Dr Stan Morton, originally from Ruabon, spent three months earlier this year as a voluntary teacher in Tamil Nadu, South-East India.

He worked mainly among the communities affected by the tsunami which struck the coast on Boxing Day 2004.

He said: "I was horrified by the living conditions of the survivors who are still in their temporary accommodation, just row after row of extremely hot and dilapidated metal shacks.

"It is essential that the victims who lost their houses in the disaster and also many of their family and friends move to permanent accommodation as soon as possible.

"Work on permanent housing is going on but is very slow."

Dr Morton, who formerly taught at NEWI and Deeside College, said that he was overwhelmed by the work being carried out in the area by non-government charity organisations, particularly the Roman Catholic one he worked for, called the Lasalle Kadalisai Community (LKC).

The Community runs day care and tuition centres for 2-5 and 5-15-year-olds as well as a youth service, 97 women's self-help groups, and a medical centre.

Dr Morton continued: "LKC has recently acquired 10 acres of land close to two of the new villages which are under construction and is planning to build training centres, a medical unit and schools there while also upgrading the facilities in its community educational and youth centres.

"Having seen a similar completed complex in a town nearby I'm sure that the new centre is going to be just brilliant," Stan enthused.

"However, they are desperately short of funds.

"That is why a committee has been formed and is launching a Tsunami Rehabilitation Fund."

All money raised will be channelled directly into the Lasalle Kadalisai Community in Nagapattinam.

The committee claim that, because of the low construction costs in India, each pound raised will be worth up to ten times that amount to the community.

Dr Morton said: "This next stage of rehabilitation is essential and the members of the fund committee are asking everyone to give generously in order to ease the communities back into some kind of order after the trauma caused by the disaster."

Br Uvari, director of the Lasalle Kadalisai Community, welcomes all sponsors to visit the new centre in India to see what has been achieved with their generous support.

Any donations or cheques made out to The LKC Tsunami Fund, should be sent c/o Dr Stan Morton, 27 Maes Cantaba, Ruthin LL15 1YP, or phone 01824 704231 (e-mail: mortonstan@yahoo.co.uk).