Construction employees visit CARE International post-tsunami projects
The seven-day trip, from 20-27th January 2007, involved visits to
several CARE development projects and communities in the state of Tamil
Nadu ? one of the southern states hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami in
India, and where CARE is working to rebuild communities that were
devastated by the tsunami. This includes building new permanent homes,
providing access to clean drinking water, and micro-credit schemes.
A group of 9 professionals from 4 construction companies recently travelled to Chennai (formerly Madras) in south-eastern India, to visit post-tsunami reconstruction initiatives run by leading aid agency CARE International.
Delegates ? from companies Geoffrey Osborne, Multiplex UK, Robinson Design Group, and Weston Homes ? along with representatives from CARE and COINS, were chosen on the basis of their 2006 fundraising achievements on the COINS 3 Peaks Challenge ? the annual fundraising event which challenges teams of professionals from the construction industry to scale the UK?s 3 highest mountains, and raise essential funds for CARE?s work. The event, which has raised well over ?800,000 for CARE in its 4-year history, as well as the trip to India, are sponsored by leading software company Construction Industry Solutions (COINS).Bill Mellor, representing COINS on the trip, said: ?I was most impressed by the positive approach of the villagers whose whole livelihoods had been destroyed only a short time ago. They had no funds to restore their facilities but now have plans to use the new housing and community facilities to best effect. We could make real comparisons between the charitable contributions we get from our efforts and what is actually achieved on the ground for the money. It was a fascinating trip.?
Michele Evans, CARE Challenge?s Fundraising Manager, who also joined the group, added: ?This was a wonderful opportunity for companies working so hard to raise funds for CARE to gain a real insight into how their fundraising efforts can really help make a difference to the lives of impoverished people overseas. We are most grateful to COINS for supporting this trip.?
This is the second time the company have sponsored such a visit to CARE initiatives. The first trip took place in December 2005, with visits to water and sanitation, environmental and micro-credit CARE programmes in Tanzania.
Readers can find out more about CARE?s work in the region by visiting www.careinternational.org.uk.
For more information please contact:
Helen Stoddart, CARE Challenge PR Officer, at 020 7934 9414 or
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Notes to editors
About CARE
1. CARE is one of the world?s largest overseas development agencies, working in 70 countries to fight poverty and helping more than 48 million people every year. Our long-term programmes tackle the deep-seated causes of poverty and we are always among the first to respond when disaster strikes. We remain with communities to help them rebuild their lives long after the cameras have gone. CARE is working to put an end to the causes of hunger and poverty that keep 120 million people in sub-Saharan Africa permanently living on the edge of emergency. Our Living on the Edge campaign is calling on the international community for a dramatic overhaul of the system which is keeping people trapped, and to give higher priority to recovery and prevention programmes, like seed distribution and improved veterinary services, so that families can pull themselves back from the edge and be in a stronger position to fight off the next emergency themselves.
2. The 2004 tsunami largely destroyed great swathes of the southeast coast of India. More than 12,000 people died, and another 3.2 million were affected, many losing their homes and livelihoods. We work in four districts of Tamil Nadu, one of the hardest-hit southern states, and help people to get their lives back on track by rebuilding homes that were destroyed during the tsunami. We also help people to find work by giving out tools and new boats, and train people in new skills. For more information, visit www.careinternational.org.uk.
3. The Challenge Team at CARE have been running mountain-based Challenge events for 12 years. Companies that took part in the 2006 COINS 3 Peaks Challenge included Balfour Beatty, Connaught, Edmund Nuttall, Geoffrey Osborne, Laing O?Rourke, Multiplex UK, Sir Robert McAlpine. The fifth COINS 3 Peaks Challenge takes place on 12-13 May 2007. For full details of our 2007 events please visit www.carechallenge.org.uk.
About COINS
1. Construction Industry Solutions are the authors of COINS, market leading business applications for Contractors, House Builders and Specialist Subcontractors. COINS is used by more than 30% of the Construction Industry?s major contractors and house builders in the UK and Ireland and in companies across the world to Australia. COINS. Website www.coins-global.com.
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