THE tsunami devastated villagers of Tamil Nadu in Southern India are to benefit from the efforts of West Devon fundraisers thanks to new co-operative ?Tamwed? ?Tamil Nadu/West Devon ? launched last week. When the giant wave struck, many of the villagers lost family and friends, but the effects of the disaster is still taking its toll on their water supplies and farmland which became heavily salinated by the mass of sea water. For many of the people in the region agriculture is a major source of income, a problem compounded by the lack of fresh water supplies. With help from local charity WestDEN ? and their Rural Links project manager in India ? a local community group is preparing a long term recovery plan which has started to desalinate village ponds and farmland. Funds already raised at events in West Devon were boosted by £165 at the launch from donations and subscriptions. The venture is not simply about providing fundraising though, as Tamwed Chair Gill Gorbutt explained. More information about Tamwed can be obtained by contacting Oz Osborne at [email protected]">[email protected]doo. co.uk
