Sri Lanka, 25 July 2010 – The first Singaporean team to complete a reconstruction project in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsunami has wrapped the final project funded by Singapore’s Tidal Waves Asia Fund. Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross, Mr Tee Tua Ba handed over the S$3 million (LKR 245.5 million) Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a special ceremony today in the presence of 500 guests.
The only college with the capacity for 1,200 female students aged 13 to 18 years old in the district of Hambantota, the Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College is the fifth milestone project between the long time partners, Singapore Red Cross and the Singapore Sinhala Association. Prior to this, the two organisations collaborated on a series of projects aimed to restore normalcy. These included the construction of close to 200 houses; a barber shop and an internet café to spur livelihoods; community centres to strengthen social fabric; and schools to nurture the future.
Mr Tee Tua Ba enthused, “With the handover of the Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College, the Singapore Red Cross has further strengthened its position as the leading humanitarian organisation that effectively harnesses the resources of diverse individuals and institutions to serve humanity, particularly the vulnerable in our communities.”
Hambantota along the south coast was among the hardest hit towns in Sri Lanka and remained flooded two months after the 2004 Tsunami struck. Relocated to an elevated site, the Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College features increased capacity, enhanced facilities and e-learning capabilities. It is also home to a dental clinic which will serve about 10,000 children and youths in the district.
The Singapore Red Cross and the Tsunami Reconstruction Facilitation Committee have managed the Tidal Waves Asia Fund since January 2005. To date, close to 70 projects on healthcare, education, housing and community, and economic recovery and livelihood have been successfully implemented in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College
Hambantota is the second capital city of Sri Lanka and is envisioned to be an economic hub. The Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College is the only educational institution in the district of Hambantota that brings together 1,200 female students from ages 13 to 18. The relocation and construction took less than two years, with the groundbreaking in December 2008.
Costing over S$3 million (or LKR 245.5 million) to build, the Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College features enhanced facilities and increased capacity: 24 classrooms, 2 libraries, 4 laboratories – all outfitted with copper LAN for e-learning capabilities – across three 4-storey blocks. It is also home to a dental clinic which will serve about 10,000 children and youths in the district.
- Collaborative effort by Singapore Red Cross and Singapore Sinhala Association
- Jointly funded by the People of Singapore (through the Tidal Waves Fund)
- Designed by Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (Ministry of Irrigation & Water Management, Sri Lanka)
- Built by Maga Engineering (Sri Lanka)
- Furnished and equipped by the local authorities
Tidal Waves Asia Fund
The Singapore Red Cross established the Tidal Waves Asia Fund (TWAF) as the designated fund to help provide humanitarian relief and rehabilitation to the survivors of the 2004 Tsunami Disaster.
The government and people of Singapore contributed close to S$89 million (or Rp 572 billion) to the Tidal Waves Asia Fund, of which S$4.23 million was used during the emergency phase, to provide relief assistance and to deploy medical teams to Aceh and Sri Lanka. The remaining funds were managed by the Tsunami Reconstruction Facilitation Committee (TRFC). The TRFC is chaired by the Chairman of the Singapore Red Cross, and is responsible for ensuring that the funds are effectively and efficiently used. The remaining amount has been allocated for the 69 projects by Singapore-based NGOs and VWOs towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with a focus on long-term sustainability, in the following areas:
- Healthcare
- Education
- Housing and Community
- Economic Recovery and Livelihood
Mr Tee Tua Ba enthused, “With the handover of the Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College, the Singapore Red Cross has further strengthened its position as the leading humanitarian organisation that effectively harnesses the resources of diverse individuals and institutions to serve humanity, particularly the vulnerable in our communities.”
Hambantota along the south coast was among the hardest hit towns in Sri Lanka and remained flooded two months after the 2004 Tsunami struck. Relocated to an elevated site, the Sri Lanka-Singapore Friendship College features increased capacity, enhanced facilities and e-learning capabilities. It is also home to a dental clinic which will serve about 10,000 children and youths in the district.
The Singapore Red Cross and the Tsunami Reconstruction Facilitation Committee have managed the Tidal Waves Asia Fund since January 2005. To date, close to 70 projects on healthcare, education, housing and community, and economic recovery and livelihood have been successfully implemented in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
