cuddalore online information

Two years past since tsunami waves struck. International aid poured in to all the tsunami affected parts of the world. It is Cuddalore which leads in tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation. New houses, schools, Self Help Groups and community-disaster alert systems are put in place. National disaster relief fund from various states are used thoughtfully in several other projects like building bridges in affected areas.

Two weeks back former US President Bill Clinton, who visited Cuddalore as a UN special envoy for tsunami relief, greatly applauded the active steps taken by our district administrator Mr. Gagadeep Singh Bedi. India’s over all response to the tsunami disaster work was good. But what has happened in Cuddalore in the past two years was excellent. It is because of our dynamic collector Mr. Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Cuddalore has seen such an immense reconstruction in the post disaster period. According to Clinton, providing housing was “the hardest thing to do”. He added while in other places only 30% of the houses were built, “In Cuddalore, even those not affected by the tsunami but identified as “vulnerable” had been given houses.” He went on to say “Florida can learn from Cuddalore” and that he want Cuddalore model of disaster management to be implemented throughout the world.

“Florida can learn from Cuddalore” simply means, administrators of Florida must learn from the administrator of Cuddalore. His work of coordinating and directing various governmental and non-grovernmental organisations in post tsunami period was phenomenal. If Cuddalore has got so much, it is because of this “good man here”.

When rest of the tsunami affected world is still in their early stages of tsunami reconstruction, Cuddalore had almost come to the final stages of the work, Tsunami Retention Wall for the vulnerable communities along the coast line . Work for the construction of tsunami retention wall has begun in full swing. Fishing villages in Cuddalore district will soon get rid of the fear of tsunami.

Tsunami has brought about a lot of change is life of fishing community in Cuddalore district. Better public addressing and warning systems are put in all coastal hamlets in Cuddalore, and a new Global Positioning System (GPS) is used to guide the fisheries off the coast explains the article Now, technology ensures smooth sailing for them .

Swiss tennis player and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer plays cricket during his visit to the Kinnur Pudupettai village of Cuddalore, about 165 km (103 miles) from the southern Indian city of Chennai, December 23, 2006. Federer refused to put his feet up during the tennis off-season and instead utilised his time to visit tsunami survivors in Southern India on Friday.

Switzerland’s World number one tennis player and UNICEF Ambassador Roger Federer (R) holds a cricket bat while shaking hands with a child during a visit to the tsunami affected village of Kinnur Pudupettai, some 180kms south of Chennai, 23 December 2006. Over 200,000 people lost their lives in the 2004 tsunami which hit the Indian Ocean coastline, 8,000 of them in Tamil Nadu. UNICEF has been working on relief and recovery in 8 countries since the tsunami struck, building shelters but also steering programmes in health and nutrition, drinking water, education and child protection.

Source: MSNBC

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On his first official field trip as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, ATP World number one Roger Federer today met with tsunami-affected children in Tamil Nadu in southern India.

The December 2004 tsunami took the lives of over 200,000 people, with India accounting for 18,000 dead or missing. One-third of the victims were children. Tamil Nadu was the hardest hit state, with 8,000 dead, 351 severely-damaged child care centers and 186 destroyed schools. Three days before the second anniversary of the tsunami, Federer visited UNICEF’s
recovery and rehabilitation programmes in Cuddalore, one of the worst affected districts of Tamil Nadu.

“It’s amazing to see how young people are using the rebuilding process as an opportunity to improve their lives and strengthen their community,” said Federer. “The way these children are bouncing back from even the toughest tragedy is a testament to their resiliency.”

In Cuddalore, Federer met with children who have chairs and tables at school for the first time. Across the tsunami-hit districts of Tamil Nadu UNICEF has provided 330 schools with furniture and learning materials, which benefit around 140,000 children and 3,500 teachers.The improvements in their school include programmes to learn through participation rather
than by rote and the use of puppet theatre to help them cope with post-tsunami trauma. Federer also met with UNICEF- trained early child care workers at one of the 351 restored government centres where pre-school children are able to get essential health care, nutrition supplements and informal early education. .

Along with District Collector Mr. Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Federer visited the Cuddalore Orphanage. UNICEF has helped to establish a tracking system to monitor around 2,000 children in Tamil Nadu who lost one or both parents in the tsunami, including those in the orphanage. As part of the tsunami psycho social support programme more than 114,000 children have been reached through counseling, art, puppetry and children’s theatre.

“Many of the programmes we set up in the tsunami hit communities, such as education programmes and child protection interventions, will now serve as a model for the rest of the state to follow,” said Thomas George, UNICEF State Representative, Tamil Nadu. “Our focus has been to improve equity to services and to truly build back better for the children of Tamil Nadu.”

Federer’s day ended by meeting with teenagers who are learning about HIV through a life-skills programme that is giving them the practical information they need to make responsible decisions and spread awareness about the disease.

“It’s great to see the young people so full of life and spirit. Despite what happened to their community, they have really managed to turn things around,” said Federer.

Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer sees tsunami recovery progress in Tamil Nadu - UNICEF

CUDDALORE, India, 22 December 2006 – Just days before the second anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, tennis great and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer visited Tamil Nadu, India, witnessing firsthand the progress made to help tsunami-affected communities ‘build back better’.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer meets children and staff at the Government Home for Tsunami-Affected Children in the city of Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India.

The tsunami killed some 8,000 people in Tamil Nadu alone, destroyed nearly 200 schools and damaged more than 350 child care centres. On his first field trip since becoming a Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Federer toured UNICEF-supported recovery and rehabilitation programmes in Cuddalore, a district devastated by the tsunami.

He met with many schoolchildren who, for the first time, have chairs and tables in their classrooms. As part of the recovery effort, new furniture and learning materials have been provided to 330 schools, benefiting some 40,000 children and 3,500 teachers.

‘Bouncing back’

Apart from the improved leaning environment, Mr. Federer also saw new ‘child-friendly’ learning and teaching methods being introduced in the schools.

Another post-tsunami initiative here – psycho-social support for traumatized children – has reached more than 114,000 children through counselling, art, puppetry and children’s theatre.

At Thazanguda Government School in Tamil Nadu, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer signs autographs.

“It’s amazing to see how young people are using the rebuilding process as an opportunity to improve their lives and strengthen their community,” said Mr. Federer. “The way these children are bouncing back from even the toughest tragedy is a testament to their resiliency.”

Ms. Federer went on to visit an early childhood centre, one of the 351 such facilities rehabilitated with UNICEF’s support. The centre is equipped to provide young children with education, nutritious meals and basic health care.

Along with District Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Mr. Federer also met with the children in the Cuddalore Orphanage. UNICEF has helped establish a tracking system to monitor and protect some 2,000 children, including those in the orphanage, who lost one or both of their parents in the tsunami.

Education and child protection

“Our focus has been to improve equity to services and to truly build back better for the children of Tamil Nadu,” said UNICEF’s State Representative in Tamil Nadu, Thomas George. “Many of the programmes we set up in the tsunami-hit communities, such as education programmes and child protection interventions, will now serve as a model for the rest of the state to follow.”

Mr. Federer’s first day in Tamil Nadu ended with him meeting young people at a life skills workshop, which offered practical information to help them make responsible decisions – such as better protecting themselves from HIV/AIDS and educating others about the disease.

“It’s great to see the young people so full of life and spirit,” remarked Mr. Federer. “Despite what happened to their community, they have really managed to turn things around.”

Cuddalore, Dec 24: Roger Federer has paid a visit to some of the areas of India struck by the tsunami two years ago.

As part of his work as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, the world number one toured the state of Tamil Nadu, which was hit hardest by the disaster.

With another success laden season behind him, Roger Federer has used some of his precious time off to visit the tsunami-struck region of Tamil Nadu in southern India.

In his first official trip since becoming a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, the world number one toured

Cuddalore, one of the worst hit areas by the disaster two years ago.

The Swiss was able to see for himself how reconstruction efforts are progressing:

“I’m very happy that the kids are well taken care of, and very happy to be here and I wish them all the best.”: Roger Federer.

Federer was accompanied by his girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec as they visited a school and orphanage, where victims of the tsunami are still coming to terms with what happened that fateful day.

The December 2004 tsunami killed over 200,000 people, with India accounting for 18,000 dead or missing - one third of the victims were children.

Federer declared himself inspired by the resilience shown by the children of Cuddalore, by their ability to bounce back from the toughest tragedy.

Clearly, the visit of the tennis superstar will help provide some inspiration to the people of Tamil Nadu as well.

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by Rajesh Nair

CUDDALORE: Nobody can resist a game of cricket in India, not even Roger Federer, the World’s Number One tennis player. He picked up a few tips on how to wield the willow in a game of cricket from tsunami-affected children of Chinnurpudupettai village near here on Saturday.

“When we asked him if he would play a game of cricket with us, he said that he didn’t know to play the game. And so we taught him how to hold a bat and strike a ball,” a beaming Prasad of Chinnurpudupettai said.

After listening to the rules of the game for a few minutes, Mr. Federer then faced 11 balls of local boy Madhan. He was beaten in the first ball and bowled out thrice in his short stint at the crease.

And in return, he gave the children cards that hadhis photograph holding a trophy. He also signed on the tennis ball with which he was playing cricket and presented it to a child. Till two days ago, the children had not heard about Mr. Federer and his game.

As UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Federer was in the village to call on Krishnamurthi, whose wife was washed away by the waves. His five children are at a government-run orphanage in Cuddalore.

Krishnamurthi, who married again recently, now lives in the Tsunami Nagar, built by SOS, at Chinnurpudupettai. The Swiss tennis star visited his house, which was full of photographs of the five girls and Krishnamurthi’s late wife. Mr. Federer spent a few minutes in the house. He then watched a theatre performance by the children.

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by Vani Doraisamy

CUDDALORE: Tennis ace Roger Federer discovered a whole new meaning for `Love All’ in Cuddalore on Friday, when he learnt “one of life’s most important lessons” from tsunami orphans.

“These children have taught me how lucky I am, making the incredible amount of money I do at the prime of my career. It was mutual love between us as I inspired them and they inspired me back to raise more funds and create awareness about tsunami rehabilitation.

“It is heartening to learn that things have improved tremendously in Cuddalore in the last two years. I shall keep coming here again and again,” Federer, who was in Cuddalore as UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador said. This is his first visit to India.

Federer struck an instant rapport with the 70-odd children at the orphanage — many of whom had never heard of him before — and spent more than an hour answering all their questions. “Now I know everything about them — their names, their age, lessons and friends.”

Three-year-old Abhinaya instantly won his heart. The little girl spontaneously flung herself into his arms and remained there for the rest of his stay.

“India can be very proud of its tsunami recovery programme. It has been an extremely emotional experience for me. I shall now try to raise more funds for the rehabilitation effort,” he said.

The champion of nine Grand Slams, however, refused to answer any questions on his game and merely said, “I have some thoughts on how I could use the Roger Federer Foundation in tennis-for-charity to help disadvantaged children.”

Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi explained the progress made so far in tsunami rehabilitation in the State.

Federer also visited the Integrated Child Development Scheme Centre at Thazhanguda village and sat through a puppetry show by children on HIV awareness.

Federer’s visit was, however, marked by drama outside the orphanage as UNICEF representatives were mobbed by reporters who were denied access to cover the champion’s visit. Federer was whisked away by security personnel and left for Villupuram to know about the tsunami recovery programme there.

Federer was appointed UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador in 2006 and has, since then, helped in several fund-raising initiatives.

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