The Freemasons' Grand Charity

The Grand Charity – May 2006 Tsunami Activities

Update Report

Working With Plan International

Plan is a child-centred community development organisation. It is working to improve the quality of life for children in 66 countries worldwide by helping to bring sustainable long-term social and economic development to their communities.

India - Villapuram

The Grand Charity is supporting a project to help families living in 10 fishing villages in Villapuram, Tamil Nadu, India . Since May 2005 nearly £200,000 has been donated from the tsunami Relief Chest to fund a range of activities, including nearly £50,000 between November 2005 – January 2006.

• Learning support for 375 children is fostering a renewed interest of the pupils in their studies, resulting in improved school attendance records.
• Widows and other women are supporting their households through the production and sale of packets of dried fish, produced using solar fish dryers delivered earlier in the project and with support from the women's self help groups.
• The advantages of a stable and secure environment are benefiting over 185 young children at the special childcare centres established earlier in the project.
• Health camps continue to provide medical care and the needs of more than 300 children were attended to during the report period.
• Street drama and other innovative methods are helping to increase awareness and understanding of issues such as sanitation and reproductive health.
• The 58 boats delivered through the project have been registered under the Fisheries Department of Tamil Nadu. The location of the boats is tracked on a regular basis.

Sri Lanka – Hambantota

The Grand Charity has agreed support of approximately £200,000 for a school construction project in Hambantota , Sri Lanka . Work has begun on the laying of the foundations for the primary school at a 22-acre site. The primary school is on course to open in January 2007 and the secondary school in Autumn 2007. The development of the designs for the school included consultation with the children who will study there. Based on the input of the future pupils, the construction of individual classrooms with brightly coloured walls and larger playground areas will replace the more common style of teaching areas created by partitioning a large hall. To view images of the new school visit:

Other projects:

• A school building project in Aceh , Indonesia (Partner: Plan)
• A study by the Schizophrenia Research Foundation, India , into the impact of the tsunami on the psychological and social wellbeing of child and adult survivors. The outcomes of the project will help to improve and inform future disaster planning and responses. (Partner: District Grand Lodge of Madras/Plan)
• Support for Thai children orphaned by the tsunami. (Partner: Light of Siam Lodge, Phuket)

Relief Chest Funds

We are pleased to report that as of 26 April 2006 a total of £863,654.06 has been received into the Relief Chest.