NATR - The beginning
On 26 December 2004, the world changed-forever. The tsunami that hit the Andaman coast in the south of Thailand caused devastating losses and touched many lives. Some people might have read about it, and moved it to the back of their minds. Others might have been fortunate enough to live through it and remember-remember, because they are still living it. Still picking up the pieces of what they lost, and looking for ways to put it all back together again. The survivors' stories are beyond belief. The losses are tragic, and yet, there is still hope and they still smile. And it is because of this hope we are able to reach out to each other, find the strength to move on, and adapt to the change. And it is from this change that caring, supportive, community-driven organizations such as North Andaman Tsunami Relief are formed.
The lack of any tsunami warning system resulted in an enormous death toll and the destruction of many coastal communities and tourist resorts. In Thailand, the islands of the North Andaman Sea and adjacent coastal areas were severely impacted, causing widespread devastation of many communities. The villagers not only lost loved ones and homes, but almost all of their fishing boats and means of income. One of the largest islands in this area, Koh Phra Thong, consisted of the three villages of Tapa Yoi, Bak Jok, and Tung Dap, as well as the Golden Buddha Beach ecolodge. Of these, only Tapa Yoi was spared by the wave. Other severely affected villages in the area include Ban Talae Nok, Tung Nam Dam, Laem Naew, Hat Praphat, Had Sai Kaew, Koh Ra, and the Moken (Sea Gypsy) villages of the Surin Islands. Several organizations came to Thailand to provide aid to the affected areas, however, few of them actually made it to the North Andaman. That is where NATR stepped in.
It is important when working for or with an organization to know what it stands for, where it came from, how it began. This is where the story of NATRneeds to be told. The one of Bodhi Garrett and his vision to help the people he saw in need. The one about a young marketing director at a small eco-resort on the island of Koh Phra Thong in the North Andaman Sea who believed that he could make a difference, and actually did!
In no time at all, Bodhi was approached by numerous individuals offering their funds and services to help with the clean up and restoration of the island villages and the resort. Despite suffering their own personal and tragic losses, they felt that they were in a unique position to aid the local communities.
So Bodhi (who happened to be in the United States at the time) came back to the area and began reaching out to his friends, both near and far. As a result of his time living on Koh Phra Thong and Ban Talae Nok, Bodhi's desire to serve the people he had come to love and respect, in concert with the resources offered by others who shared his compassion, led him to the mainland town of Kuraburi. There, Bodhi, and a small, but dedicated core group of volunteers-working with a mobile phone, a borrowed computer, and tsunami-salvaged furniture-started North Andaman Tsunami Relief.
NATR- 100 Days Later
Last night, on 28 March, 2005 (almost 100 days after the tsunami) all 13 members of our staff were gathered in our small office until 3 am. We often work late, but this was unusual. I was woken out of my bed when one of our translators came knocking on the door announcing another earthquake that hit almost exactly the same area. This must be a nightmare, I thought, as I stammered out of my bed and into the office. But then I saw the news and slowly woke up to the stark realization that it was all really happening. All of the villagers we had been helping were frightened another giant wave was on the way. And frankly, so were we. As the local communities fled their homes and shelters for higher ground, we all thought and believed that once again Mother Nature would show her strength. Yet we remained calm and focused and managed to reach out to each other in the face of yet another disaster. Thankfully, this one never came.
In the morning, I woke up thinking it was all a dream-we were back in the office business as usual. But it wasn't a dream and this is not business as usual. This is compassion, and love, and caring for all human beings. Doing all that we can to be there for one another in times of need. Understanding we are all here on this planet together affecting one another for however long that may be?
I had met Bodhi at Golden Buddha Beach when I was traveling through Thailand in December. Luckily I had traveled north the day before the tsunami hit, so unlike many, I lost nothing. I flew back to my home in California, attempted to go about my own business as usual, and not even three weeks later, got on a plane and came back. That was almost three months ago now and each day moves faster than the last.
When I arrived at the office in Kuraburi, I really had no idea what was in store. I actually thought I was going to be stationed on the island of Phra Tong to clean up Golden Buddha Beach Resort for a few weeks and then I would return home again. Most of the volunteers at NATR probably expected a similar experience. Drawn here for different reasons, to stay an indefinite amount of time, to do whatever we can to help.
Over the last 100 days, NATR has grown from a staff of one to a dedicated cadre of thirteen volunteers and Thai staff. In addition, NATR has gone from addressing the immediate needs of tsunami-affected families to administering over thirty community-driven programs across ten villages. These programs, which began for the short term, have grown into long term commitments with the villagers and the ever rotating staff has morphed into a tight-knit family.
Focus
By working closely with the tsunami-affected peoples, NATR is developing both short- and long-term initiatives that will enable self-sufficiency. Long-time relationships between NATR staff and the local population have provided the foundation for our ability to move quickly into the villages and ingratiate ourselves with their displaced inhabitants. Ultimately, NATR hopes to empower the local communities through a continuous cycle of needs assessment and project developments that meet those needs in a way that will allow them to retain autonomy.
NATR believes in close collaboration with the villagers in order to provide immediate relief that enables productive long-term development and is governed by the following guidelines in determining the viability of current and future projects:
Assessment
- Engage in constant and continuous assessment that encourages input from all members of the village community in order to determine need.
- Retain the flexibility that will allow us to serve the evolving needs of villagers on an immediate basis, and fill gaps left by the highly-structured efforts of government and large aid groups.
Coordination and Cooperation
- Work with all stakeholders, including government agencies and non-governmental relief groups to promote effective, non-redundant aid in the villages. To this end NATR has developed a database that is used to track aid dispersal at the individual level as well as coordinate other aid agencies and their programs.
- NATR believes in open communication and is committed to sharing resources with all involved parties to promote the best possible solutions for villagers.
- Utilize local resources to invigorate the severely impacted economy.
Differentiated Assistance to Coastal Communities
- Focus on the varied needs of different groups, including women, resort workers, fishermen, the Moken (Sea Gypsies), Burmese immigrants, and children.
- Implement immediate and longer-term projects that encourage community members to play a key role in the reconstruction of their villages.
- Identify where gaps exist in the ever-evolving relief effort, and fill those gaps with targeted projects that are implemented quickly and without bureaucratic delay.
Livelihood
- Work with families of those that have lost their livelihoods.
- Assist with repair and replacement of long tail boats and fishing gear.
- Explore and provide economic alternatives to fishing.
Education
- Provide educational materials, books, supplies, and temporary teachers for education while schools are being rebuilt.
- Provide immediate scholarships for al children in tsunami affected villages and continuing scholarships for families that are unable to afford to send their children to school.
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