Tsunami RE-build - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**MolsonGirl** · 01-02-2005, 12:47 PM

Hey guys, well as we all know the Tsunami destroyed everything in it's path and I was wondering if anyone knew of programs that might be looking for volunteers to head on over and help re-build communities.

I feel pretty helpless, and other than the money I've donated to the Canadian Red Cross I'd really like to get out there and help more. I was thinking Habitat for Humanity but if anyone knows any other organizations it'd be greatly appreciated.

**MolsonGirl** · 01-02-2005, 12:55 PM

Perhaps we could even get a couple people together to go help.

**beergal** · 01-02-2005, 04:49 PM

i was going to do the tour through se asia this summer and the devastating effects of the tsunami wont be stopping me if they are still looking for volunteers in july onwards i will gladly donate my services

**U2fan** · 01-02-2005, 05:02 PM

yeah, I would love to do more than just donate money....

**kingcrazylegs** · 01-02-2005, 08:29 PM

Yea, that would be awesome.....

That would be a neat Tpunk gathering..a bunch of us going to do relief work!

**MolsonGirl** · 01-02-2005, 08:44 PM

I was thinking of perhaps getting company sponsors as well, just to make things easier and perhaps make it possible for more people to help. Just ask companies if they would pay for the flight and maybe some food while helping over there and in turn show how individual companies were trying to help out.

I'm obviously not looking to get paid to do this but Flight and living costs (food) could set a girl (or boy) back a pretty penny... either way I'm gonna do it if I can.

**Canadian Dude** · 01-03-2005, 09:39 AM

MG, Try visitin one of the local Budist or Muslim religious centers in Toronto, they could prob give you some advise on who needs what over there. And the best way for you to help shold you make it over.

**omisan** · 01-03-2005, 10:06 AM

I was listening to representatives from Oxfma, the Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders this morning. They're saying that in the short term, it's almost a hinderance to get new volunteers in, as it requires months of training, etc. to get people up to speed. So right now, they're mostly just taking on volunteers who have past relief experience. However, they're worried that after the initial surge of donations and volunteering, it might all drop off. Obviously, this is something that will take at least several years to recover from, so they will need more volunteers in the future... SO while there may not be immediate opportunities to go out and help, you can get onboard with one of the many organizations now and start training for deployment a little ways down the road.

**TheJake** · 01-03-2005, 11:31 AM

yea i did hurricane relief in the carolinas and florida a couple times but always a couple months after the big wave. People freak out at first about food and stuff just cause they arent thinking clearly then they realize that what they really need is help rebuilding their lives.

Get some construction experience and you will go far helping people with relief work.

**MolsonGirl** · 01-05-2005, 12:00 PM

Oh for sure.. I heard all that stuff about how they don't want people flying over there to help right now and I had no intention of doing so... I won't be done University until April and even then I have a summer job so I was looking more at like September or later time... but I want to be on the ball for and perhaps line something up for the future.

**TheJake** · 01-23-2005, 12:41 PM

Ok so let's start planning a tpunk relief organization to add to our growing list of aspirations.

I for one am beginning to plan an asia trip for next fall/winter to help rebuild. And the best part of that is you can ask people for money to support your trip

So those of you who are seriously interested in going please post here.

I am tenantively planning on working for a couple months there and then hitting up korea to visit a couple old friends. Everyone is more than welcome to tag along. I will post more information after I contact the relief organizations I have worked with before.

travelmatt · 01-25-2005, 10:16 PM

This is from the Washington Post yesterday. Aparently this guy from my hometown tried to do just what you guys were asking.

Quote:

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Rizwan Mowlana hadn't expected that doing his part to save a half-drowned country would involve finding four cows to be sacrificed.
But here was the Gaithersburg man -- who had gathered more than $1 million in cash and donated goods for his devastated homeland -- chasing through rural southern Sri Lanka in a rented Toyota Land Cruiser, in search of the local cattle broker.

\"You think collecting money is hard?\" he said. \"Giving it away is even more difficult.\"

The challenge of rushing aid to a region so thoroughly laid to waste has been daunting even for the big international agencies that specialize in emergency relief. For a freelance operator such as Mowlana, who counted on his passion to trump his inexperience, coping with ponderous bureaucracies and corrupt officials has been downright exasperating.

So Mowlana had promised to achieve something quite simple: purchase four cows for local Muslim fishermen who were crushed by the tsunami, losing homes, belongings and -- most of all -- their children.

About 150 were living in tents amid their smashed community along the sea in downtown Hambantota, cooking on one fly-covered hot plate. When Mowlana had stopped by, they had gathered around him in the hot sun, shouting. They were running out of food and water, they said. The government was doing nothing to help.

But Mowlana didn't have much to offer. The 1,000 pounds of donated food and medical supplies that he'd brought was still stuck at the airport, despite the fact that he'd paid thousands of dollars in bribes. Other supplies he'd collected were still at sea.
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I hope I didnt bring everyone down. But Im sure if there were enough tpunkers there, you could just start building houses or bridges or anything. B)