IODR & the Barmy Army
England Cricket Team Tour of Sri Lanka - 2007
Galle - 1st Test - December 1-5
Colombo - 2nd Test - December 9-13
Kandy - 3rd Test - December 18-22 |
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Barmy Army have teamed up with a fabulous charity which is doing great work in Sri Lanka - and what's more loves cricket. The Chairman of the charity has even played for Barmy Army in Sri Lanka and India!
Indian Ocean Disaster Relief (IODR - registered charity 1108329) was established specifically to provide charitable assistance in the Indian Ocean Region and in particular to respond to natural and other emergencies.
Initially providing funding, support and emergency relief following the Tsunami, IODR now builds orphanages, educational, medical and community centers in the Indian Ocean region. IODR provided emergency relief in the aftermath of the Asian Earthquake which affected those on both sides of the Kashmir border.
You may recall that a completely mad film and recording crew flew out of Faisalabad when the England cricket team were playing there and recorded the charity record "Jerusalem" with the England cricket team with proceeds to go to charity - The Chance to Shine state school cricket charity, The Professional Cricketers Association's Benevolent Fund and Save the Children.
Currently IODR is assisting with a number of projects, including long term community development programmes. In Weligama, a poor fishing community at the southernmost part in Sri Lanka which was devastated by the 2004 Tsunami, IODR has created a Community Welfare and Education Centre. The Weligama Community Welfare and Education Centre provides accommodation, education and community health facilities, and with support from the Barmy Army, will expand its sports and leisure facilities to include 3 cricket nets and a multi use sports area.
All building materials have been purchased from sustainable sources, recycled where possible and particular care has been taken to only use local artisans and other local labour, maximizing natural resources providing water from our own wells and using solar energy. This project has been recognized as a model of environmentally sustainable best practice. Weligama is just south of Galle, about 20 minutes away.
IODR would welcome Barmy Army members and supporters to the Weligama Community Welfare and Education Centre; perhaps to get in a bit of net practice before the Barmy Army matches start.
More information on IODR and the Weligama Community Welfare and Education Centre can be found at www.iodr.co.uk
Donations can be made by cheque to IODR, 58 Rochester Row, London SW1P 1JU or via www.iodr.uk . IODR welcomes any contributions and any reasonable offers of assistance.
IODR'S VISION
IODR see a world where all children have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and lead fulfilling and healthy lives.
IODR'S MISSION STATEMENT
IODR is a UK Registered Charity working to alleviate the suffering of children and families in the Indian Ocean region through the provision of sustainable interventions that improve the capacity of local organisations and the livelihoods of local people, especially vulnerable children and young people.
IODR IN PARTNERSHIP
IODR has partnered with a number of like minded organisations in different parts of the Indian Ocean region, mostly by providing new facilities but also certain services including education and health care.
Through the Freedom Through Education initiative IODR is helping to provide basic infrastructure for primary education. It is currently just over half way through a project pledged to provide new education facilities to 1 million underprivileged children. Out of more than 186 million children in the region in the 5-14 age group 100 million are not in school. So far more than 500,000 children have been provided with basic school facilities where none previously existed. By the end of 2008 we plan to have assisted the remaining 500,000, achieving our target of providing basic educational facilities to 1 million children.
