Tsunami Recovery in Four Fishing Villages, India

Along the beaches of Chennai, many poor and destitute have built tiny thatch huts as homes. Many of the families from this poor fishing community cannot afford to live in real homes.

When the tsunami hit in 2004, all of the huts were destroyed and the government established a law that no new structures could be built within 500 yards of the shore. Many fishing families refused to leave the beaches since their livelihoods depended on the ocean, despite the government ordinance. Those who did not rely so heavily on fishing agreed to the relocation in Kannagi Nagar, a town 25 km from Chennai.

Unfortunately, the school system of Kannagi Nagar is poorly run and is not even certified to train students for their graduation exams. Some students are forced to commute daily to Chennai to continue attending the Santhome School, but find the commute a drain on time and resources.

JYO immediately began supporting Sr. Bakiam, an inspiring women who independently founded a youth hostel for girls in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. The purpose of the hostel was to allow girls of relocated families to continue in the Santhome School without commuting, thus permitting them to present their exams and hopefully find employment. The younger students who were not yet preparing for their exams were supplied stipends for travel, books, uniforms, and health costs, thanks to funding by JYO.

Currently, 25 girls live in the hostel. The students attend school daily. All of their fees, uniforms, books, etc, were replaced after the tsunami. While living in the hostel, the girls receive breakfast and dinner and have access to a tutor from 6-8pm for extra help on their Math and Science work.

Besides the wonderful work at the girls’ hostel, JYO supports another incredible project headed by Matthew. JYO used funds from GlobalGiving to give almost 11,500 rupees to each student commuting to the Santhome School in Chennai from Kannagi Nagar.