Ritinjali has always responded to any natural calamity or human-made occurrence that has affected the nation, be it Gujarat or Kargil. Ritinjali also sent relief material at a short notice to Karaikal in Pondicherry, in response to the Tsunami.Based on reports from tsunami survivors, we at Ritinjali prepared bags containing the following relief materials:

Item	Bed Sheet	Towel	Dhoti	Saree	Serving Spoons	pot	Plate	Glass	Candles	Match Box	Soap
Quantity	1	1	1	1	2	1	3	3	4	2	1

Immediate relief material was distributed in the villages of Mandapathur, Kalikuppam, Akkampattai, Kotticherimedu and Keezhakasakuimedu. A total of 1170 bags along with sacks of rice (approximately 3300 kgs), etc were sent to the following villages . The truck fare was Rs.34,945.00 . Clothes and food worth Rs, 1,67,117.00 were also distributed.

Village	Relief Bags	Material Rice
Mandapathur	151	150kgs
Kallikupam	170	200kgs
Akkampattai*		300kgs
Kotticherimedu Backward Community Fisherman	160 369	165kgs 285kgs

*Prior to Ritinjali's arrival, Akkampatai had been visited by another organization and relief material had been distributed there. Therefore, no bags were given out there.

Since January 2005, Ritinjali has been working extensively with the inhabitants of Kalikuppam, as this was the only village where the school building had also broken down. The village was also located on the coast and as per CRZ regulations, the village would have to be relocated inland.

Intensive counseling sessions were conducted for the villagers to provide them emotional support and help them deal with their trauma and enormous loss. Temporary sheds were also constructed for the inhabitants. The sheds had bamboo frames and were enclosed on all sides using Aspolite sheets. The doors were also made of Aspolite sheets, and the floor made up of a layer of brick and plastered with cement. The total amount spent on these sheds and the cost of their maintenance was Rs. 5, 22,939.00 . Ritinjali took the initiative of engaging the community and organized sports and cultural competitions among the villagers, that helped divert their attention from the disaster. Sports materials worth Rs. 14,981.00 was specially purchased for this purpose. The activity within the village has helped bring back those villagers who had moved to the temple further away, due to the fear of the sea. On the 12 th of January 2005, the Ritinjali team took the fishermen and went into the sea for the first time after the sunami waves struck. The fishermen were afraid and trepidation was writ large on their faces. But with some encouragement and motivation from the Ritinjali team, they took this first important step. The fishing expeditions helped them overcome their fear and gave their lives some semblance of normalcy.

Listed below are some of Ritinjali’s initiatives at Kalikuppam:

LIVELIHOOD & VOCATIONAL TRAINING

After a successful emergency phase, when the focus was on providing people with pure drinking water, pasteurized milk, food aid and clothes, Ritinjali put into place livelihood and vocational training programmes that helped villagers rebuild their lives and become self-reliant.

Boats - Since the inhabitants of the village are primarily fisher folk, Ritinjali provided the villagers with 20 fiberglass boats costing Rs.25, 40,018.00 along with engines and 40 sets of nets costing another Rs. 4,63,106.00. The boats were custom-made, taking into account the requirements of the fishermen. Ritinjali was instrumental in restoring the livelihood of 170 families. Some of the boats were in fact provided to families who did not own them in the past. Ritinjali volunteers also helped the fishermen return to the sea and overcome their fear of the ocean.

The namesh of some of the beneficiaries are given below

Name	Father's Name	Name	Father's Name
Packirisamy	S/o Rajamanickam	Rajavel	S/o Sivalinagam
Jegan	S/o Packirisamy	Ramaligam	S/o Challadurai
Kaliamoorthy	S/o Rajamanickam	Thamizhveeran	S/o Veerappan
Chelladurai	S/o Kathamuthu	Chitravel	S/o Arumugam
Jeyaraman	S/o Chelladurai	Palanisamy	S/o Thangavel
Arul	S/o Chellandurai	Shanmugaraj	S/o Mrurgaiyan
Senthil	S/o Kuttiandi	Sakthevel	S/o Kunjalu
Kuttiandi	S/o Chinnathambi	Ganesan	S/o Panneer Selvam
Desingh	S/o Thangavel	Arjunan	S/o Panner Selvam
Selvam	S/o Katthan	Velumanickam	S/o Kuttiandi
Singaravel	S/o Katthan	Arumugam	S/o Palanisamy
Selvakumar	S/o Katthan	Thirunavukarasu	S/o Kuttiandi
Thangarasu	S/o Kumaravel	Aravindan	S/o Munusamy
Sundaravadivel	S/o Thangarasu	Ravichaandran	S/o Munusamy
Ezhumalai	S/o Muthusamy	Munusamy	S/o Muthian

Tailoring Unit - After repeated visits by a group of Ritinjali volunteers and employees, the need for motivating women and initiating vocational training programmes for them was felt. Hence, Ritinjali set up a tailoring unit designed to empower the women and help them earn their living. A professional was hired to cater to the large number of women in different time slots. The section started with twenty ladies. They were provided with paper, cloth and other accessories. Equipment and tailoring material worth Rs. 63,877.00 was provided to the center.  It was encouraging to see women trying to come out of the after-effects of the disaster and begin life anew. Three students also bought their own machines and would use them at home. Women sold the different products that they made or presented them as gifts. Competitions were conducted in stitch work, handwork and embroidery. Experts assessed the performance and winners were awarded.

Tea Shop
Ritinjali set up a teashop with the total cost amounting to Rs.25, 000.00.  Two women, Malar and Selvarani, from the village were employed here and were given a salary to keep the shop running. All profits from this venture were redistributed to the people of Kalikuppam.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Recreation Centre
Gymnasium - Ritinjali set up a gym to facilitate the physical and mental growth of the youth. The amount of Rs. 18,000.00 was spent to set up the entire facility. Approximately 50 members of the community frequent the gym on a daily basis.  It is indeed a pleasure to see the youth exercising every day.

Living room - To enable the community to overcome their grief and pain, Ritinjali built a small living room with a television worth Rs.5900.00 for the entire community’s entertainment. People of all age groups not only view different channels in their regional language, but also use this space to interact with one another as well as to reflect upon their lives.

EDUCATION

Ritinjali believes that all social and community development is centered around education. By providing holistic education Ritinjali can help nurture empowered, responsible citizens, capable of not only providing for themselves, but also of contributing actively to their local communities through enterprise, awareness and self-induced social responsibility.

School - Ritinjali is deeply committed to education. Since the tsunami had destroyed the earlier school building, the students had stopped going to school. A temporary shelter was constructed to accommodate the students to help them continue their education. Furniture and fixtures worth Rs. 53,355.00 and various swings and play material worth Rs. 35,000.00 were also bought for the school.

Tuition Centre - A Tuition Centre was set-up to assist the students with their studies and nurture them to bring out their strengths. Ritinjali had a team of experts to provide the students individual guidance on a regular basis. The team comprised of Karunakaran who taught Science and Math, Ashok Raj who taught Commerce, Accountancy and Economics and Kunasekaran who taught English and Computers. Their expertise also helped in monitoring the student’s progress.

Scholarships – The Tsunami had economically ruined the lives of the dwellers. Hence, it was difficult for some of the children to continue their education. Ritinjali provided scholarships to 18 such children every month. This motivated them to realize their ambition to achieve their goals. The total amount provided as scholarships to these children was Rs. 2,28,500.00.

All these 18 students also attended the night classes at the tuition center, which helped them a great deal in securing a good percentage in their exams - 3 students fared well in their Class XII public examinations and 6 students have successfully cleared their Class X public examinations and are continuing their higher education.

Feedback from the students who received scholarships:

I had to change two buses to reach my school.  I even thought of giving up my studies…Moreover, the trauma of being separated from my family still loomed large on my mind.  Ritinjali’s intervention helped me deal with my fear and gave me confidence and hope to study further. After completing 12th standard, I used the scholarship money provided by Ritinjali to enroll in a computer course conducted by Aptech. On its completion, Ritinjali appointed me as a computer teacher at their Computer Centre. This employment opportunity gave a tremendous boost to my confidence and made my life more meaningful.

Kodilakshmi
D/o Anjappa
Kalikuppam

Ritinjali’s initiative has helped me in continuing my higher education, without which it would not have been possible.  The scholarship amount that I receive is used for buying books and other stationary. Instituting scholarships is a wonderful initiative, which motivates children to go to school. Not only scholarships, but also the tuition classes that are provided by Ritinjali is of great help since financial help alone would be of no use without proper guidance.

Soundarangan
41 North Street,
Kalikuppam, Thiruvettakudy

Ritinjali’s educational programme is very nice and useful.  I had thought that I would not continue with my studies after class X. I was afraid and did not want to go back to Karaikal. Ritinjali encouraged and motivated me because of which I have been able to work hard and have stood first in school. My ambition is to become an engineer.  I hope Ritinjali continues to support me so that I can achieve my aim.

Udhayaveni
South Street
Kalikuppam

Ritinjali has helped us to come back to our normal life.  They have helped us a lot… Receiving guidance from well-trained teachers specialized in different subjects motivated me to continue my higher education. I am currently enrolled in a Polytechnic Institute.  

Balachander
North Street
Kalikuppam

Computer Center - Ritinjali started a small computer unit with one computer and an expert to attract the younger generation. A Tamil keyboard was introduced keeping the local realities in mind. The attempt generated a lot of interest amongst the youth and the children. None of the people in the village had ever operated a computer, so they were first taught how to switch it on and off. Around 50-70 members of the community would visit this facility everyday to play a large variety of games as well as to explore the various other facets of the computer. After receiving an encouraging response from them, Ritinjali collaborated with NIIT to set up a small NIIT KIOSK with 2 computers. The entire cost of setting up and maintaining the KIOSK and the computer center was Rs. 1, 30,003.00.

For the proper running and functioning of all the centers, along with the teachers, Ritinjali also hired employees who looked after the day-to-day activities in the village. Salary and consultancy charges provided to them till date has been Rs. 6, 74,208.00. Ritinjali also hired a guest house in Kalikuppam for employees from Delhi who would go for the regular monitoring of the Project. The rent paid for the guest house and other overhead expenditure like food and traveling expenses etc. was Rs. 5, 22,879.00. An amount of Rs.50, 000.00 was paid for a cardiac surgery of a child in Kalikuppam and Rs. 50,000.00 and Rs. 10,000 were also donated to the NGO co-ordination cell in Pondicherry and Give India respectively, to help in the Tsunami Effort. Ritinjali also donated a sum of Rs.22, 51,275.00 towards the CII Tsunami Account which had been received from NIIT.

PROPOSED SCHOOL

Secondary School - Ritinjali from day one aimed to build a permanent Secondary school and was promised all possible support from the Government of Pondicherry in this initiative. With a vision to:

• Provide quality education for students within their village/vicinity of their village.
• Expose the students to more career options.
• Empower the students in becoming better citizens.
• Provide higher education for children of Kalikuppam and surrounding villages.
• Make trained staff available in the school.
• Impart social awareness and responsibility to the students of the school.
• Improve the quality of life and decision making of the students and families of the students of the school.

The School is intended to:

• Cater to students from Kalikuppam and the other surrounding villages.
• Be a day school - providing Secondary & Senior Secondary education to the students. (The neighboring Rajeev Gandhi Foundation School will provide the primary education.)
• Adopt the C.B.S.E. Curriculum (Central Board of Secondary Education, Govt. of India)

Ritinjali’s educational plan has been a catalyst for the children in the community and has enabled them to pursue their education with renewed vigour and commitment. Through its comprehensive educational programme, Ritinjali has provided vital support and opportunities to prepare and nurture children to become lifelong learners and responsible members of a pluralistic society. 

CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES

The first plan was submittedin January 2006. Thereafter, Ritinjali signed an MOU with the representative of the President of India, Mr. B.V.Selvaraj, Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, Government of Pondicherry. 

As per the MOU, Ritinjali was allotted land for construction of 175 houses along with a school, a community centre and an anganwadi.

Ritinjali along with a team of architects from Aakar, who gave their professional services free of cost, formulated a blueprint of the housing plan keeping in view the local culture and lifestyle. The plan was forwarded to the concerned authority.

Second Plan submitted in February 2006

On submission of the plan, we found out that the shifting of C.R.Z (Coastal Regulatory Zone) by 500 mtrs had moved 35 mtrs into our site as per the latest revenue office’s records. This would have affected around 16-18 houses. Moreover, semi detached houses and sloping roofs lending local character were proposed in the plan. However, the villagers wanted flat roofs for future extension and flat R.C.C. roofs with a side staircase. All these factors resulted in the alteration of the entire plan. 

Moreover, the Government of Pondicherry had promised to undertake earth filling, which is very essential in giving the houses a sound foundation. Ritinjali had decided not to start the construction until the proper earth filling was completed. The NGOs that went ahead with the construction of houses without waiting for this process to be completed ended up with houses that had very weak foundations and various structural problems. Attached is an article from the Hindustan Times documenting the plight of the Tsunami survivors who have had to deal with the poor quality of construction of the homes built and thus have collapsed.

Due to the large amount of earth filling on the site by the Government, varying from 1 to 1.5 m. the structural drawings had to be reviewed. Revisions were made to accommodate the deep foundations, which in turn escalated our whole project cost estimate manifold (cost of construction of one house initially estimated at Rs. 1.60 lacs now increased to Rs. 3.10 lacs per house). This increased our budget for construction from Rs. 2, 80, 00,000 to Rs. 5, 42, 50,000.

Revised plans along with the structural drawings (both hard and soft copies) were sent to Mr. Bhuvaneswaran, the town planner at the KPA. KPA responded and asked us to make the following changes in the overall plans. The following is extracted from the communication:

• Area of individual plots be restricted to 800sq ft and the plinth area of residential buildings to around 350 sq ft.
• Road area earmarked in the layout be increased to 20% of the layout extent (excluding the school site) and hence the width of the internal road to be increased to 6.10 m, avoiding dead ends.
• Ceiling height of the proposed toilet be not less than 2.50 m.
• Since M/s Rajiv Gandhi National Relief & Welfare Trust, New Delhi proposes to construct a primary school at R.S No. 229 pt, Thiruvettakudy village, the proposed senior school shall be shifted eastwards and your school shall have a minimum front setback of 6.0 m.
• All the proposed dwelling units shall have direct access from the internal roads and shall be restricted within the layout site (i.e. a small portion of a dwelling unit near the southern entry point protrudes beyond the boundary).

Since the estimated project cost for construction of houses almost doubled after the revisions in the second plan, Ritinjali once again initiated its fund raising activities. Simultaneously, we began to engage in discussion with other NGOs working in the area so that the construction work could begin soon. We were successful in partnering with a few NGOs to raise the extra funds needed to begin construction of 175 houses. It was agreed to begin the construction work in a phased manner beginning with 50 houses in the first phase.

Keeping in view the escalated costs, magnitude of the project and its sustainability, the Government of Pondicherry in the 9 th Coordination Meeting suggested that Ritinjali partner with the Government of Maharashtra for construction activities. What started as a fledgling initiative to rebuild the lives of people in Kalikuppam has now grown manifold. We at Ritinjali are extremely enthused about being a catalyst of such a large-scale project with a multitude of dimensions. The Government of Maharashtra is taking a lead in the construction work and is using Ritinjali’s architectural drawings and layouts. The Government of Maharashtra has submitted the designs and layouts of the houses prepared by Ritinjali to the Government of Pondicherry for approval. During the time of signing of the MOU, Ritinjali had deposited a sum of Rs. 20,00,000.00 with the Government of Pondicherry. Besides this, Ritinjali handed over Rs.22,65,800.00 received from various individuals/institutions for construction to the Government of Maharashtra to complete the work that Ritinjali started out to do.

Thus, the total amount spent on the entire Kalikuppam Project has been Rs. 1, 21, 26,903.

In keeping with its vision and philosophy, Ritinjali is committed to help build Kalikuppam into a socially advanced and infrastructurally developed village.  Our work in Kalikuppam reflects our commitment to ’bring hope where there is none’.

Ritinjali will always make itself available for any inputs or further assistance required by the Government of Pondicherry or the people of Kalikuppam.

We feel a sense of wonder that we managed to get so much support from so many different people. We would also like to thank all the organizations and individual donors who have raised the funds and for their enormous support to Tsunami related activity and for making this project possible. This is just a small gesture to thank all those who supported the Ritinjali’s initiatives in rehabilitating the Tsunami affected village of Kalikuppam.