Maldives: final steps to recovery

	People of Villufushi decorating the Inauguration tent

Power is on its way to the island of Vilufushi as the final phase of work on the British Red Cross recovery programme in the Maldives begins.

Vilufushi was so devastated by the tsunami that a land reclamation project had to be carried out prior to reconstruction. In August 2007, the British Red Cross started building 250 houses. For the displaced households, the power project brings hope – by spring next year they will be able to move back to their island and into their new homes.

Zahid Jameel, the Maldivian consultant who designed the power system, is confident of its quality. "It has been challenging and has taken a lot of time looking into all the details and working with the Ministry for Energy and Water. We have done the best from what is available and now I am happy with the end result."

Training

Both the power station and the treatment plant for the sewage system will require maintenance once the British Red Cross leaves the island next year. Local people are being trained in important technical positions and the community is being encouraged to take it on as a business enterprise. There will also be jobs in billing and collection of payments.

Russell Bryce, British Red Cross utilities manager, said: "There is a lot of opportunity and hopefully it will be run like a business, but will take into account people who can't afford to pay much, such as the elderly. The idea is to generate enough funds to maintain the systems if they need any repairs and to pay a salary to those doing the work."

Construction

The British Red Cross is also building a new school on Vilufushi and on 7 August, a ceremony to mark the start of construction was attended by some of the children who come from the island.

"After three years and seven months I got to see my home island and I was so happy to be there. It looks so different from before," said Aishath Naafia, studying in grade 10.

"I am proud that we will have a bigger school, better facilities and I hope, good teachers too. I had the honour of participating in the ceremony and it felt so good. It's the first time in my life that I had an opportunity like this."

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Dubai luxury hotel group to open 5 more hotels in Southeast Asia, Mideast

	Jumeirah Group build a new Resort in the Maldives

Jumeirah Group, a luxury hotel operator based in Dubai, the second largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced that it will open five more hotels in Southeast Asia and Middle East in three years, local newspaper Gulf News reported on Saturday.

In spite of the ferocious crisis that sweeps the global in recent weeks, Jumeirah Group that currently manages 11 hotels and resorts is determined to go ahead with its global expansion plan, which will be a network of 60 hotels by 2012, according to the report. The five new hotels Jumeirah Group to open will be located in Indonesia, Maldives, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait. All of them are scheduled to open over three years.

"With these developments, we will have a balanced portfolio with a wide spread. One third of our hotels will be in Asia and we are pretty strong in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and the Middle East, our home base," the group's executive chairman Gerald Lawless was quoted as saying. "The present financial crisis won't affect us much as we are a solid company, and the hotels that we've signed up are being developed by strong partners," he added.

Jumeirah Group is part of Dubai Holding, which is owned by Dubai Government. Its portfolio includes the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, the world's tallest all-suite hotel.

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October 23rd – November 6th

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If you knew that miyaru means shark in Dhivehi then you would not be surprised to know that sharks feature prominently at this spot. But it's not only sharks you should look out for but several pelagic fishes often appear here. The wall here is quite unremarkable really. There are interesting things to spot such as lionfish, moray eels and porcupine fish but the real action is out in the blue. At around 30 metres there is an overhang which can shield you from the strength of the passing current, and with an incoming current the visibility can be excellent and the parade of pelagics and local residents, impressive. You might see a number of grey reef sharks as well as barracuda, kingfish and tuna.

Large squadrons of eagle rays are frequently seen here seemingly flying in formation in an unforgettable display. Their larger cousins, the manta rays, are also often seen here, filter feeding in the plankton-rich water. Less frequent are sightings of hammerheads but an encounter with these, for those lucky enough to be in the right place, is another wonderful moment to be had a Miyaru Faru.

After having had your fill of pelagic action you can make your way towards the shallows or out into the channel where you can (if currents allow) cross over to a thila where butterflyfish, parrotfish, powder-blue surgeonfish and groupers all add a splash of colour to the coral pinnacles.

Miyaru Faru Reef Basics: Drift dive
Depth: 5 - 30m
Visibility: 10 - 25m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Usually calm, but can be choppy
Water Temperature: 27 - 30°C
Experience Level: Intermediate
Number of dive sites: 2 (Miyaru Faru Kandu and Miyaru Faru Tila)
Diving Season: All year round. Liveaboards less likely to visit May to July
Distance: Between Dhiya Adi Faru and Kassan Faru, 47km from Male Town
Access: Liveaboard

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