December 20, 2006
© Asiapromote Ventures Sdn. Bhd.
CHEQUE PRESENTATION CEREMONY
By FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2006 to The Force of Nature-Equestrian World Tsunami Fund
December 20, 2006
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YBhg Dato’ Othman Talib,
Vice-Chairman, Main Committee
FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2006
YBhg Tan Sri Razali Ismail
Chairman, The Force of Nature Aid Foundation
Distinguished guests,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning. I’m very happy to see so many members of the media and the local equestrian community. Thank you all for coming to support us today.
I would like to begin with December 26, 2004. When we heard the shocking news of the tsunami, and learnt more about it, we were compelled to act to help the survivors. So much was lost – lives, homes, families, livelihoods and whole communities in about a dozen countries. The destruction was so extensive that selected countries had their coastline redefined including our own.
The questions we asked ourselves were How and Who can we help? Where and How do we start? Then the idea of getting the equestrian world together took shape through Asiapromote Ventures’ organisation of the CSI 5-star KL Grand Prix, the only major international showjumping event in this region. Through this we have a vast network of contacts with horse people from around the world. And so was the Equestrian World Tsunami Fund started.
First, we looked at who needs the most assistance – it was clear that Aceh in Indonesia being at the epicentre of the earthquake suffered the most. Whole communities were washed away and 800 kilometres of the Aceh’s coastline was wiped out.
Next, we went to Indonesia to meet with Mr. Ahmad Kalla, brother of the Indonesian Vice-President who is in charge of the tsunami donations, as well as the director from the United Nations to find out how best we can help.
Then we had to decide what sort of assistance to offer. Since numerous international relief organisations were providing immediate aid and relief services, we felt that we should help in the rebuilding and recovery of Aceh as this phase is just as important if not more.
President Clinton, the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery put it succinctly, “What we have to do now is not to forget these people and places when all the cameras are not there. That’s the number one problem that we’ll just forget and not see this through.”
The calamity is so severe that it has been estimated that the rebuilding and recovery of the affected areas will take more than a decade. It becomes essential to help the survivors get back on their feet and be able to carry on with their lives, particularly the 50,000 orphans whose futures are very bleak indeed.
We communicated with the FEI, the International Equestrian Federation, for their support and commitment.
Emails, faxes, letters of appeal and phone calls went out to our network of contacts. Other fund-raising activities included the Gala Dinner auction of two equine photographs taken by award-winning British photographer Tim Flach and a contribution from the sale of the FEI World Cup Jumping Final Paddock Club tables and corporate boxes. The total raised was RM150,000.
We have now found our strategic partner in The Force of Nature Aid Foundation. The Foundation has proposed to build a Community Resource Centre and Memorial Park in Banda Aceh to serve the community there. YBhg Tan Sri Razali Ismail and Mr. Steve McCoy, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation respectively are in a better position to tell you more about the proposed project.
The Foundation will add a sports wing to the Centre that the equestrian world can take pride in. Providing recreational facilities to a recovering community is as vital as restoring the infrastructure in that community.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In six days’ time, it will be the second anniversary of the Asian Tsunami. There is still a lot to be done in Aceh. There are still displaced people without homes and living in shelters. There are still orphans being crammed into existing orphanages and madrassahs. The people in Aceh still need our help, particularly in recovering their livelihoods and one way to assist in this area is to teach them new skills that will provide them economic independence.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We believe that the equestrian communities the world over can do more to help those in need and to make a successful long term-commitment through the Fund. There have been more natural disasters and other tragedies happening around us and we feel that the time has come for us to redefine our scope, broaden the outlook of the Fund and extend the reach of the Fund so more people can benefit from horsemen and women around the world.
As such, we are renaming the Equestrian World Tsunami Fund to reflect our objective of extending help to more people in different areas of need. Now the Fund will be known as Horse Aid. Not to aid horses, of course, but for the horses and those who love them to aid those in need.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I present to you the new identity of the Fund…HORSE AID!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before I conclude I would like to thank the Hilton, particularly Mr. Paul Hutton for kindly sponsoring the venue and the refreshments. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Ta Kwang Tents Sdn Bhd for the backdrop, George Gill our photographer and Encik Kharil Yusof for our new logo and the designs and artwork, who have all provided their services pro-bono.
I would like to end by asking the local equestrian community to support our fund-raising activities and also by developing initiatives to help raise money for the Fund.
Together we will endeavour to do our best for those in need!
Thank you.