Members of YAMIDA Project for the tsunami affected in Aceh |
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A tremendous Tsunami struck the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. It caused 250,000 casualties and mass population displacement, destroyed infrastructure and drastically reduced food supplies. It shattered the livelihood of some of the poorest people in the region. In the following weeks, Grameen Trust drew up an action plan to support the victims of the Tsunami with microcredit to rehabilitate their lives.
Grameen Trust chalked out a long term two pronged approach for the Tsunami victims' rehabilitation. The first of this is the Post Tsunami Immediate Action Plan (IAP) which focused on supporting the Tsunami victims through the existing Grameen Trust partner network using soft loans. The second part is a more extensive long term approach: Grameen's Post Tsunami Support Plan (PTSP) with direct involvement of Grameen Trust and the possibility of forging new partnerships as well as leveraging the existing partner network. This plan will help rebuild many economic activities such as financing housing, purchasing livestock, restarting agriculture and other economic activities. Grameen Trust has over 50 partners in six of the Tsunami-hit countries: Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Myanmar, which it supports through training and education, technical assistance and microcredit initiatives. Fundacion Latino Grameen (FLAG) has been the primary donor in this program, having donated US$ 212,812 in grants to Grameen Trust. GT chose two of its partners in India, CARD and ESAF, as they had showed interest in working in the Tsunami affected areas. CARD (Community Action for Rural Development) has opened a branch in Chidambaram in order to aid the tsunami victims. CARD took a loan from Grameen Trust for rehabilitation efforts in Chidambaram, covering 25 villages and 4,861 families. ESAF (Evangelical Social Action Forum) have also taken a loan from Grameen Trust for their program in Thrikkunnapuzha. ESAF is utilizing this loan for rehabilitation of 55,303 victims in that area. Grameen Trust also plans to provide technical support by sending one resource person to each partner program to ensure the efficient usage of donor funds.
GT approved US$ 50,000 to YAMIDA (Yayasan Mitra Dhuafa Foundation) to work for tsunami victims. YAMIDA plans to help about 15 villages in the Krueng Raya branch in Banda Aceh in Indonesia, primarily targeting women.
GT approved US$ 50,000 to YAMIDA (Yayasan Mitra Dhuafa Foundation) to work for tsunami victims. YAMIDA plans to help about 15 villages in the Krueng Raya branch in Banda Aceh in Indonesia, primarily targeting women.
The partner organizations are using the Grameen Bank Approach of microcredit to provide assistance to those whose lives have been devastated by the Tsunami, and get them back on their feet so that they can earn their own living and rebuild their lives once more.
Reported by Grameen Trust |
