Hampton Village project
The Beginning
The tsunami in December 2004 had a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of people in South and South East Asia. The firm raised a significant amount of money through donations and pledges, which was dedicated to helping those left in need after the tsunami.
While there were a large number of charities organising relief efforts and accepting donations at that time, the firm chose to support the Hampton Village Project in Sri Lanka for very specific reasons:
The project offered us the opportunity to have a direct impact on the lives of some of the people who had lost their homes and livelihoods.
The money raised by the firm would go directly to the project and would be managed by the project's founder without the need for third party agencies.
The plans for the project extended beyond the immediate rebuilding phase and included educational and social objectives in addition to construction of new homes and facilities.
Nabarro's support
The firm therefore pledged an initial £25,000 to the building of the Nabarro Community Centre (NCC) in the centre of Hampton Village; this increased to £50,000 during the project due to cost overruns and an additional contribution to the furniture in the NCC. The Firm has also committed to maintenance and staff costs for the NCC over the next 5 years.
Work began on the construction of the NCC in February 2007 and was completed in December 2007.
About the project
The Hampton Village Sri Lanka Project was founded in January 2005 by two residents of Hampton, Middlesex, Dr. Upali Wickrama-Sekera and Mr. Henry de Silva, immediately after the tsunami.
Hampton Village is three miles inland near the south coast of Sri Lanka, 78 miles from Colombo. It was formally opened on 15 December 2007 by the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and attended by a number of dignitaries including both the English and Sri Lankan cricket teams.
For further information, please visit: http://www.hamptonvillagesrilanka.com/
The mission
The Village has been established under five facets:
1. Monument: A monument was constructed to remember all of the tsunami victims from the numerous countries, who lost their lives. The monument was designed by Sidell Gibson, a leading architectural firm in the UK and was officially opened on the first anniversary of the tsunami by Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
2. Houses: The village has fifty houses, of which forty-four houses have been donated to selected families affected by the tsunami. The houses are 590 square feet and comprise a living room, two bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom with water and electricity.
3. Nabarro Community Centre: Nabarro's contributions to the Hampton Village Project have been used to build the Community Centre. The Centre will have many purposes, including a pre-school for children in the village and it's vicinity, a ladies training centre, a sports pavilion, an adult education centre, a teaching centre for GCSE and A-level English and Mathematics as well as to encourage children to use the stage and other available facilities for drama and arts.
4. Cultural ties with schools in England: A number of schools in the UK will be incorporating Hampton Village, Sri Lanka as a case study for their year seven Geography National Curriculum. Students will visit Hampton Village and live for short periods in houses that have been constructed specifically for their benefit, allowing them to experience the culture and way of life of Sri Lanka.
5. Educational Sponsorship: The education of children in Hampton Village will be sponsored by families in England and Sri Lanka to provide them with encouragement with their studies through removing financial hardships.
