These are just the plans that AID-Chennai (with help from AID Bangalore) is working on – both directly and along with a number of other NGOs. AID-US will also be working independently with other NGOs (particularly in Kanyakumari district, Andamans and Kerala).

Even as we work on the immediate and medium term programmes, we will be building up these long term programmes. After a year the focus will be entirely on these long term programmes.

For example, there is a big need for women’s health camps in these villages – a large number of health camps organized have not taken into account the privacy needs for women. Starting with these, we can slowly build up a long term women’s health programme. There is an immediate need for a day care center and a toy center for very small children in these villages. We can start with these and slowly convert these into pre-primary education centers. All day long, men and women have very little to do. We can use this to start adult literacy and reading programmes that can over a longer period become libraries. We need people to repair boat engines – as Pete demonstrated – we can start with training people to repair some engines and convert this into a small enterprise for many young people. Similarly training young people to make mud blocks for construction is another immediate activity that has a long term potential. Training a few young women from each village on activity based learning and basic health needs, does two things – it provides them with an immediate, though small, income source and at the same time helps us reach basic health and education to the rest of the village. Similarly, the village committees that are built up to ensure transparency and to monitor the progress of the rehabilitation efforts can also take on the responsibility for the long term interventions.

Creatively linking up the immediate needs with long term plans is what we are doing now. A good model for this transition over the next few months will decide the nature and effectiveness of our long term interventions.