Humanitarian and development

One of the roles of the SPIA is to extend on the humanitarian and diplomatic level the actions undertaken on the ground by civilians and military personnel who have served or are serving under the colours of the United Nations.

Since its creation, SPIA has contributed to humanitarian development and emergency actions:

  • in Cambodia, construction of a school in the Svray Rieng region and sending a water sanitation specialist to Chum-Kiri,
  • in Rwanda, participation in a vaccination campaign for 50,000 children against DPT,
  • in former Yugoslavia, from 1991 to 1997, about ten convoys were arranged to ship food, clothing and medicines,
  • in Benin, renovation of the Porto-Novo hospital,
  • victim support of the Baam earthquake in Iran, 2013,
  • solidarity with the victims of the tsunami of the 26 of December 2004 in Pondicherry (ex Pondicherry),
  • the vaccination against influenza of elderly people in Beirut in September 2005,

For all these causes, you can send your donations via:

Bank cheques payable to SPIA – – 187 rue Garibaldi – 69003 Lyon

Bank transfer SPIA – 20041 01007 1419896N038 53

Thank you very much in advance.

Chronological overview

Solidarity Pondicherry

Many of you have answered our call, and thanks to your generosity, SPIA and FNAME have collected nearly 15,000 € in donations and grants. Therefore, we thank you very much.

Following the evaluation mission carried out by our representative, we have established a partnership with a local association settled for nearly 15 years in Pondicherry « SINDANAI SIRPI SINGARAVELAR SOCIAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION », whose mission is to ensure the schooling of tsunami orphans. The funds raised by the SPIA will be used on the one hand to purchase land and on the other hand to build a facility for the association, which will allow the SPIA to dedicate the money it spends on rent to the children’s education. Subsequently, the SPIA intends to extend this collaboration as well as to continue to help orphans beyond a one-off operation.

Our expert, Mr. Aroumougam Segar, is currently in Pondicherry to deliver the cheques, after all the usual verifications, that will allow the purchase of the land in the joint names of SPIA and SINDANAI SIRPI SINGARAVELAR SOCIAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION. Mr. Aroumougam Segar will also be collecting all the administrative and legal documents necessary for this purchase and the construction of the building.

We will keep you posted concerning the developments of this project on this website.

  1. Aroumougam Segar is also expected to meet with both the local and the French consular authorities that are supporting this project.

On the 29th of November, the handing-over of the letters of mandate and cheques to Mr Aroumougam Segar took place at the SPIA office in the attendance of representatives of the Tamil community in Rhône Alpes, Mr Anthuvan and Mr Sancarcoumar.

List of Donors « Solidarity Asia »:

  • Association of the 68th African Artillery Regiment, Monthieux,
  • ANAI du Rhône, Lyon,
  • Association Espace Projets Inter-associatifs, Vaulx en Velin,
  • National Association of medallists of the Resistance, Gard section, Aubais,
  • Association of War Amputees, Ain section, Bourg en Bresse,
  • Association des Indiens des Trois Villes, Seurans,
  • Association Ordre Lafayette, Strasbourg,
  • National PTT Association of Veterans, Caen,
  • Association Stéphanoise des Poilus des 2 Guerres, St Etienne
  • Association les Toussi’Arts, Toussieu,
  • Centre Social du Grand Vire, Vaulx en Velin,
  • Habillement Rhône-Alpes Garage Aubert Transenergie SA,
  • Ecully Union Fédérale des Associations des Anciens Combattants, St Etienne,
  • La Région Rhône-Alpes La Région Alsace La Mairie de St Genis Laval,
  • And all the individuals who have also helped us

Solidarity Iran

A violent earthquake – 6.3 of the Richter magnitude scale – occurred Friday the 26th of December 2003 at 02:58 am, Paris time, in Iran, in the city of Bam at 1000 km at the south of Tehran. Approximately 20.000 Iranians were killed in this most devastating disaster recorded in this region since 1988. The historic district of the city of Bam, a medieval city, was completely destroyed.

SPIA achieved, after a long negotiation, to establish a project to build a dispensary in the region of Bam. The Rhône Alpes Regional Council and the Rhône General Council participated in this project by granting us subsidies. We have received the quotations for the construction of the dispensary, thus the construction should start in a few weeks’ time

Solidarity Cambodia

In 1996, SPIA funded and supported the construction of an additional building in a school in the Cambodian region of Svray Rieng. This structure, although mainly built of wood, benefits of concrete foundations and a tiled roof. However, over the past 10 years, the structure has suffered from the climate and needs major renovation to prevent becoming dangerous and unusable.

A SPIA team visited the site in August 2005 in order to assess the damage and propose solutions. Following this trip three distinct objectives emerged:

  • the renovation of the existing structure
  • the construction of a new permanent building after the demolition of a wooden building that has become unusable
  • the provision of school supplies

Furthermore, a playground could be created within the area of the school.

SPIA – DH has decided to get involved in this project and to carry it out.

On November the 12th, SPIA met His Excellency the Ambassador of Cambodia in France, who supported the project.