Preston Muslim Society - Bolton Council of Mosques - IMWS

A deadly earthquake struck Indonesia on Boxing Day, 2004, claiming more than 275,000 lives and leaving hundreds of thousands injured. Almost 1.7 million people lost their homes and almost as many lost their livelihood.
It was the worst natural disaster many of us had ever witnessed and we donated generously to support the humanitarian aid for all those who were affected. The Tsunami affected areas in Indonesia, India, Sri-Lanka and as felt as far away as the African Continent.

BCoM also launched a relief fund and with your generosity collected £157,322 from Bolton.

Many charities were involved in the providing immediate aid. We sent a delegation on a fact finding mission within days and concluded that we needed to have a longer term programme to provide homes and support livelihoods.

To this end we teamed up with other similar organisations namely IMWS in Batley and Preston Muslim Association and Formed UMRA (United Muslim Relief Agency) as a vehicle to specifically plan, develop and deliver the relief programme.

Through this joint approach we pooled together resources and expertise and collectively raised £640, 000 which gave us the potential to deliver large capital projects.

The relief programme was targeted to Aceh in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India which were the worst affected areas.

Another delegation went to Indonesia in 2006 to put in place the management arrangements and contracts for the development. All the delegates paid for their costs to ensure 100% of the funds raised are used on those in need.

SRI LANKA

Work in Sri Lanka proved a little difficult however our UMRA representatives visited Sri Lanka and developed a partnership arrangement with a Local Agency to build 20 homes on our behalf.

We also bought some fishing nets and supported people get back into earning a living.

INDIA

Again working with a local charity we have managed to build 100 homes for the victims.

INDONESIA

This was biggest programme. We were fortunate to team up with Rebuild Aceh a local agency set up to work in the area. We bought a plot of land and worked with the local regeneration agency to develop a master plan for their approval.

We are pleased to say that we have completed the programme of building 100 homes. Currently under construction is a Musalla (Masjid and Community Centre). The regeneration agency has supported the development by contributing toward the road and infrastructure.

We have plans on the site to build a clinic and some shops which will support the local people in to business and generate some income foe the maintenance. We have been in discussions with Islamic Relief and other charities to jointly develop these projects.

SUMMARY

Completed:

• Acquired Land in Indonesia

• Built

- 110 homes in Indonesia
- 100 homes in India
- 20 Homes in Sri Lanka

• Almost completed building of a musalah / Masjid
• Contributed funds towards rebuilding of a mosque and repairs of another Masjid
• Supported people into business enterprise – offering start up grants for nets, boats, setting up businesses, etc. and offered business advise and support
• Supported building of 8 homes for widows with facility for home working
• Supported a Work place scheme for widows to take up employment.

Planned Programmes:

• Construction of a New Clinic on site
• Construction of Business Units – 8 Shops

Tsunami Facts:

FACTS TSUNAMI

• 275,000 people killed in 14 countries
• $9.9 Billion original estimate value of economic infrastructural and human development costs
• 600,000 people in Aceh lost their livelihoods
• A 1,200KM section of the earth’s crust shifted beneath the Indian Ocean and released stored energy equivalent to over more than 23,000 Hiroshima bombs.

^{Source Tsunami Evaluation Coalition}