By Formosa Relief Team (Originally in Chinese)
On October 29, 2014, days of continuous rainfall caused a severe mudslide in the central Sri Lankan village of Koslanda in Haldummulla, located 218 kilometers east of the capital city, Colombo. At least 16 lives were lost, more than 100 people went missing and approximately 150 houses were buried. Upon receiving Master’s instructions to provide help, and Her generous contribution of US$10,000 in relief funds, our Association members in Formosa formed a relief team and traveled to the disaster area to give assistance.
On November 4, 2014, Major General L.B.R. Mark, Director General of the Disaster Management Centre of Sri Lanka, allowed us to enter the mudslide-stricken region and arranged for an escort to guide us. The following day, the escort took us to a several disaster sites, where we learned that those affected already had enough food and supplies, and that the best way to help was to provide funds so that people could rebuild their homes or for any further help they might need. For security reasons, we were advised to ask the recipients to open bank accounts into which we could deposit the funds.
With the help of three staff members from the local People’s Bank, we went to the Poonagala Secondary School, which served as an emergency shelter for affected families. There we made a list of households in need, and deposited LKR 15,000 into each of the new bank accounts we opened for 68 families. To further assist 21 injured people, we deposited an extra LKR 14,430 into each of their new accounts. A total of LKR 1,323,030 was deposited. One of our local Association members and staff from the bank distributed personal account books to the people on November 11.
We thank God for the smooth completion of this mission. May all those suffering from the mudslide in Sri Lanka be blessed by God’s everlasting comfort and love.
Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai for Mudslide Relief Work in Sri Lanka
Description | Amount (LKR) | Receipt |
---|---|---|
Cash assistance to affected households | 1,020,000 | A, B |
Cash assistance to those injured | 303,030 | |
Total | LKR 1,323,030 (US$10,000) |
Throughout the relief operation, our team members paid US$2,190.73 for their own transportation, food and accommodations.