News & Events

Expo Freight, Prime Cargo and GM-ITM join hands for Tsunami Relief

  - Provide financial and psychological assistance for tsunami-affected victims

Chennai, March 2005: Expo Freight Pvt Ltd., one of India's leading freight forwarders, joined hands with its partners Prime Cargo and GM-ITM to help hundreds of tsunami victims along the coast of Tamil Nadu, India, overcome the mental and financial trauma caused by the natural disaster.

While the country came forward to provide relief measures, Expo Freight and its partners felt there was still a need to reach out to the victims on a personal level. Therefore funds were raised and a programme developed so that the victims could have an education and psychological counselling to overcome their trauma.

Says Mr.S.Senthilnathan, Managing Director, Expo Freight Pvt Ltd., "Most relief that was coming in was by way of food, clothing, medicines, etc. There was an excess supply and people were not too enthusiastic to accept these. The need at that point was more for financial assistance to start their lives all over again and also for emotional support to overcome the trauma."

Expo Freight and its partners decided to support teenage girls who have lost their homes and family. Most of them had either lost both parents or were left with a single parent.

'ADM College for Women' in Nagapattinam was identified, where 36 women were supported in continuing their graduation programme. The funds raised were utilized for their tuition fee, books, examination fee, etc.

Counselling sessions were conducted with these women, to help overcome the pain of the catastrophe. These sessions also helped the girls in regaining confidence in themselves, so as to be able to earn their own livelihoods in the future.

The tsunami-relief project is aimed at being a long-term, sustainable one.

Adds Mr.Senthilnathan, "The scars of Tsunami cannot be erased in the short-tem. Therefore, we are continuing to work on identifying another sustainable programme. We had visited a few schools and are on the lookout to take this programme further."

In the immediate future the relief team will be helping another school called the KGKG Scholl in Nagapattinam. The remaining funds will be utilized to support this school as it was struggling for maintenance, thus helping more than 2500 children.

Going forward, Expo Freight and its partners hope to raise more funds and extend the programme to more schools, colleges and other sections of the tsunami-affected victims in Tamil Nadu.