The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is to fund the rebuilding of 38 schools on the remote Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal from money raised in its tsunami relief appeal.
Of £1.8million (€2.6 million) raised earlier this year, £400,000 (€581,000) is being given to the Presbyterian partner church in the area, the Church of North India, which will build the schools.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has already given £1.2million (€1.68 million) to the Tearfund and Christian Aid agencies.
Details of the tsunami relief spending will be presented at Church House, Fisherwick Place, Belfast, at 7.30pm this evening. It will include a report from Presbyterian Moderator Rev Dr Ken Newell on his recent visit to the Tamil Nadu coastline of south-east India. Yesterday he said he was "more than satisfied that the hopes of our church in giving such vast sums of money are being fulfilled . . . whole communities are starting to blossom again."
