Flood Relief: Rebuild homes-Cuddalore-Vilupuram

Cuddalore areas were the worst affected in December 2015 floods. Though, their main requirement was rebuilding of homes, still, VOICE Trust could extend only relief in March 2016 and educational aids in June 2016 with help from Global Giving. Thanks to new supports to Global Giving in August 2016, VOICE Trust discussed with local partner HESAT NGO and decided to distribute following educational aids for school Children in flood affected areas of Cuddalore. 

• 675 notebooks for 225 school Children
• 225 school bags for 225 school Children
• 225 pen sets for 225 school Children

Also, 

• 100 goats for livelihood supports for 100 single women/widows/other deserving flood victims.

Since schools are having quaterly exams till September 23, 2016 and go for quaterly holidays upto October 2, distribution of educational aids will start from October 3. 

Distribution of goats will also be done during October 3, 2016. 

Completion report will be submitted to Global Giving before end of October.

VOICE Trust takes this opportunity to thank all the supporters who extended help for Cuddalore flood victims through Global Giving. Definetly, your supports are needed for rebuilding of homes for flood victims of Cuddalore. 

Continuous requests came from rural areas in flood affected Cuddalore and Thiruvadaimaruthur. With small amounts available from your help received through Global Giving, we could assist only 225 Children with educational materials. 

First, 75 School Children from agriculture labour families around Thiruvidaimaruthur were given notebooks and geometry box in the morning program on June 18, 2016. Collaboration supports came from HESAT ngo. 

Secondly, 125 School Children from flood affected areas in Cuddalore District were given notebooks and geometry box in the evening program at Sethiyathoopu on June 18, 2016. Once again HESAT ngo and local social workers cooperated. 

There was overwhelming gratitude from the resource poor parents of School Children for your help extended through Global Giving. Some Children noticed the School bags kept for flood affected Children of Chennai and expressed need. VOICE Team told them that such needs will be informed to friends who support flood victims through Global Giving. 

VOICE Trust appeals to you and your friends to come forward to extend emergency help for following educational needs for Children from resource poor families of flood areas in Cuddalore District and Thiruvidaimauthur region:

-School bags for 600 Children 

-Notebooks, geometry box for 375 School Children

-Guide books and notes for all subjects for 600 Children 

Special Appeal: Your emergency help is needed for supporting Children of flood affected areas for their school studies 

The emergency assistance rushed by friends through Global Giving has helped the flood affected people whose houses where destroyed by torrential rains of November, 2015 leading to floods in December 2015, to cover the roofs made with coconut leaves by tarpauline sheets. Thus, the flood blues are removed temporarily.

Mr. P. K. Samy and Mrs. Tamil of HESAT, a grassroute NGO collaborating with VOICE Trust informed that flood affected families of Cuddalore District around Bhuvanagiri area are now feeling secure with the tarpauline sheets provided to them as relief goods during March 2016. 

The flood recovery program implemented with help of friends through Global Giving in the form of cash assistances for 100 flood affected families have enabled them to get 2 young goats each for rearing both for economic gains and ecological benefits including goat manure as nutirent surplus for soil fetrility.

Pondicherry Multipurpose Social Service Society(PMSSS) - the local collaborator for the goat rearing program under Global Giving Flood recovery, shared with VOICE Trust that the flood affected families are now confident that their economic sustainability is guarenteed. Women consider the goats as new members in their family. Men go all out to fetch green feed for supplying to the goats. Children enjoy playing with the goats. Thus the whole family enjoy the arrival of goats as the beginning of a new leaf in their life shocked by the floods of November, December 2015.   

Thanks to flood relief and recovery helps provided by friends through Global Giving have opened up greater confidence among flood affected families. More helps are needed. New plans are drawn in consultation with local collaborators. VOICE Trust will share more with Global Giving further

1014 voiceless people without political influence who could not receive any assistance after the floods of December 2015 were selected by VOICE Trust in collaboration with local NGOs like PMSSS, HESAT, Kalai Pattarai and need assesment was done for procuring useful materials which could enable them to move forward in flood recovery processes:

• Kurinchikudi - Valasakadu villages, Cuddalore District in collaboration with HESAT - 204 families
• Kalkunam - Kurinchipaadi villages, Cuddalore District in collaboration with PMSSS - 100 families
• Bhuvanagiri - Pitchavaram villages, Cuddalore District in collaboration with Kalai Pattarai  - 150 families
• Ekkaduthangal - Chennai in collaboration with Kalai Pattarai  - 150 families
• Salligramam - Chennai in collaboration with Kalai Pattarai  - 160 families
• Resource poor School Children in collaboration with Kalai Pattarai  - 100 students
• River bank villages bordering Kumbakonam area in collaboration with Kalai Pattarai - 150 families

Relief and Recovery packages where given to 804 flood affected families with Tarpaulin sheets to be used as temporary roof for the huts damaged by floods, rice in cloth bag with words : "Take up cloth bags - Give up plastics" and cloth bags will become manure but plastics will add to toxicity, wheat, cooking oil, grocery items, cooking vessels and bucket.

100 flood families of Kalkunam - Kurinchipaadi villages are given goats to confidently move forward in life by increasing income generation for 100 flood affected families.

150 homeless people of Eakattuthangal are supported with cooking stoves since they found it difficult to use firewood at night for fear of fire accidents 

100 school children from resource poor families affected by floods in Chennai are assisted with school bags along with confidence building resource materials to boost them in their studies at this hour of crisis. 

Thanks to Friends and well wishes who helped VOICE Trust through Global Giving for extending relief and recovery for flood affected families. We appreciate your concern for giving a new start in life after the great loss due to floods in December 2015.

True, we had huge applications from flood affected families. But, we had to restrict to 1014 families including 100 school Children. We had to organize hall meetings to deliver the goods in an orderly manner.Some families organized local transportation to take home the relief goods. Others are making alternate arrangements.