Alex Hungate, Reuters Asia Managing Director said: "The present donation is intended to support the activities of AID-INDIA to offer a long term broad based assistance to the tsunami affected people near Chennai. One year on from this tragic event, it is important that relief aid continues to support those affected and helps the victims to rebuild their lives. The money will be used for community development, health care, education and alternative or enhanced livelihood assistance to identified villages across Tamil Nadu."

 

AID-INDIA is a non-profit organization, working on programmes in 200 villages across Tamil Nadu. AID-INDIA's pioneering work in the area of health and education has been recognized by a number of organizations and AID-INDIA has been invited by UNICEF and government agencies to train school teachers and health staff.

 

During the cheque presentation, Dr Sampath described Reuters Foundation's interest in supporting AID-INDIA to volunteers gathered from around India.   The volunteers told of their experiences touching on what prompted them to work with AID-INDIA, the challenges they face on the job and how they go about doing their work. Some of the volunteers working in the interior villages explained about nutritional and dietary requirements of infants and children illustrating how many villagers were ill informed.  AID-INDIA volunteers also demonstrated some of their unique teaching aids which they take to government-run schools to improve reading ability and a science kit which can improve the children's understanding of simple experiments.

 

The Asian earthquake and tsunami in 2004 triggered one of the biggest international aid efforts in history.  Reuters responded with a donation of $1m which it passed to Reuters Foundation to distribute to relief agencies and projects created to support victims of the disaster.  The donation has been used to support medium and long term relief programmes in Thailand and India and to support rebuilding of communities in Sri Lanka.

 

Reuters Foundation gave $150,000 from its AIDfund programme to help six charities during the crucial interim period between the call for assistance and the arrival of large-scale funding.  All charities were members of Reuters AlertNet ,  the online news and communications service for the international disaster relief community.  AlertNet continues to report on the impact of the tsunami in affected countries maintaining awareness of emergencies which are otherwise forgotten by the world's media.

 

Julia Fuller
Corporate Responsibility Manager