is still in full swing as we have sent out another two groups of volunteers, had visitors from around the world, and have made a number of assessment trips around the island since our last update.
The first group we sent out this past week, consisting of three South Africans, one American, and two Sri Lankans, was trained Friday morning and traveled to Kalmunai YMCA that evening. This group included three professionally trained volunteers in traumatic counseling.
Currently, the Kalmunai group is involved in a number of different activities ranging from cleaning land, emptying wells, removing garbage, and running children's programs at the local refugee camps. They have already cleaned a number of wells and houses close to the YMCA. Kalmunai has a strong task force working with them as they were able to recruit a number of youth in the local area. There are approximately 15 local youth and 7 other volunteers working for the YMCA right now.
The second group we sent out, consisting of two people from Australia, one from France, and one from Britain, was trained yesterday and traveled to Kallar YMCA last night. In regards to Kallar, the group there is still focused on the cleaning of a hospital. They have teamed up with other volunteer groups in the area to make the clean up process more efficient. Currently, they are working with a French organization, a group of youth from Kandy, and the British National Guard. They have cleaned all of the debris from the hospital and are now in the process of disinfecting the whole building.
They have also borrowed the water pump from the Kalmunai group to begin the cleaning of wells there. The group in Kallar has also started doing children's programs with children from the local church.
Along with the group leaving Friday night for Kalmunai, two other task committee members traveled with them for another assessment trip to assess the accuracy of the volunteer training program and the status of the volunteers in the east. In order for the YMCA to be the most effective in preparing our volunteers to so their best job possible, it was important for this assessment trip to be made.
Friday night, the Y Task Committee met again for the third time to discuss updates on the relief effort, short term budgets, and the extent of the long term plans within the YMCA.
During this past week, another assessment trip was made to Trincomalee YMCA to evaluate the situation there. The YMCA general secretary has been in the hospital since the tsunami, preventing little if any productivity within the YMCA. From the assessment, it seems as though Trincomalee YMCA is in dire need of leadership and volunteers. The national YMCA is looking to send a couple of strong leaders to the area and help reestablish the leadership there.
Last night, the Singapore delegation returned home after their week long assessment of the situation in Sri Lanka. As a result, they have determined that one of the biggest needs in Sri Lanka right now is doctors. Using Akkaraipattu as their home base, they will send a team of doctors every two weeks to assist with the medical needs in that area, traveling as far south as Komari daily. The National YMCA will be working in coordination with this project.
As mentioned in the last update, visitors are arriving from all over the world. Currently, we are blessed with the presence of Bart Shaha from the World Alliance of YMCAs, Art Wannlund, Evan Page, Boon Chin Tan and Chuck Collins from YMCA USA, Chris Roles from Y-Care England, Lee Chung Kim Young from Korea, Yamane and Oe from YMCA Japan, and Yip Kok Choong from the Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs. The office has been quite busy with planning their visits here as we hope their stay will be comfortable and informative.
Yesterday afternoon, the National YMCA met with the international group to discuss the Sri Lanka YMCA's relief effort. The international community was presented with an ambitious plan developed by the National YMCA to tackle the relief effort. After a long discussion and many questions, the group decided to take time to consider the plan and come back to it the following evening. The international meeting was followed by another Y-Task Committee meeting to report on situational updates. Currently, the international group is traveling down to Galle YMCA to better understand the situation caused by the Tsunami.
On a sadder note, the news begins today reflecting upon the opening of schools. Many children in the south and the east attended school yesterday as the new term began, but students found that some of their friends were not there. Where were they? Friends were lost in the tsunami and children found out at school when their friends did not show their beautiful faces, did not answer in the roll call, or didn't show up at lunch time. It was a sad day in the schools as the effects of the tsunami shed a new light on the magnitude of the disaster.
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With these last few days following very dramatic and sad news from Asia with constantly new high figures of the tremendous losses caused by this natural disaster, we want to conclude the year by sharing this prayer from the YMCA movement in Sri Lanka:
Prayer
We pray our Father in Heaven for your mercy to be bestowed upon our people who are undergoing the greatest devastation in history, that they experience the strength of your hand that revives the universe.
We believe oh Father, who saved Noah and his family together with the creation and guided Your People through Red Sea will listen to our earnest prayer and be kind to this small Island nation. We also pray, all the affected people who have lost almost everything in their life be consoled and grant them strength in resting life.
Let the agony pain and trauma crucifying our people be turned into a strength and determination so that they will gather their courage in facing the future. As YMCAs we pray to you to be our light, guidance and strength enabling us to assist our people in whatever manner they need our services, and we dedicate ourselves to be the humble servants of our fellow men who have lost their loved ones, destituted uprooted and lost all hopes.
Our prayer raise up to you, Father, so that all those children, women and men who sacrificed their life in this devastation be saved in your heavenly peace. Our wish is that all human being in and outside Sri Lanka become one human race and face up to this disastrous moment in the history of humanity and rise together hand in hand consoling and sharing love and brotherhood with each other.
May we receive all these in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Amen!.
Sri Lanka YMCA Movement
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