They seemed so happy and pleased to be alive (From Warrington Guardian)

They seemed so happy and pleased to be alive

WHEN Davenham man Jeremy Sutcliffe heard about the devastating Asian tsunami disaster he decided to transform a routine business trip into a mission of mercy.

The 53-year-old, a member of the Rotary Club of Northwich and Vale Royal, has spent the past six years working on construction projects in a region of India badly affected by the wave - so when he saw and heard reports of the Boxing Day events he did not think twice before deciding to do all he could to help.

He made his 35th trip to Tamil Nadu just two weeks after the disaster and spent nine days exploring fishing villages around the coast, hoping to spend a £500 donation from his Rotary club directly on the people who needed it most. Before he left Jeremy spent time researching areas that would most need any immediate relief that he could give them, but was not prepared for the overwhelming stretch of land affected.

He said: "I went on the Internet before going and emailed contacts at the Rotary Club of Madras Midtown and found out that the worst affected area in Tamil Nadu is a place called Nagapattinam.

"But that is 350 kilometres south of Madras, which is a journey of between seven and 10 hours there and back.

"I felt that I'd let the side down because I wouldn't be able to get there, but then I hired a car and driver from the hotel and started driving down the coast. Within an hour I started seeing destroyed villages for myself just 20 kilometres from Madras - and that destruction continued for 300 kilometres around the coast."

Jeremy, of London Road, was shocked to see the devastated villages, which he knew were not the worst affected in the area.

He said: "The majority of people affected in Tamil Nadu are fishermen who all lived on the sea shore in flimsy houses.

"I could have visited between 10 and a dozen villages - you lose track because they're all just dotted along the coast.

"But they are completely gone - it made me think of Hiroshima because they were just totally flattened, and I didn't even get as far as Nagapattinam where the really bad villages are. It was quite an eye-opener, but in terms of material damage rather than people."

He added: "These people had nothing and have lost everything - all they had were the clothes they stood up in, a few cooking utensils and the houses made out of thatch."

Despite the loss faced by villagers, Jeremy was surprised and touched by their positive attitude towards trying to rebuild their lives from nothing.

He said: "Everyone had a smile on their face and welcomed me to the village.

"They seemed so happy and pleased just to be alive."

The Rotary Club of Northwich and Vale Royal has received a tremendous amount of money from people in Cheshire who have been busy collecting for the Tsunami appeal.

Among many other contributions Northwich Town Council gave more than £60, Vale Royal Borough Council donated more then £500 and Brunner Mond raised £1,000 with an office collection, which was equalled by a collection at the Spar shop in Winnington.

Fishing boats are the most important thing this money can be spent on to get the villages of Tamil Nadu back on their feet.

Jeremy said: "Boats are the very means by which they eke out a living. In the short term, the injured have got medicine, those who need clothes have got clothes.

"What they need now are boats and nets so they can start fishing again. The last thing they need is food - with boats they can find their own."

The Rotary Club of Northwich and Vale Royal will be working closely with the Rotary Club of Madras Midtown to do all they can to help fishing villages start rebuilding their fleets. Jeremy said: "It'll take a long time to replace all of the boats - 95 per cent of livelihoods have been lost. But we can't look beyond that, we're just helping them to get back on their feet and after that it's the responsibility of local governments and Rotary Clubs."

Anyone who still wants to help or groups that have raised money but are unsure where to send it should contact James Cave, the president of the Rotary Club of Northwich and Vale Royal, on 0786 045 7212.

gbebbington@guardiangrp.co.uk