Gammadda Launches ‘Care & Dare’ Phase to Turn Relief into Rebuilding : First Community Camp tomorrow, in Kotmale

COLOMBO (News 1st); As Sri Lanka continues to recover from the devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah, the Gammadda Movement has announced the launch of a new phase of its response — ‘Recover and Rebuild: Care & Dare’ — aimed at bridging immediate humanitarian relief with longer-term rebuilding and recovery.

This next phase is being carried out with the support of the Australia-based Minderoo Foundation, whose AU$1 million commitment has enabled Gammadda to scale its disaster response beyond emergency aid, toward sustained community recovery.

The ‘Care & Dare’ phase reflects a carefully chosen theme — continuing care for communities still in distress, while daring to support rebuilding efforts as families attempt to restore normalcy after the disaster.

The programme will roll out through 10 on-location community camps over the coming weeks. The first camp is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, in Kotmale, one of the areas severely affected by the cyclone.

Each camp will combine continued emergency relief with essential recovery-oriented services, including:

Distribution of emergency food and relief items

Medical and public health services

Emergency legal assistance for documentation and claims

Educational support for affected children

Vocational and skills-training opportunities to help restore livelihoods

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the Emergency Relief Centre, alongside professional and institutional partners such as the Sri Lanka Bar Association, NAITA – National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, the Divisional Secretariat of Kotmale, and volunteer teams from V-Force.

Chevaan Daniel, the Leader of the Gammadda Movement noted that the objective of ‘Care & Dare’ is to move beyond short-term relief, "...addressing the deeper social, economic and institutional challenges communities face in the aftermath of a large-scale disaster".

The support of the Minderoo Foundation, one of Australia’s leading philanthropic organisations, marks a significant international partnership for Gammadda, reinforcing confidence in its community-driven model and enabling a more comprehensive recovery response following Cyclone Ditwah.

As Sri Lanka transitions from crisis response to recovery, the ‘Care & Dare’ phase seeks to ensure that affected communities are not only assisted, but empowered — with dignity, skills and support to rebuild their lives.