The Maldivian Students’ Association in the UK are organising a Maldivian Evening in association with the Maldivian High Commission in London to assist the rehabilitation of educational services in the Maldives after the devastation caused by the tsunami of 26 December 2004.

The event is to be held in London on 26 March 2005 at Martin Junior and Infant School, Plane Tree Walk (off High Road), East Finchley , from 16:30 to 20:30 hrs with the featured items running twice and each ticket valid for one set of items. It will feature a buffet dinner serving Maldivian food, live music by a leading Maldivian pop band, boduberu (a cultural musical act), cultural dances, and a number of other performances by Maldivian students as well as sale of souvenirs from the Maldives .

The event will also include two raffles draws.  The winners will be awarded a one-week vacation for two in a luxury resort in the Maldives .  The vacation package also includes return airfare.  Raffles tickets are priced at £20.  A separate ticket for the raffles gives the opportunity for those who may not be able to make it to the event to take their chances in the raffles draw.

Tickets are priced at £15 for adults, £10 for students and OAPs, and £5 for under 16s (free for under 5s).  But since this is a charity event, those who may wish to donate more than the ticket price may do so either when buying the ticket or at the event itself.

For further details and advance booking please send an email to maldivianevening@msa-uk.org indicating the number and types of tickets required.

Educational establishments in the Maldives were severely affected when the tsunami struck the country.  Years of commendable progress was set back by many years.  Textbooks and furniture were swept away, buildings flattened and computers and other equipments totally destroyed.

Fortunately, tourism, the country’s main income earner is fast bouncing back.  70 percent of the industry is in full operation with occupancy reaching around the same percentage, which normally is at 100 percent at this time of the year.

In their recent visit to the Maldives , former US Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton appealed to the tourists to return to Maldives , emphasizing that it was completely safe to do so.  The Maldivian Government has been sending the message to the tourists that the best thing that they can do for the Maldives is to visit it, and both the US Presidents re-echoed the Government’s message.