PROC Christmas Appeal :: CorkAid.ie

19th Dec 2007

Cork Aid to Sri Lanka
PROC Christmas Appeal for corkaid.ie

When the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka on the 26th December 2004, Cork woman Majella Tarbatt and her family were having breakfast on the beach of Unawatuna, a magnificent bay on the Southern tip of Sri Lanka. As the angry waves crashed around them, they scrambled for the safety of higher ground, with furniture and debris hitting the backs of their legs as they fled. While anxiously perched on a stairwell, they said their "goodbyes", as less fortunate people floundered in the raging waters below.

After the first wave subsided, showing remarkable bravery, some local men came to their aid, warning them that they needed to follow them to safer ground, as the building wasn't secure. They gingerly followed these locals and managed to avoid the second blast of the Tsunami wave.

On her arrival back in Ireland, Majella got word from the people in Sri Lanka that aid was not getting in- aid agencies had to get governmental approval before they were allowed into the country, with no aid agencies on the ground, it came down to the local community of 70 volunteers (Project Galle 2005), to coordinate and address the immediate requirements of the local community. They appealed to Cork woman Majella to do all she could to help.

Click here to buy a nino doll

Majella set about raising funds immediately, and offers of support from individuals, small groups, local communities and small businesses were truly incredible. Thus, Cork Aid to Sri Lanka was established. As a result of the generosity of the local people, the charity raised €29,000- 100% of funding was sent directly to Project Galle 2005.

Cork Aid has also sent €13,000 in funds for longer term individual projects such as the rebuilding of the children's home for the mentally challenged and physically disabled and has helped local business people re-establish their businesses washed away by the Tsunami.

Cork aid to Sri Lanka is now focusing on long-term income producing projects, which allow individuals to travel the road to self- sufficiency and enable them to actively participate in the future redevelopment of Sri Lanka.

With the Nino Doll Project, we hope to give Sri Lankan children the chance to stay in school, to develop their career opportunities so they can actively participate and lead the growth of Sri Lanka in the months and years to come.

Galle after the Tsunami. This is where your cash goes.

The Nino Doll Project At A Glance…

12,000 Sri Lankan children (Niños) were killed by the nine-0 Richter Tsunami that rolled over Sri Lankan beaches.

Majella Tarbatt, founder of Cork Aid to Sri Lanka, and her family found themselves in the middle of the December 26th Tsunami in Unawatuna, Southern Sri Lanka, where they were on holiday at the time. The local community showed remarkable bravery in their efforts to help the family when the Tsunami struck. The family promise to help the Sri Lankan victims, once they had returned home, resulted in the inauguration of the Charity, Cork Aid to Sri Lanka.

Cork Aid to Sri Lanka has already raised €43,000 in aid; 100% of which went directly to causes on the ground in Sri Lanka, in community projects designed to get locals back on their feet. The focus has now moved to long-term growth and sustainable prosperity which can only be achieved through the education of the country's youth. To achieve this goal, Cork Aid to Sri Lanka has set up The Nino Doll Project.

Twelve thousand unique (individually named and handmade) Nino Dolls have been conceptualised, commissioned and self funded by Mark and Majella Tarbatt to honour and commemorate the beauty and spirit that was lost with those 12,000 lives.

The Nino Doll is handmade using traditional hand-woven 100% cotton and filled with natural materials, which are eco-friendly. The cotton yarn has been dyed and woven by hand in villages across Southern Sri Lanka.

The Nino Doll fundraising initiative provides support to communities in Sri Lanka who have been directly affected by the Tsunami as it:

" Showcases traditional, handmade quality Sri Lankan products,
" Provides support to the local economy through employment,
" Funds the Tsunami Scholarship Programme.

12,000 Tsunami Scholarships

Proceeds from Nino Doll sales go as direct financial aid to School children in Tsunami affected areas of Sri Lanka by the creation of 12,000 "Passports to Education" scholarships to each student that qualifies.

The Nino Doll Passport to Education is a bank book that Nino Boys and Girls receive, into which their scholarship of €45 will be lodged. This scholarship is lodged monthly over a six month period; after the six month period a review of their circumstances is undertaken- if their situation has not improved, they will continue to receive the scholarship.

This entire process will be verified and audited by Ernst and Young's accountants at their branch in Sri Lanka.

GIVE A PASSPORT TO EDUCATION BY BUYING A NINO DOLL
WHEN YOU PURCHASE A NINO DOLL YOU CREATE A NINO DOLL PASSPORT TO EDUCATION

Click here to buy a nino doll

Contact Information:
Email: info@corkaid.ie
Phone: 021 4295826