In the wake of the tsunami, Canadians rallied to the assistance of those who had been affected. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and FOCUS Canada mobilized funds to support relief, but also to create a foundation for sustainable rehabilitation among 15 particularly vulnerable communities in the tsunami affected area.
The aim of the three-year Andhra Pradesh Relief to Development (APR2D) project was to improve the capacity of target communities to better manage in times of disaster. It built on an earlier relief effort, funded by CIDA and the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) to restore the livelihoods of affected communities in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami.
To set in motion a process that would sustain a short-term project, the AKDN drew on guiding principles developed from its experiences of projects in disaster reconstruction and more comprehensive development programs: high-quality community-based interventions, working on multiple fronts, and fostering linkages with strong institutional partners.