FROM THE FIELD
The reclamation of a Maldives island partially washed away by the 2004 tsunami has paved the way for house construction to begin.The British Red Cross has received eight bids to build homes on Vilufushi island, Thaa atoll, where more than 90 per cent of the infrastructure was destroyed.Since then a land reclamation process by the Maldivian and Dutch governments has tripled the size of the island and raised it by one metre.This is almost like a miracle. Now I will finally be able to get a new home.Maryam Gasim, mother of five from Vilufushi islandMost of the 1,900 displaced people from Vilufushi are currently living in cramped temporary shelters on neighbouring Buruni island – a welcoming community of 550 people who have traditionally enjoyed good relations with Vilufushi.SanitationThe British Red Cross plans to build up to 250 three-bedroom homes on the island along with a community sanitation system.Almost two years after the tsunami, the waiting may be finally over for displaced people like Maryam Gasim.[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
