Amma Provides Relief Aid to Sri Lanka
February 16, 2005
Colombo, Sri Lanka
At a press conference today in Colombo, Amma announced
that the Mata Amritanandamayi Center will be providing three crores
Indian rupees in aid to the tsunami-wrecked country of Sri Lanka
(69 million Sri Lankan Rs. or $700,000 USD]. Amma will also construct
300 houses in the island country.
The relief work and financial assistance is being handled through
the M. A. Center, in U.S.
The press conference, which was aired on Sri Lankan National Television,
was held at the house of Sri. K.N. Douglas Devananda, the honourable
minister of Agricultural Marketing Development, Co-operative Development,
Hindu Affairs and Minister Assisting Education and Vocational Training.
The honourable minister welcomed Amma and her tsunami-relief aid
on behalf of the Sri Lankan government, saying that Sri Lanka is
so grateful for Amma's helping hand.
During her three-day visit to the island country (Feb. 16-19),
Amma will visit relief camps in the Tamil area of Ampara on 17 February
and the Sinhalese area of Hambantota on the 18th. Each relief camp
is currently sheltering more than 1,000 families rendered homeless
by the tsunami. Amma will give darshan there, as well as distribute
10,000 saris and 10,000 dhotis.
Amma was invited to the island country last month by the Sri Lankan
government "to bless Sri Lankans of all faiths and races and
to bring peace and prosperity in their lives."
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