Recovery Assistance for the Victims of the Tsunami

Dear All,

Our alumni, Dr. Katinka Weinberger working at the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan has send me the following call for financial assistance.

Günther Manske

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Dear Friends of the World Vegetable Center,

The pictures of the massive destruction and the victims of the Tsunami are touching our hearts. Our thoughts are with the people in the region, who tremendously suffer from the tragedy. WorldVeg has been working in these countries for many years. We have partners and friends in these countries that need our help for the recovery process. Based on WorldVeg’s Bangladesh experience, kangkong and other fast-growing leafy vegetables provide food to the needy quickly. Currently, we are asking the Asian Pacific Seed Association (APSA) to donate seeds of fast growing leafy vegetables. Additional seeds, if required, will be bought by the Center. These seeds will be distributed to small scale farmers in affected areas and vegetables can be harvested within a couple of weeks. Our expertise is needed to overcome the catastrophe and with your help we can assist to stabilize the vegetable production and prevent families and children of facing hunger. Sri Lanka and Indonesia have some of the most devastated areas. The World Vegetable Center would like to help with your support the people in Sri Lanka and Indonesia and assist them in rebuilding vegetable production in the affected areas. Last week, we received this email from Prof. H.P.M Gunasena, Executive Director of the Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy in Colombo, asking for help to rebuild the vegetable production in the affected areas:

“Dear Dr. Lumpkin, Thanks for sharing the sorrow with Sri Lankans. It has been total

destruction with over 23000 lives lost. Rebuilding will be a big task and a challenge. Lots of assistance is coming for foreign countries. It will be an excellent idea to distribute vegetable growing kits to people. The vegetables we grow are common ones, similar to other parts of Asia which you are familiar with. If these kits are sent, our Council could coordinate the distribution and follow up. Please consider this seriously and inform me soon. Best wishes for the coming year. Prof. Gunasena”

In addition, Dr. Jim Burleigh, a former WorldVeg Project Manager and now retired, has volunteered to travel for WorldVeg to both countries and oversee our project. He worked from 1993 -1996 in Sri Lanka and knows the agricultural system very well and has still good contacts to local experts.

AVRDC

The World Vegetable Center

AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center

With this letter I am asking for your assistance. Even, if you can only contribute a small portion of the needed funds, we would appreciate your support. Tomorrow I will send out a letter to all WorldVeg employees asking for a donation for this project. I expect to receive US$ 12.000 from our staff.

You may want to wire your donation to our German bank account and please mention

“TSUNAMI” on you bank transfer form.

Taunus-Sparkasse Bad Homburg

Bank Address: BeratungsCenter Bad Homburg

Louisenstrasse 60

D-61348 Bad Homburg V.d. Höhe

Germany

Account Name: Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center

Kontonummer: 110 8972

Bankleitzahl: 512 500 00

Please feel free to contact me, if more information is required.

With best personal regards and a Happy New Year,

Thomas A. Lumpkin

Director General, AVRDC