February 2005

CLEAN WATER PROJECT SRI LANKA 2005

Following the devastating December 26th Tsunami in South East Asia, Immediate Assistants was asked to become involved in a major and significant Australian Relief effort.

Clean Up Australia sent a team of 10 people to set up Skyhydrant gravity fed water purifiers in Sri Lanka as part of the Tsunami Disaster Relief Effort, co-ordinated though Clean Up the World local partners in the country.

As is becoming evident, there is a far greater potential death toll from water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and hepatitis, plus ancillary conditions including Malaria and other mosquito-related diseases than from the original Tsunami and it’s immediate after-affects.

Immediate Assistants was requested to provide experienced, self-sufficient medical staff to join the teams. We chose two of our most senior operatives, Paramedic Paul Featherstone (acclaimed healthcare professional who has been involved with every major Australian Disaster in the last 30 years, and Sydney Rescue School principal, Roger Graham, himself a veteran of civilian and military Emergency and Rescue services over 20 years, to accompany CEO Dr. Adrian Cohen. The initial team was to be followed by other Immediate Assistants doctors, nurses and paramedics, all voluntarily giving their time and skills for the relief cause.

Over a short two week window, and relying heavily on the support of Logistics Manager Steve Talbot and Venue/Events Manager Rick Steltenpool, the necessary equipment and personnel were assembled for deployment at the end of January, and the initial team departed 1st February 2005.

Joining the Immediate Assistants team as he did on Eco Challenge Borneo was internationally acclaimed photographer Vincent Versace he document the mission and whose images provide a graphic reminder of the affects of natural disasters like this on the people of Sri Lanka.

It was a frustrating time for the team in Sri Lanka. Due to the proliferation of falsely imported materials, the Sri Lankan Government imposed an array of Customs hurdles that affected the release of all foreign aid, including our medical/rescue equipment and the water units.

Undaunted, the team traveled south and east across the island, battling traffic congested and damaged roads and witnessing first hand the devastation and early stages of reconstruction.

Acknowledging the difficulties in attempting to deploy and train local villagers across even a small country like Sri Lanka, the Clean Water Project team has decided to refocus on educating key local environmental groups and a variety of other NGOs (non-government/relief organisations). The first 70 of the A$5,000 Australian SkyHydrant water purification units have now all being allocated to agencies such as AFAP, ADRA, EMACE Foundation, Paran and the Water Resources Board of Sri Lanka with no shortage of orders for the next batch.

Further Immediate Assistants personnel are on standby, but unlikely to be required in this new scenario, and we remain committed to assisting this and similar projects in the future

We are grateful to the staff of Australian High Commission for their efforts on our behalf, and to the many NGOs with whom we made contact and future plans.

The entire mission could not have been realised without the generous support of other sponsors, including QANTAS, GlaxoSmithKline, Ferno Washington, Tin Can Communications, Paddy Pallin, MASTA, W.L.Gore, Blue Earth, Bunnings, Memcor, Skyjuice™ Foundation ,Memcor , Crown Project Services, Tennex, Bunnings, Volante, Collex, Connex ,Elders Real Estate, Gale Pacific, North West Packaging, Visy, QANTAS, The International Water Association, EMACE Foundation, Parker Hannifin Australasia, Guyco, Iplex Pipelines, Davey Pumps, Sunshine Signs, Subway Windsor, Storage King .

Whilst Immediate Assistants prides itself at being at the forefront of professional medical and rescue services, we have never shirked from providing voluntary or “at-cost” support for endeavours like this, and are proud that our people are prepared to give so generously of their own time.