Red Cross hands over fishing boats to tsunami affected

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 February 2006, 12:34 GMT]
One hundred and twenty five fishermen affected by tsunami from Colombo, Matara, Puttalam, Trincomalee and Kalutara districts received fishing boats from through a boat manufacturing project funded by the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS). The handing over of boats to beneficiaries took place in Ratmalana, Colombo Thursday, SLRCS sources said.

Mr. Jagath Abeysinghe, president of SLRCS at the handing over ceremony said the SLRCS whose mission is to provide humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable in the society is always prepared to assist people in need.

The beneficiaries also received engines and fishing nets along with the boats, which costs Rs. 3 hundred thousand. The boats were manufactured according to standards stipulated by the Fisheries Ministry using the local manpower.

Launched in September 2005, the boat-manufacturing project is expected to produce 550 boats by September 2006. This project is made possible by a grant of US $ 1.6 million by the Taiwan Red Cross Organisation to Sri Lanka Red Cross Society.

The project also includes training persons from tsunami-affected families in boat repairs.

Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has a network of branches in every district of Sri Lanka.