Maldives: A major step towards recovery

The largest single Red Cross Red Crescent tsunami reconstruction project in the Maldives entered its final phase recently when the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) handed over five community buildings on Raa Dhuvaafaru to the government.

In a low-key ceremony held at the ministry of planning and national development on 31 August 2008, the government took over the new structures that will serve as an auditorium, administrative building, pre-school, primary school, and secondary school.

The five buildings were constructed by the IFRC at a cost of 5.3 million Swiss francs and are part of a larger 34 million Swiss franc project to build an entirely new community on Raa Dhuvaafaru, as part of the national recovery and reconstruction plan.

The project also includes 600 new houses and related infrastructure, including rainwater water collection facilities, a sewer collection and disposal system, sports facility, road network, electricity supply and distribution network, and a waste management centre.

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Each of the five buildings is fitted with 10,000-litre water tanks to optimize rainwater collection; the administrative building, auditorium and pre-school are fitted with two tanks each while the primary and secondary schools have five tanks each. Furthermore all five buildings have adequate sanitation facilities for males and females, including special facilities for people with disabilities.

Source: Necephor Mghendi, IFRC, 17 Sep 2008