ABOUT TIK'S TSUNAMI RELIEF

Tisha promoted grassroots tsunami relief efforts in Thailand. Tik's Tsunami Relief provided immediate help where it was needed most (and where large orgs could not). Promotion of the effort was initially through friends and colleagues, but the main outlet was phuket-guide.com where donors could view regular updates and photos of relief efforts. The transparency of the relief effort soon made people more comfortable to support it from so far away through donations and viral sharing of the site. The first project was to build and distribute hundreds of "survival kits" that included all of the essentials for everyday Thai living. The kits were provided where they were needed most, to displaced villagers in the devastated area of Khao Lak. The kit idea quickly came to fruition by speaking with the villagers to ask what they needed and were not yet receiving from the help that had already arrived. The villagers said that while large non-profit organizations provided tents, clothing, rice and milk those who were displaced had no pans to cook in, bowls to eat from or utensils to eat with, much less essential cooking items such as oil, a stove or a fire source. Additionally, the items from the large orgs were shipped in from far-off locations requiring additional wait time, not to mention a great deal of fuel. Tik's kits included all the items to fill in the blanks plus baby bottles, formula, and so much more. What's more, all of the items in the survival kits were purchased locally to help give the local economy a boost in a time when everyone had ceased all travel to Phuket, which greatly depends on tourist dollars. Providing villagers with local products also provided comfort to those who were reluctant to use unfamiliar items. Tik's kits gave them a little bit of home and normalcy during a very difficult time. Thanks to the website promotion and regular updates to sponsors, what followed was a very successful two-year campaign that continued to help the community through larger projects including: rebuilding homes, small businesses and water towers as well as an elementary school and Buddhist Temple. The effort continues to provide long term help to kids who lost parents in the villages of Kamala, Baan Saku. See Case Studies section for more!