With children and young people comprising more than half of the survivors of the Boxing Day tsunami, Plan’s Tsunami – 12 Months After report and the academic study Children and the Tsunami outline the role children played in rebuilding their communities.

Plan national executive director Ian Wishart said “When we talk about disaster response and long-term reconstruction, it is children’s future homes, future income sources, future educational opportunities and psychological well-being that we are talking about”.

Immediately after the tsunami, Plan – an international child centred community development agency – supported the emergency response and now continues to support long-term rehabilitation in tsunami-affected communities, especially for children, in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

These projects include school construction, teacher training, birth registration, vocational training, microfinance, housing and community rehabilitation, potable water, sanitation, healthcare, health worker training and innovative work in the area of psychosocial support for children and adults.

Plan’s tsunami rebuilding projects include:

Indonesia - Aceh: Plan is working in 200 villages and displaced persons camps, reaching out to more than 50,000 families or 250,000 people. Plan has received approval from the Indonesian Government to build 14 schools, including primary schools and kindergartens, with the first 3 due to be completed in December. Plan has also been training 153 teachers in child learning techniques and psycho-social support, as well as more than 200 health staff in basic health care, infection prevention and midwifery. Plan is working to revitalise village health posts with the distribution of health care equipment and the construction of 10 village health centres.

Sri Lanka - Hambantota: Plan is working in 41 divisions with about 29,000 families. Plan has started construction of a primary and secondary school complex and completed the design of 9 additional schools after extensive consultation with children and communities. Plan has supported the psychosocial recovery of more than 1 million children. Plan is also funding livelihood skills training for young people.

Thailand - Phuket and Phang-Nga:Plan is working in 16 villages with approximately 2,020 families on its community-based tsunami disaster response project, which covers 11 affected schools, involving approximately 5,014 school children. Plan has helped support a pioneering Childline caravan project, which provides psychological care and interactive games to assist children with the post-tsunami healing process.

India - Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh: Plan is working in 257 villages and is working with more than 80,000 people. As well as supporting education, healthcare and housing projects, Plan has set up child care centres allowing children to heal from their ordeal and receive ongoing healthcare. Plan has also provided livelihood skills training and equipment to help families earn an income after their jobs and businesses where destroyed by the tsunami.

Plan’s tsunami fundraising accountability:
In Australia, Plan has raised $2,230,755. Globally, Plan has received donations totalling $49.2 million. At the end of December 2005, Plan will have spent more than $17.3 million in four countries.

“We have plans in place to spend all the money received within the next two years. As a development agency with a focus on the long term, Plan’s objective has never been to spend funds raised quickly; rather, it is to spend the money on projects that are well thought out and best address the long-term needs of the communities in which we work,” Mr Wishart said.

---

Ian Wishart - Plan, national executive director       
Ph: (03) 9672 3611  or   0411 595 573

Tim Cansfield-Smith -Plan, Media & Communications Manager, Plan 0411 642 194

Heather Ellis – Plan, media officer           
Ph: (03) 9672 3652  or   0425 720 193