Cafe Diplo

Cafe Diplo and its volunteers managed to raise $5,000 for Mercy Relief in support of its work in post-conflict Sri Lanka. See extract of Mercy Relief Update below.

Updates from Mercy Relief website
http://www.mercyrelief.org

Re: Fundraising for the Sri Lanka Humanitarian Relief

Mercy Relief’s preliminary relief team was in Sri Lanka from 6 – 15 May to personally deliver the first batch of aid supplies. This included multivitamins (for children and infants), evohalers and spacers (for asthma) worth about S$20,000.

The team was also granted access by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) into Vavuniya, where our supplies were distributed. Of the 200,000 people who have fled their homes, more than 180,000 are seeking refuge there. Only UN agencies and the International Red Cross (ICRC) have access and physical presence to the camps in Vavuniya.

Mercy Relief is now raising more funds in order to provide further aid to the IDPs in Sri Lanka. We are conducting 2 major fundraising events:

1. Street collection
Date: 24 May 2009 (Sunday)
Time: 8am to 8pm
Venue: Tampines MRT and Jurong East MRT

2. Fundraising Concert organised by Local Peacebuilding Group Cafe Diplo
Date: 24 May 2009 (Sunday)
Time: 7pm
Venue: DBS Auditorium, 6 Shenton Way, Singapore
Cost: By donation

Entry to the concert will be by way of a $30 donation. There will be complimentary gifts for $40 and $50 donations. This charity concert is in support of Mercy Relief’s Sri Lanka humanitarian relief. It is organised by Café Diplo and supported by Asian Geographic and Maestro Guitars.

What the funds are for:
Mercy Relief is currently working with Sarvodaya Shramadana (largest NGO in Sri Lanka) and the Sri Lankan National Water Supply & Distribution Board (NWSDB) to provide 10 units of wells with jack-pneumatic systems.

Concurrently, we are working with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health to deliver the second batch of medical supplies comprising mainly of antibiotics, vitamins and medicines for respiratory cases. We are also providing Acyclovir to address the existing 800 cases of chicken pox.

Mercy Relief’s humanitarian work is only as big as its support. The greater the support, the more we can do!

1) "Stop The Pain Start The Music" Charity Concert (May 24)
This concert is organised in support of Mercy Relief's Sri Lanka humanitarian relief (http://www.mercyrelief.org ). Please support the cause. Reserve your tickets at http://www.cafediplo.org If you would like to help spread the word, pls email Jonathan at jon@cafediplo.org for a copy of the E-Flyer for circulation.

2) Asia Humanitarian Forum (AHF) 2009
Cafe Diplo is organising AHF from Sep 11-13 this year at Millenia Walk (pls see http://www.asiahumanitarianforum.org ). We are looking for volunteers to assist in these following areas: corporate sponsorship, publicity, booths management and logistics. If you would like to volunteer, please write to support@asiahumanitarianforum.org

3) Seed Funding
Cafe Diplo requires seed funding to continue its peacebuilding and humanitarian work. If you would like to assist Cafe Diplo in this area, kindly contact Jonathan at jon@cafediplo.org