An International Humanitarian Project of District 6450
Rotary International

TSUNAMI RELIEF AFTER THE DISASTER

The Temple Solar Project, a committee of Rotarians from Rotary Clubs throughout District 6450, is providing relief and sustainable development to the survivors of the tsunami in Sri Lanka. Funds were raised for the solar ovens from donations received from Rotary Clubs throughout the United States and Canada. Donations also came from several schools that are using solar energy in their classrooms for both daily usage and education.

Now that the Sri Lankan community is in a rebuilding and stabilization stage following the disaster, the solar ovens are a valuable resource for cooking, water purification, and micro-enterprise development.

Solar Ovens to Sri Lanka

The Temple Solar Project has shipped 2 large Villager solar ovens and 215 family size ovens to Sri Lanka to aid in their redevelopment and community stabilization efforts. The large Villager ovens will be used in communities to serve the children who have been orphaned by the tsunami and to their surrounding communities.

200 of the family size ovens will be sent to provide solar cooking power and water purification to 200 newly constructed family homes. The remaining family size ovens will be used by some teachers in Sri Lanka for solar energy education and the others will be distributed by Sri Lankan Rotary Clubs.

Earlier this year, the Temple Solar Project sent an emergency shipment of 20 family size, ovens to Indonesia, with Rotarian Dr. Joseph Goodman’s medical mission. These were distributed to families in Indonesia.

Partnering

The Temple Solar Project Committee has partnered with several organizations to identify site locations, oversee ongoing usage and future needs, and provide on-site education to the solar oven recipients. The partnering organizations include Green Microfinance, Help Sri Lanka Consortium, Knightsbridge International, and Rotary Clubs in Sri Lanka, and the solar oven manufacturer, Sun Ovens International, Inc.

With the support of the partnering organizations, the solar ovens are expected to benefit at a minimum 2,150 individuals on an ongoing basis.

More To Come

Over the next few months, we will be sharing pictures of the solar oven distribution and usage in Sri Lanka. We will also share with you additional needs the communities might have as they work to re-build their community from the disastrous effects of the tsunami.

If you would like more information on solar ovens or the Sri Lankan project, please contact Walt Jenkins, Chair, at rotarysolarovens@sbcglobal.net or Pat Merryweather at rotarysolarpat@aol.com To find out more about the Temple Solar Project or the Sun Ovens, please visit www.rotarysolarovens.org or www.sunoven.com

Please make checks payable to:

Temple Solar Project

Mail Checks to:

Larry Stichweh, PDG

Rotary District 6450

13525 Red Coat Drive

Lemont, IL 60439