Hello everyone,

Students in Social Career: Urban Management and Tourism Development at the IUT Périgueux - Bordeaux I, we have had the opportunity, through a tutored project proposed by our institute, to work with the NGO InMaLanka. A tutored project is a mission entrusted by an association or a company to a group of student who is supervised by a training organization.

In our case, InMaLanka asked us to organize an event to make them known and to raise funds. Funds that will be used for the benefit of the communities with who InMaLanka is working.

We decided to organize this event during two days during wich various activities on the theme of indianoceanic islands were organized.

On Thursday evening, we proposed the projection of a movie followed by an indian diner: Philippe Kastelnik came to introduce is movie Raag Varanasi which follows the Raag scheme, then the public discovered a typical indian buffet and enjoyed it with pleasure. 

The next day, a study day was held dealing with the question of the divided islands, the heritage and the ethnicity in indianoceanic area. On this day, we organized, with an other group of students, several conferences and movie screenings concerning the indianoceanic area, with a main focus on India, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste and Singapour. This conference will be followed by a publication in the coming months.

This event was held in a good mood and welcomed a public curious and opened to the world! 

We would like to thank those who came to this event and the NGO InMaLanka.

Clément, Hélène, Morgane and Ninon

Delon Madavan while the conference

2004, December 26th, a tsunami costs the lives of nearly 230,000 people.

In Sri Lanka, the second most affected country, more than 30,000 people died in the disaster.

Emmanuelle Roy, French visual artist, introduced this year an art workshop with children from affected families in Sri Lanka. Under the tutelage of InMaLanka and with the help of Buddhima Perera, coordinator for InMaLanka, a workshop about the ocean took place in a school in Galle. Children were invited to talk about the ocean, make drawings and statues and write a story on this topic. The same workshop will be held in France on the Atlantic coast. Exchange between the French and Sri Lankan children will occur later and everyone will be able to discover the vision of the other of the same element.

Feedback on the first part set up in Sri Lanka, by Emmanuelle Roy

I was pretty worried all day before my first speech, I can not imagine what awaited me. Buddhima had just told me there would be a group of about 30 children who were very eager to meet me, so I put me a little bit under pressure!

We went to the school for the first workshop with Julien, my husband, who was responsible for taking photos and was also quite curious to see me at work! Arrived at the school, the children were there with their parents. They looked as impressed as me, but after presentations done, some big smiles appears and it was much better! It was a bit strange to introduce my self in english with an interpreter! I brought with me some photos of Bordeaux and its surroundings to show to the children where I am living and what looks like the ocean to me. They were very curious, asked many questions, and we broke the ice easily.

Then came the time to start drawing. Children surprised me by their calm, their patience and application. Despite the language barrier, we managed to communicate pretty well. I was both far from home and very close to it. I found in them the same curiosity and the same desire that I can see in french children, perhaps sri lankan children were quieter! I was also surprised by many things: once again the patience of the children, the availability of young people who helped me to translate, the young apprentice monk who joined us to draw, the little calf who lay down in the classroom to take a nap and the iguana crossing the courtyard... all of that just reminded me that I was far from Bordeaux!

I was also impressed by the determination of all children and adults, and the gap with French comfort: some boards assembled in tables and benches, lights that work when they want, a building in the center of the court never finished and unusable, 8 years after the tsunami due to lack of money and availability of workers, while it does not prevent the school to continue to exist and children to learn. All of that sort our ideas out. And always smiles, from adults and children, and a profound respect for all and of everyone, I was really touched by the school and those who are making it live.

Note: A similar workshop will take place in France with children in 2013, after what the two groups will share their work.

Photo credit Emmanuelle Roy

Website of the artist: http://emmanuelleroy.ultra-book.com/

In November 2012, several health camps had been conducted in Andhra Pradesh. On an initiative of InMaLanka and its local partner Desire India, health camps were held in Venumbakkam, Verat Nagar and Ramapuram. 

Two doctors assisted by nurses received in consultation villagers who liked to have a free medical health check-up.

The health camps allowed us to conduct a small survey on the age of first pregnancy and the age of wedding. Around 56.52% of the women interviewed get married before 18 (which is illegal in India). 28.57% of the women gave their first birth before 18 and 33.33% at the age of 18.

Teenage pregnancies are not safe nor for the mothers ot for the babies to be born. 

Our partner 'SOS pour un monde meilleur' accompanied us for a site visit. It was the opportunity for the Swiss NGO to distribute more than 200kg of clothes in our areas of action. They also met our local partner "Desire India" and considered future actions with them.

A special thank to Caro and Marty, who visited our programs, for giving a hand in the conduct of the survey. Also to Chris and Alex for their visit and for taking a part in this survey!

The doctors who participated to the health camp

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012, while the world is focused on the USA and Sandy, the cyclone Nilam hit the southeast coast of India. 

The states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are in alert since 48 hours, thousands of people have been evacuated and shelters are ready to welcome them. Nilam, as any cyclonic system, remains unpredictable and the landfall point is supposed to be between Pondichery and Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu. Moreover, the cyclone could turn to an hurricane and could make its landfall in Chennai. Letting think to the damages caused by the 1994 cyclone which claimed lives of almost thirty chennaites. 

Nilam finally hit Tamil Nadu coast in the late afternoon at 50km from Chennai up to the town of Mahabalipuram. 

The latest report mention 22 deads, several chennaites as well as sailors of the oil tanker Prathiba Cauvery which ran aground off the coast. More than 13,000 people have been evacuated. 

Hundreds of house were partially or totally destroyed by winds and torrential rains. Coconut roof pulled out, clay walls broken, people are now facing floods, more than hundred villages have been flooded. Hundred of acres of paddy and cotton fields were also destroyed.

The storm also hit Sri Lanka, albeit with less strengths. Reports indicate a minimum of 8 deads.

InMaLanka's infrastructures have not known much damage even though the storm hit our areas of action in India. People we work with have taken refuge in churches, municipal offices or in the home of relatives who stay in more stronger houses.

At the moment, dozens of families experiencing damages due to the cyclone. Some can no longer live at their home as the roof were torn off and the rains are flooding their place.

That is why we are calling to your generosity in order to help those families to rebuild their houses and return quickly and in good conditions to their homes.

A free health camp will be conducted this week in the village of Ramapuram, Andhra Pradesh. Donation of clothes and bed sheets will be done. This action will be conducted in partnership with the indian NGO Desire India and the swiss NGO SOS pour un monde meilleur.

For more information you can contact me at blanchemattern@inmalanka.org

If you wish to make a donation, thank you to send your check (payable in France) to

InMaLanka-Paris

24 rue Saint Fargeau

75020 Paris

France

To make a paypal donation, please find the link on the following page: 

http://inmalanka.org/faire_un_don.html

Feel free to circulate this message, it is free and will just take you few seconds! 

Thank you for your support!

Nilam cyclone crossed the south of Chennai at 17:05 (IST), its center is expected to cross around 18:00. Damages have already been recorded in the city.

Trees were uprooted near the school, the biggest damage is expected to be for home (roofs and huts destroyed). There is a risk of major flooding.

A meeting will be held with the students parents on Friday to see the damage and needs faced by the parents.

If you wish to make any donations (only financial), you can send it to  

InMaLanka - Paris

Miss Prince Ngilane

24 rue Saint Fargeau

75020 Paris

France

Thanks!

You can contact me by email: blanchemattern@inmalanka.org