Coping with the IDP tsunami

We had seen the images on the television, we had heard the disturbing stories and we had gone round and round in circles trying to find an inroad to get supplies across to the IDP camps. A chance phone call, a rushed meeting and suddenly we were given clearance to visit an IDP camp in Vavuniya.

We e-mailed our customers and received a huge response. Tissa Jinasena got back to us immediately pledging the support of the Tissa Jinasena Foundation towards our initiative. With this financial backing, we set about procuring the basic requirements that were identified by the IDP camps. Our other customers too came forward with huge amounts of food and clothing.

We had a government contact who approached us with the requirements of the IDPs. This contact proved to be an invaluable asset. He identified suppliers for the required products such as milk. He negotiated prices, to levels we would not have believed possible. He got suppliers to deliver their products to the camps FOC. Our contact, namely an old friend, Dishan Gunesekara knew someone everywhere, and with his support we were able to cover a lot of ground very fast amassing multiple lorry loads of stuff. Read more ...