One Year Later, Gujarat's Earthquake Survivors Rebuilding Homes, Lives

Catholic Relief Services
Thursday, 24 January 2002

One year after a massive earthquake rolled across western India, residents of the country's heavily impacted Gujarat state are rebuilding their own homes and capitalizing on improved access to educational and health services. The 7.9-magnitude earthquake, which struck last January 26 and was felt as far away as Nepal, left approximately 20,000 dead, hundreds of thousands homeless and millions affected for the last year. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has based its relief efforts near the devastated city of Bhuj, in Gujarat's Kutch district - where nearly all homes collapsed in some villages - helping villagers to reconstruct their homes, and supporting education, health and livelihood-improvement activities.

"Reminders of the quake's destructiveness are everywhere still, but even more prominent are the signs of progress," said Ken MacLean, Catholic Relief Services' Zonal Director for West India. "Thousands are back to living in suitable homes, whether they are temporary or permanent shelters. And there's a profound sense of ownership over the improvements, as these people are doing the lion's share of the reconstruction work themselves."

"However," MacLean added, "there are thousands more who have not received housing assistance, and much work remains."

CRS has targeted 4,000 earthquake-affected families for complete rehabilitation assistance, providing temporary shelters as well as earthquake and cyclone-resistant permanent homes that villagers are building themselves, with CRS technical assistance. The agency is training local residents in masonry, brick production and construction supervision. Residents are also cooperating in the construction of village community centers.

"We're also seeing the development of educational and health opportunities surpassing those that existed before the disaster," MacLean added. "And it's getting to the point where people can regularly earn money again, which is a great improvement over last year when almost all of the job opportunities were, literally, shattered."

CRS is supporting village educational programs that target adults, dropouts and children whose schooling was disrupted by the quake. The agency has also established health check-ups; a livestock immunization program; and other village improvement activities, such as rebuilding pond embankments and planting saplings. In addition, the CRS supports embroidery skills training classes for local women, which also helps the women market and sell their products.

In the immediate wake of the disaster, CRS provided emergency assistance to nearly 30,000 families and implemented cash-for-work activities, such as pond deepening and debris clearing. CRS has also supported a trauma-counseling program, designed specifically for this disaster, which includes therapeutic art workshops for children and the training of local trauma counselors.

CRS operates through five major offices in India, in New Delhi, Bombay, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Calcutta. The agency has worked in India for more than 50 years.

Catholic Relief Services is the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Founded in 1943, the agency provides assistance to people in more than 80 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Catholic Relief Services provides assistance on the basis of need, not race, creed or nationality.

For more information, or to contact Catholic Relief Services, see their website at: www.catholicrelief.org