Wherever the Need reaches an agreement with CAFOD over funds for house rebuilding in tsunami hit Sri Lanka

Bath based charity Wherever the Need (WTN) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with CAFOD (one of the members of the Disasters and Emergency Committee) to receive over £350,000 in order that it can build a further 100 houses in the Matara District of Sri Lanka to replace some of those destroyed in the Boxing Day tsunami.

This money is coming from the fund that was built up through donations from CAFOD supporters in the aftermath of the disaster.

This agreement will see further collaboration between WTN and its two partner agencies in Sri Lanka, Practical Action (formerly ITDG) and the Matara Trust. Practical Action designed the house which is of an eco-design that uses 40% less wood than in traditional modern construction and, partly through a revolutionary roof design, keeps the house cool in the hot summer. It is believed the cost of building the house is 20% cheaper than others of a similar design. The Matara Trust identifies the sites on which building may occur as well as contributing towards the overseeing of the building project.

To date twenty houses are either completed or in the final stages of completion from funds raised directly by WTN, with a further ten planned over the coming months. This agreement will enable the continued use of the infrastructure created by WTN during the past six months. WTN was a fierce campaigner for members of the DEC to work with smaller agencies in order that permanent housing may be built as soon as possible in devastated areas, and it applauds the decision taken by CAFOD. Olwen Maynard, who undertook an assessment of WTN’s work in Matara, has no doubt that WTN is an efficient, committed and passionate organisation.

“Technically the WTN house design is appropriate and makes good use of materials. There is a positive local acceptance of the radical design, and involvement of the beneficiaries is high. On that basis, as well as the successful completion of the pilot stage, CAFOD took the decision to work with WTN. We are sure we will learn a lot from this innovative project.” said Maynard.

Since its inception in 1997, WTN has grown from taking humanitarian aid to the Balkans, helping children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, to installing clean water and sanitation to countries such as Gambia, India, Nepal, Nigeria and Zambia. For the past four years its primary consideration has been the provision of clean water and sanitation, but it was largely due to one of the co-founders of the charity, Andy Barrs, and his family being caught in the tsunami that WTN put so much effort behind house rebuilding in Sri Lanka. It is currently drawing up plans for a tsunami survivor livelihood project in Khao Lak, Thailand, new water and sanitation programmes for tsunami hit villages near Tamil Nadu, India, as well as several water programmes in Africa, Nepal and India. A further project under consideration is the building of ‘co-operative’ brick kilns in Sri Lanka in order that a constant supply of high quality bricks can be produced for the new house building programme, which can also supply an income to local families.

WTN is hopeful that this agreement will be the start of several joint ventures that will enable it to use its skill as a highly mobile and efficient vehicle for the improvement of communities around the world.