OMS Outreach September - December 2016 | Page 12

Power of Partnership Thank you for helping India flood victims By Rev. S. Duraiswamy Director of Partner Relations, Evangelical Church of India compassion and love of Jesus Christ. We gave relief help through our various partners and the local churches in Chennai in a variety of ways, including providing food for 40,000 people, clean certified water cans to 12,000 families, and 10,000 provision kits to families. We also helped repair 50 homes, gave financial assistance for clothing for 350 pastors, helped repair 50 churches, and provided temporary shelter to hundreds in our churches. As well as the initiative of our local churches, ECI appealed to OMS for financial assistance to provide relief to the victims. We are grateful to One Mission Society and its donors for their generous contribution of nearly $65,000 for the victims. On behalf of ECI leadership, pastors and their families, church members, and the people of Chennai, thank you for your support and love, which shows the love of Christ through your generous gifts. During November and December 2015, Chennai faced its worst flooding in more than 100 years. Due to continuous rain for more than three weeks, most of the main streets and homes were flooded, bringing the city to a standstill and postponing the Evangelical Church of India’s (ECI) Jubilee Celebration planned for January 2016. More than 500 people died, and 1.8 million people were displaced. Estimated damages and losses neared $3 billion, making it one of the costliest natural disasters of the year. Government officials reported that around 90,000 people had been evacuated from their homes in Chennai and another 10,000 had to be rescued from danger. ECI, which has always been involved in relief efforts for natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes, swung into action to help the affected people of Chennai and its suburbs. In the midst of this disaster, ECI reached out to the flood victims, regardless of caste, class, or religion, with the 12