Our latest effort is in conjunction with the childrens charity Everychild , in Tamil Nadu India, and the construction of three child activity centers. To date 2 of the centers have been built and staffed ,education programmes developed for the children in Kosova have been adapted and introduced here , the 3rd centre is under construction and will be operating in the next month. We are awaiting our first written progress report from Everychild .

We have raised in excess of £20,000+ from activities, the Burns Supper, Sportsman’s dinner, the public lecture, the sculpture garden party and sponsorships.

The impact of your support
A key focus of EveryChild's disaster response effort in Tamil Nadu is to demonstrate a
replicable model of child protection and care for tsunami-affected children based around the
concept of child activity centres. As a result of your generosity, EveryChild has now been
able to construct the first 3 child activity centres. The three centres are all located in
Nagapattinam district the area that was most affected throughout the whole of India. Two
of the centres have been fully constructed in Karaikal and Vadakku Vanjoor and are now
operational and we are in the final phases of constructing the third centre, the floor is almost
complete and children will shortly be able to attend.

Each centre has been conveniently constructed within the relief camp compounds where
families are temporarily being housed. School aged children (over the age of 4) have returned
to school and they visit the two centres in the evenings. Pre-school children visit the two
centres during the daytime, providing respite for some parents who need to work. Children
who visit the centres receive a high level of care and support. They partake in activities such
as non-formal education, learning to read and write, sing and play and partake in activities
that used to be part of their daily lives before the tsunami washed away their homes.
Learning materials have been shared between each centre and have contributed to the
improved quality of education for school going children. As a result of the kindness of the
Club members, we have also been able to support cultural activities and sports and games
with materials and equipment.

One of the main activities of the centres is to provide psycho-social care for affected children
who visit the activity centres. Staff who are in charge of running each centre will be trained
in NIIvIHAMS techniques (see below) in which to counsel children who have been severely
psychologically affected through disaster. This will be a key element in the rehabilitation of
300 beneficiary children whose lives have been devastated by the tsunami. NIMHAMS are
also training local volunteers, school and pre-school teachers who will then be able to
implement trauma counselling at the centres.

EveryChild's Country Director, Sriramappa, is planning to set up a network of children's
organisations working in the tsunami-affected area to ensure that best practice is being
emulated across the region. EveryChild has played a key part in linking the centres and
ensuring that activities within each are coordinated and that resources are shared.

EveryChild's work in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health and
Neuro-Sciences - NIMHANS

During her visit, Ruth was able to meet with a series of colleagues and local partner
organisations with whom EveryChild is working such as the National Institute of Mental
Health and Neuro-Sciences `NIMHANS'. NIMHANS is an internationally recognised body
that has been working in India since 1981 in mobilising communities following disasters and
emergencies such as the cyclone in 1999 and the flooding in Orissa. Dr Sekhar from
NIMHANS is working closely with EveryChild's tsunami project staff on psycho-social care
interventions and trauma counselling for children who have been affected by the tsunami and
those who have lost one or both parents.

NIMHANS have special expertise in utilising community resources - teachers/pre-school
workers, ngo workers, health care workers etc. in disaster/emergency situations. They are
able to build the capacity of volunteers and provide additional support from professionals
where necessary - e.g. 70 professionals are working in tsunami-affected areas where teams
provide handholding following training.

Extract from a report received 18/07/2005 from EVERYCHILD