Staff at Sainsbury's in Castlepoint are going to collect equipment on our behalf. A special thank you to Sue & Jean who will make sure that everyone is aware of the project.
Malcolm
Friday, May 27, 2005
Here we go!
And we're off! Launched the fund raising at Mojive on Wednesday this week and again on Thursday. A big thank you to those of you that have contributed. Lots of people interested and asking about what's going on! Some great ideas too. Can we get toys to the Sri Lanka Children. Stacey & Ingrid a big thanks for your enthusiasm & inspiration.
Malcolm
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Saturday, May 21, 2005
UK Victims of Asian Tsunami
December's tsunami claimed the lives of 124 UK citizens, with a further 21 still missing and feared dead.
Contact me, your feedback is important
Please email me with your feedback / ideas for the site.Please click on the email link ... malpitcher@ntlworld.com. Thank you.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Detailed Map of Sri Lanka
The stark impact in Sri Lanka of the tsunami on 26 December 2004 is as follows:
Displaced people 431,224
Destroyed and damaged homes 132,201
Deaths 30,920
Missing 6,020
Injured 15,573
Most of the small, coastal villages in southern
and eastern Sri Lanka have been destroyed
click on the link for a detailed map -
Displaced people 431,224
Destroyed and damaged homes 132,201
Deaths 30,920
Missing 6,020
Injured 15,573
Most of the small, coastal villages in southern
and eastern Sri Lanka have been destroyed
click on the link for a detailed map -
Please call
Hi,
If you would like any further details etc you can email me or if you prefer give me a call. My mobile number is 07973 890630
Thanks.
If you would like any further details etc you can email me or if you prefer give me a call. My mobile number is 07973 890630
Thanks.
Your feedback is appreciated & Important
If you can think of ways of improving the site or making it more interesting & relevant, then please tell me. I really would appreciate any constructive feedback on how we can make this a best seller! Please click on the email link or get me at ... malpitcher@ntlworld.com. Thank you.
What's this Blog site about,and what can you do to help
Well, its simple really, cause, to be honest thats the only way I could do it! ( I'm no web master / Techie!) I struggle with MS word sometimes!!
I will update this site as and when developments take place in the planning process. I plan to visit Sri Lanka for a month and during that time I intend to visit a few schools & some of the Orphanages that have been created to deal with the Hundreds of Children who lost one or both parents in the disaster. I' m hoping that I will be able to take out some equipment for them in the way of pens, pencils, small books, rulers & small solar calculators. I know that I would kick myself if I arrived empty handed, but for the sake of a bit of planning and sharing my ideas and objectives with my friends. Of course I will be limited to how much I can take out in the way of additional luggage. At this time I'm working on 1 extra large suitcase. I'm trying to contact the airlines to see if they will fly it out for free or with a significant discount. I'm also hoping that some people will be able to make a donation so that I can purchase much more equipment when I get to Sri Lanka - this will solve all the transport problems etc. When I get out to Sri Lanka I will update this website hopefully 3 times a week. I guess this is a once in a lifetime experience for me, to be able to visit a country for a month that has seen so much devastation and destruction costing so many lives and loved ones. It is my hope that if I can make just a tiny difference...then its all been worth it. Please email me or add comments on the individual postings.....Thanks
Thank you to every single person who is able to make a contribution.
I will update this site as and when developments take place in the planning process. I plan to visit Sri Lanka for a month and during that time I intend to visit a few schools & some of the Orphanages that have been created to deal with the Hundreds of Children who lost one or both parents in the disaster. I' m hoping that I will be able to take out some equipment for them in the way of pens, pencils, small books, rulers & small solar calculators. I know that I would kick myself if I arrived empty handed, but for the sake of a bit of planning and sharing my ideas and objectives with my friends. Of course I will be limited to how much I can take out in the way of additional luggage. At this time I'm working on 1 extra large suitcase. I'm trying to contact the airlines to see if they will fly it out for free or with a significant discount. I'm also hoping that some people will be able to make a donation so that I can purchase much more equipment when I get to Sri Lanka - this will solve all the transport problems etc. When I get out to Sri Lanka I will update this website hopefully 3 times a week. I guess this is a once in a lifetime experience for me, to be able to visit a country for a month that has seen so much devastation and destruction costing so many lives and loved ones. It is my hope that if I can make just a tiny difference...then its all been worth it. Please email me or add comments on the individual postings.....Thanks
Thank you to every single person who is able to make a contribution.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Pens & Pencils. School in Gambia West Africa
Kath & I delivered pens, pencils etc etc to a school in Gambia. These were collected by collegues at work. Such simple equipment that we take for granted.
Sometimes we can take things for granted
The Headmaster & the Kids really appreciate equipment that allows the children to continue with their schooling. Basic pens, pencils, etc etc really do MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
At a Glance -
Country ........Conf Dead .......Est Dead ...............Missing
Indonesia...........173,981.................220,000 .............6,245
Sri Lanka ..........38,195 ..................38,195 ...............23,000+
India ..................10,744 .................16,413 .................5,699
Thailand ............5,305 ...................11,000 ................4,499
Somalia ..............150.......................+ 298 .................unknown
Myanmar ...........59 ........................2500 ..................7000
Malaysia .............68.........................74........................74
Totals .........228,601.........+ ~288,608 ........~40,000
Indonesia...........173,981.................220,000 .............6,245
Sri Lanka ..........38,195 ..................38,195 ...............23,000+
India ..................10,744 .................16,413 .................5,699
Thailand ............5,305 ...................11,000 ................4,499
Somalia ..............150.......................+ 298 .................unknown
Myanmar ...........59 ........................2500 ..................7000
Malaysia .............68.........................74........................74
Totals .........228,601.........+ ~288,608 ........~40,000
Thanks - to my friends
Its a daunting thing you know - changing your career at my age ! after all I am 21. -Lets face it, when you've worked part time with Elaine on stage for two years, how do you top that ? I will have the micophone one day - ! Its payback time, revenge will be sweet!
Once I had decided to go for it, which was a difficult decision in itself as you tend to stay where you feel comfortable even though you know you would like a change. I then had to deal with the next challenge.. How do I tell my friends that I'm packing in what I'm doing to do something else...even though I'm not quite sure what it is yet?. um... I was ready to take some stick......Well....spoke to my family and all my friends ....NOT one negative comment. Every single person was so positive. The one resounding comment I remember is " go for it Malc" - I intend to -
Thank you to all of you especially Kath, Elaine & Tim & my good mate Trev!
Once I had decided to go for it, which was a difficult decision in itself as you tend to stay where you feel comfortable even though you know you would like a change. I then had to deal with the next challenge.. How do I tell my friends that I'm packing in what I'm doing to do something else...even though I'm not quite sure what it is yet?. um... I was ready to take some stick......Well....spoke to my family and all my friends ....NOT one negative comment. Every single person was so positive. The one resounding comment I remember is " go for it Malc" - I intend to -
Thank you to all of you especially Kath, Elaine & Tim & my good mate Trev!
So why am I doing it?
Well, its difficult to explain other than to say that its something that I have wanted to do for a very long time. But you know how it is..Haven't got the time, the money....A hundred and one reasons, not least that you can't get the time off work! Well how things have changed for me. I am embarking on a change in my carreer & strange as it may seem, its really exciting! I have spent the last 25 years as a Store Manager in a very fast moving & stressful business. Looking back i've really enjoyed it but I feel that the time is right for a change....I consider myself very lucky indeed as I am now in a position to be able to take several months off work and do something that I've wanted for a long time. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity...If I don't do this now I probably never will.
remember the Tsunami
Impact: Sri Lanka suffered more from the tsunami than anywhere else apart from Indonesia. Southern and eastern coastlines have been ravaged. Homes, crops and fishing boats were destroyed. The International Labour Organisation estimates that at least 400,000 people lost their jobs.
Toll: At least 31,000 people are known to have died, and more than 4,000 are missing. The number of homeless people is put at between 800,000 and one million. In one of the worst single incidents, at least 800 people died when a train was struck by the tsunami at Telwatta.
click on "remember the Tsunami" for a link to the website & more info. - How Tsunami's develope, effects of Tsunami's, types of Tsunami's, other useful links.
INDONESIA
Impact: The western tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the closest inhabited area to the epicentre of the earthquake, was devastated by the tsunami. More than 70% of the inhabitants of some coastal villages are reported to have died. The Asian Development Bank says 44% of people in the province of Aceh lost their livelihoods.
Toll: At least 126,000 people died, while at least 37,000 others remain missing. The exact number of victims will probably never be known. The number of homeless is estimated at 800,000.
Aid: There are at least 160 aid organisations - plus UN agencies - operating in Indonesia. Aid agencies have provided emergency food, water and shelter to about 330,000 people, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Indonesian government had set a deadline of 26 March for the agencies to leave Aceh province. It has now extended that deadline by a month by which time it says it will release plans for the reconstruction of Aceh. Foreign troops assisting with emergency aid have been leaving the province, which has seen nearly three decades of clashes between separatist rebels and government forces.
The government estimates that reconstruction will cost $4.5bn (£2.4bn) over the next three years. Donors are reported to have pledged $1.7bn for this year. Indonesia has put controls in place in an attempt to prevent dishonest officials siphoning off donations.
INDIA'S SOUTH-EAST COAST
Impact: India's south-east coast, especially the state of Tamil Nadu, was the worst affected area on the mainland. (See below for more details on the Andaman and Nicobar islands.) In Andra Pradesh state, the World Food Programme estimated some 2,000 fishing boats were lost. And India lost some 700km of road, says the Asian Development Bank.
Toll: More than 8,800 people are confirmed dead in mainland India, 7,968 of them in Tamil Nadu and almost 600 in Pondicherry (see below for data on the Andaman and Nicobar islands). Thousands more are still missing. At least 140,000 Indians, mostly from fishing families, are in relief centres.
Aid: Repairing the damage is expected to cost about $1.2bn. India has provided aid to other countries hit by the tsunami. Initially it refused outside help itself. Later it acknowledged that, despite its growing economic and regional strength, it could not cope alone with a disaster on this scale.
INDIA'S ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS
Impact: Salt water, which washed over the islands, contaminated many sources of fresh water and destroyed large areas of arable land. Most of the islands' jetties have also been destroyed.
Toll: At least 1,829 of the islands' 400,000 people are confirmed dead and more than 5,500 are missing - 4,310 from Katchall island alone.
Aid: India is still refusing international assistance on the Andamans because of the presence of a military base on one island and indigenous tribes on some others. The military has been building extra landing fields on the islands to help with relief. About 12,000 people have been moved to relief camps on larger islands.
THAILAND
Impact: The west coast of Thailand was severely hit, including outlying islands and tourist resorts near Phuket. Some bodies may still lie in the rubble of ruined hotels.
Toll: More than 5,300 are confirmed dead. More than 1,700 foreigners from a total of 36 countries are among the dead. Over 2,900 are missing.
Aid: Thailand has not asked for disaster relief aid, but it has requested technical help to identify the dead, a huge operation which is still ongoing.
MALDIVES
Impact:The Maldives consists of 199 inhabited islands, 20 of which have been described as "totally destroyed". But the impact on one of the lowest-lying countries on earth could have been much worse. Scientists say the islands may have been protected by their position on the tips of underwater volcanoes: there was no land mass to push the wave height up. The World Bank estimates that international tourist arrivals in the Maldives in January 2005 were down nearly 70% on January 2004 - a major problem for a country where tourism is the main industry.
Toll: At least 82 people have died and 26 are missing.
Aid: The Asian Development Bank says reconstruction will cost $304m, and the government is looking for some $1.3bn over the next 3-5 years. Only a fraction of the money needed has been pledged so far.
Recently the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Committee of the Red Cross to fund the construction of temporary housing for 9,955 people displaced by the disaster. Eighteen of 85 temporary units have reportedly been completed.
MALAYSIA
Impact: Although Malaysia lies close to the epicentre, much of its coastline was spared widespread devastation because it was shielded by Sumatra. However, scores of people were swept from beaches near the northern island of Penang.
Toll: At least 68 people are confirmed dead.
BURMA
Impact: The worst affected area was the Irrawaddy Delta, inhabited by poor subsistence farmers and fishing families.
Toll: Burma's military junta has put the death toll at 61, but the World Food Programme (WFP) says this may be an underestimate. One WFP employee found 200 households where at least one person was missing. Hundreds of Burmese migrants workers living in Thailand are also thought to have died.
BANGLADESH
Toll: Two people have been reported dead in Bangladesh.
SOMALIA
Impact: Somalia is the worst-hit African state, with damage concentrated in the region of Puntland, on the tip of the Horn of Africa. The water destroyed 1,180 homes, smashed 2,400 boats and rendered freshwater wells and reservoirs unusable, the UN said in a report early in January.
Toll: Between 150 and 200 Somalis are thought to have died, with thousands more homeless and many fishermen still unaccounted for. As many as 30,000 people may have been displaced.
Aid: The UN has called for $13m to help tsunami victims. Aid agencies with small ground operations in Puntland have delivered food and relief supplies, as has a German Navy helicopter. Somalia is anarchic and has few roads, presenting aid agencies with a major challenge.
KENYA
Toll: One person drowned in Kenya.
TANZANIA
Toll: Ten people were killed in Tanzania.
SEYCHELLES
Toll: One person was killed in the Seychelles.
Toll: At least 31,000 people are known to have died, and more than 4,000 are missing. The number of homeless people is put at between 800,000 and one million. In one of the worst single incidents, at least 800 people died when a train was struck by the tsunami at Telwatta.
click on "remember the Tsunami" for a link to the website & more info. - How Tsunami's develope, effects of Tsunami's, types of Tsunami's, other useful links.
INDONESIA
Impact: The western tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the closest inhabited area to the epicentre of the earthquake, was devastated by the tsunami. More than 70% of the inhabitants of some coastal villages are reported to have died. The Asian Development Bank says 44% of people in the province of Aceh lost their livelihoods.
Toll: At least 126,000 people died, while at least 37,000 others remain missing. The exact number of victims will probably never be known. The number of homeless is estimated at 800,000.
Aid: There are at least 160 aid organisations - plus UN agencies - operating in Indonesia. Aid agencies have provided emergency food, water and shelter to about 330,000 people, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Indonesian government had set a deadline of 26 March for the agencies to leave Aceh province. It has now extended that deadline by a month by which time it says it will release plans for the reconstruction of Aceh. Foreign troops assisting with emergency aid have been leaving the province, which has seen nearly three decades of clashes between separatist rebels and government forces.
The government estimates that reconstruction will cost $4.5bn (£2.4bn) over the next three years. Donors are reported to have pledged $1.7bn for this year. Indonesia has put controls in place in an attempt to prevent dishonest officials siphoning off donations.
INDIA'S SOUTH-EAST COAST
Impact: India's south-east coast, especially the state of Tamil Nadu, was the worst affected area on the mainland. (See below for more details on the Andaman and Nicobar islands.) In Andra Pradesh state, the World Food Programme estimated some 2,000 fishing boats were lost. And India lost some 700km of road, says the Asian Development Bank.
Toll: More than 8,800 people are confirmed dead in mainland India, 7,968 of them in Tamil Nadu and almost 600 in Pondicherry (see below for data on the Andaman and Nicobar islands). Thousands more are still missing. At least 140,000 Indians, mostly from fishing families, are in relief centres.
Aid: Repairing the damage is expected to cost about $1.2bn. India has provided aid to other countries hit by the tsunami. Initially it refused outside help itself. Later it acknowledged that, despite its growing economic and regional strength, it could not cope alone with a disaster on this scale.
INDIA'S ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS
Impact: Salt water, which washed over the islands, contaminated many sources of fresh water and destroyed large areas of arable land. Most of the islands' jetties have also been destroyed.
Toll: At least 1,829 of the islands' 400,000 people are confirmed dead and more than 5,500 are missing - 4,310 from Katchall island alone.
Aid: India is still refusing international assistance on the Andamans because of the presence of a military base on one island and indigenous tribes on some others. The military has been building extra landing fields on the islands to help with relief. About 12,000 people have been moved to relief camps on larger islands.
THAILAND
Impact: The west coast of Thailand was severely hit, including outlying islands and tourist resorts near Phuket. Some bodies may still lie in the rubble of ruined hotels.
Toll: More than 5,300 are confirmed dead. More than 1,700 foreigners from a total of 36 countries are among the dead. Over 2,900 are missing.
Aid: Thailand has not asked for disaster relief aid, but it has requested technical help to identify the dead, a huge operation which is still ongoing.
MALDIVES
Impact:The Maldives consists of 199 inhabited islands, 20 of which have been described as "totally destroyed". But the impact on one of the lowest-lying countries on earth could have been much worse. Scientists say the islands may have been protected by their position on the tips of underwater volcanoes: there was no land mass to push the wave height up. The World Bank estimates that international tourist arrivals in the Maldives in January 2005 were down nearly 70% on January 2004 - a major problem for a country where tourism is the main industry.
Toll: At least 82 people have died and 26 are missing.
Aid: The Asian Development Bank says reconstruction will cost $304m, and the government is looking for some $1.3bn over the next 3-5 years. Only a fraction of the money needed has been pledged so far.
Recently the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Committee of the Red Cross to fund the construction of temporary housing for 9,955 people displaced by the disaster. Eighteen of 85 temporary units have reportedly been completed.
MALAYSIA
Impact: Although Malaysia lies close to the epicentre, much of its coastline was spared widespread devastation because it was shielded by Sumatra. However, scores of people were swept from beaches near the northern island of Penang.
Toll: At least 68 people are confirmed dead.
BURMA
Impact: The worst affected area was the Irrawaddy Delta, inhabited by poor subsistence farmers and fishing families.
Toll: Burma's military junta has put the death toll at 61, but the World Food Programme (WFP) says this may be an underestimate. One WFP employee found 200 households where at least one person was missing. Hundreds of Burmese migrants workers living in Thailand are also thought to have died.
BANGLADESH
Toll: Two people have been reported dead in Bangladesh.
SOMALIA
Impact: Somalia is the worst-hit African state, with damage concentrated in the region of Puntland, on the tip of the Horn of Africa. The water destroyed 1,180 homes, smashed 2,400 boats and rendered freshwater wells and reservoirs unusable, the UN said in a report early in January.
Toll: Between 150 and 200 Somalis are thought to have died, with thousands more homeless and many fishermen still unaccounted for. As many as 30,000 people may have been displaced.
Aid: The UN has called for $13m to help tsunami victims. Aid agencies with small ground operations in Puntland have delivered food and relief supplies, as has a German Navy helicopter. Somalia is anarchic and has few roads, presenting aid agencies with a major challenge.
KENYA
Toll: One person drowned in Kenya.
TANZANIA
Toll: Ten people were killed in Tanzania.
SEYCHELLES
Toll: One person was killed in the Seychelles.
Monday, May 16, 2005
overview
- keep website up to date with my prep & visit to Sri Lanka
- a place for your comments & suggestions, thoughts & ideas
- Collect as Much Equipment as we can transport
- Raise as much CASH as possible to purchase more equipment in Sri Lanka
- Info on the Tsunami, how it happened
- Pictures
- links to other interesting wesites
- bits and pieces / thanks Lee for your ideas
Thursday, May 12, 2005
All Systems are GO!
well todays the day that I have decided after much deliberation to go for it. This is it, after talking it through with Kath I've decided that I am off to Sri Lanka for a while. Maybe 2 weeks but hopefully for a month. Watch this space for an update.......Malc.
