INTRODUCTION

On 26 December 2004 the coastal regions of India were ravaged by Tsunami waves that originated due to an earthquake in the ocean. The most affected area in the State of Kerala was Alappad Panchayat (village) in Kollam District. The area is surrounded by water on all four sides - the Arabian Sea in the west and the other three sides by a lake/canal. The area extends over a length of 17 km with a maximum width of 500 meters. This strip of land is connected with the main land with a bridge at the extreme end of the village.

Sahayi, with its prior involvement with the community for capacity building to strengthen Local Self Governance Institutions in Alappad Panchayat made its crisis response intervention for Tsunami relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction there within two days of the global tragedy. Immediately after the calamity, members of the Sahayi team rushed to the spot, assessed the nature and extent of damage and got involved in the relief operations followed by the rehabilitation and reconstruction work, in consultation with the district administration and the local self government institutions. Considering its limited resources Sahayi decided to limit its intervention to this area since it was the worst affected area in the State.

Sahayi’s approach was holistic in nature. The first priority was addressing the immediate needs followed by helping the affected people overcome their mental shocks, physical difficulties, psychological issues etc. The participatory approach applied to the rehabilitation work was very successful and helped the affected people maintain their dignity as human beings and rebuild new hopes and aspirations. Linking with the Local Self Governance Institutions (the Gram Panchayat) for the formulation and implementation of Sahayi’s rehabilitation programme was another successful strategy. The active participation of various stakeholders was solicited for the effective implementation of the programme.

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