Heinz Students Aid Tsunami Victims
Heinz School students are turning the school's mission into entrepreneurial action. After the tsunami disaster MSPPM student and returned Peace Corps volunteer Kevin Griffith created the Tsunami Assistance Project (TAP) with a group of fellow students, including Kevin Fleming. The program has two objectives - to help tsunami victims rebuild their communities through small-scale reconstruction projects and to bring the struggle of the recovery experience back to people in the United States. Griffith is currently in Chenni, India launching TAP, while the project management team is based in Pittsburgh.
According to Griffith, "In the aftermath of the December 26, 2005 tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia, I created the Tsunami Assistance Project (TAP) as an opportunity for my friends and family to come together and help the victims of the disaster."
"For the past two weeks, I have been in India assessing the situation on the ground and identifying local leaders who can organize and orchestrate reconstruction, and manage the project(s) selected. Over the next three months my partners, Daniel Behn and John Romm, and I will work with these communities to help them implement small projects that specifically addresses their needs. With the local community, we have identified a village reconstruction project and will strive to build homes for over 200 families."
TAP hopes to raise $50,000 by March 20, 2005 to fund the reconstruction.
More information can be found at the Tsunami Assistance Project.