Synergos: Programs & Places
Synergos

Help Respond to the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunamis

Message from Peggy Dulany
January 6, 2005

Dear friends,

Over the last week many members of the Synergos family have been in touch about the horrible disaster in Asia and Africa -- the earthquake and resulting tsunami. Cherie Nursalim wrote that her husband Enki (Cherie and Enki are Global Philanthropists Circle members from Indonesia) is in Banda Aceh

taking shifts with other exhausted volunteer doctors ... patient queues are in the thousands with dire makeshift clinical conditions and major operations, many children, often without anesthesia. Enki will do all he can as a front-line volunteer and our family and group of companies have contributed US$250,000. We would welcome support from other members of the Synergos family from around the world.

I was very moved by this and everything that I have been seeing and reading. I thought it would be a good idea for Synergos to alert other members of our family about ways to support people involved in this crisis. I am writing on behalf of everyone at Synergos to encourage you to do what you can. If we can be helpful in providing you with a way of doing this, we are happy to do so. There are two options we have identified thus far:

First, we have received a wonderful opportunity from Tim Wirth and Kathy Bushkin at the United Nations Foundation. They have issued a challenge grant to Synergos to mobilize funds for UN activities that will support the post-relief, rehabilitation needs of those in the crisis zone. For every two dollars received by the UN Foundation from Synergos members and friends, the UN Foundation will add one dollar, up to $1,000,000. The total combined amount of funds collected will be placed in a segregated account, and Synergos, based on our longstanding principles, will then work with the UN Foundation to identify specific UN activities (all of which work directly with local non-government organization actors) that will support relief, rehabilitation and/or reconstruction efforts. I believe that we can match the UN Foundation's entire million dollars for a total of $3,000,000.

Alternatively, we will receive funds and direct them (without any service charges or fees) to local organizations -- we can choose for you or you can select from the list provided or add your own. As you know, we have a strong network of local organizations and individuals whom we know are providing critical help in emergency relief, rebuilding and ongoing support to people in the affected areas. We have listed below some of these organizations and what they do. As the situation on the ground in Asia is changing each day, we may be adding to this list; updates will be available at our website at www.synergos.org/tsunamirecovery.

Contributions made to Synergos are fully tax deductible for US taxpayers using either option. You may contribute by check, wire transfer and online at the website. Corporate and foundation contributions are also available to be matched should you choose to have their funds used for UN activities.

I am deeply heartened by the growing response of caring and generosity to this great tragedy and thank you for playing whatever part you can.

Warm regards,

Peggy Dulany
 

A Selection of Local Organizations Supporting Recovery from the Tsunami Disaster

India

Child Relief & You (CRY)
CRY is an Indian NGO with extensive experience in restoring basic rights to underprivileged children in India. It is responding to the crisis in communities in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh that are reeling from the tsunami and its after-effects. Its work emphasizes children, underserved communities, and long-term sustainable rehabilitation, not just immediate relief. As CRY's Chief Executive Ingrid Srinath puts it "In the outpouring of public grief and sympathy we all feel for victims of a disaster -- natural or man-made -- it is all too easy to overlook those who confront similar threats on a daily basis. I'd like to urge you to not forget to continue to support the causes and organizations you care about." For further information, visit www.cry.org.

Charities Aid Foundation India
Charities Aid Foundation India was set up in India in 1998, and is part of the CAF International network. Like CRY, it has extensive experience working on disaster relief and recovery; its efforts focus on both immediate relief as well as medium- and long-term recovery. Examples of its programs in this area include rebuilding houses, providing occupational support to fisherfolk and the reconstruction of schools and health facilities. Areas covered include Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. For further information, visit www.cafindia.org.


Indonesia

United in Diversity
UID is channeling support to groups working on the ground to bring emergency medical and logistics support to remote regions, as well as on medium-term reconstruction and education efforts that bring together business, government and civil society in Indonesia. It is the group supporting the efforts of doctors such as Enki Tan. UID was created by the University of Indonesia, the Sloan School of Management at MIT and Sinar Harapan to promote cross-sectoral cooperation for sustainable development in Indonesia. For further information, visit www.unitedindiversity.org.

WALHI-Friends of Earth Indonesia
WALHI is one of the foremost environmental foundations in the developing world. It, together with YAPPIKA (below), the Aceh NGO Forum and other Indonesian NGOs, has established the Indonesian Civil Society Coalition for Victims of Earthquake and Tsunami, which has set up crisis centers in Jakarta, Medan and Banda Aceh. A center will be established soon in Meulaboh. Funds are being used for emergency response, for coordination and support of the efforts of volunteers, and for post-emergency reconstruction. For further information, visit www.walhi.or.id.

YAPPIKA-Foundation for Strengthening Participation, Initiative, and Partnerships
YAPPIKA is also part of the Indonesian Civil Society Coalition for Victims of Earthquake and Tsunami and is bringing to that effort its expertise in information management, which is essential to effective use of relief and development resources. For more information visit www.yappika.org.

Dhomfet Dhuafa
Dhomfet Dhuafa is a nonprofit organization established by a group of journalists with the aim of promoting cooperation at all levels of Indonesian society to fight the problem of poverty. It has strong community-connections and is well placed to provide relief and recovery programs to people in need. In particular, it has responded to the movement of refugees away from Banda Aceh to Lhokseumawe (about 300 kilometers away) by setting up major humanitarian operations in that city and the surrounding areas. Its services toward refugees use a system of over 300 mobile bases, which can be moved to respond to the rapidly changing situations. For more information, visit www.dompetdhuafa.org.

Yayasan TIFA
Established by the Open Society Institute, Yayasan Tifa is delivering humanitarian aid to Banda Aceh and providing monitoring support to ensure that aid funds are not lost due to corruption. For more information, visit www.tifafoundation.org.


Sri Lanka

Women's Fund for Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction
This fund, established by a consortium of Sri Lankan human rights groups, is is focusing specifically on two initiatives with local groups in the hardest hit areas across the country: protecting women and girls from violence and sexual assault, and getting women to the policy tables where decisions are made about allocation of the massive assistance flowing in. The lead initiator of the fund is INFORM, headed by Sunila Abeysekera who, among many other recognitions, received the UN Human Rights Award in 1998.


Thailand

Collaborative Network for the Rehabilitation of the Andaman Community
Thirty-four NGOs in Thailand have formed this network to enhance support and relief for helpless tsunami victims. It is organizing field-based task forces and conducted preliminary investigations into the extent of damage left to the small-scale fisherfolk resided on isolated islands and along the coastlines of Andaman. In the near-term, it will provide financial assistance to fisherfolk to enable them to resume their occupation, as well as organize public forums to assess the policy framework for community rehabilitation. In the long-term it will work with communities on recovery, assess the effectiveness of the relief and recovery efforts, and explore preventive measures to avoid a recurrence of such a large disaster.

Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS
The Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS is providing health and livelihood support to HIV positive survivors of the tsunami and also to other vulnerable communities including migrant laborers from Burma. For further information, contact tnpth@thaiplus.net.

Raks Thai Foundation
Raks Thai, an independent nonprofit organization established by CARE, works on community development, HIV/AIDS prevention, and civil society strengthening. In this disaster, its focus is sustainable, long-term recovery. For more information, visit www.carethai.org.

Population and Community Development Association
PDA is Thailand's leading community development and family planning organization. Its efforts focus on long-term development through such diverse activities as income generation programs at the village level, reforestation programs, vegetable banks, industry relocation into rural areas, mobile health clinics, environmental education programs, and a democracy project. For more information, visit www.pda.or.th.

Thai Red Cross
The Thai Red Cross is a leading agency working on humanitarian relief and recovery operations, offering blood supplies, healthcare, shelter and a range of other emergency services in response to the tsunami disaster. For further information, please visit www.redcross.or.th.

Yadfon Association
Yadfon ("Raindrop") Association is a Thai nonprofit organization based in Trang Province, Southern Thailand, which works with local communities to promote sustainable community management of natural resources and self-reliance among rural people. Its focus in this crisis is on long-term redevelopment. For further information, visit www.shrimpaction.com/Yadfon.html.

Thai-German Development Foundation
Thai-German Development Foundation is working on two efforts at the moment. One is direct relief in Ranong and Phangnga. The other is an effort to enable fisherfolk to rebuild their equipment so they can earn livelihoods for themselves and their communities as soon as possible. For more information, contact thaigerfund@inet.co.th.

Rajaprajanugroh Foundation under Royal Patronage
The Rajaprajanugroh Foundation is helping orphans who lost their parents from this disaster by rebuilding schools in the disaster areas and setting up scholarships to enable them to continue their studies. It is also working on direct relief.

Dhammakaya Foundation
Dhammakaya Foundation is a Buddhist organization working on tsunami relief in southern Thailand both their the provision of survival materials and also through spiritual relief that is important to people dealing with great loss. Visit www.dhammakaya.or.th for more information.

Written 2004