Keys of 50 houses were handed over to the Tsunami affected families at Poruthotawatta, Pallansena by Archbishop Oswald Gomis, Rev. Fr. Ivan Milovcic, Director of Caritas Croatia and together with the representatives of Caritas Croatia Boris Peterlin and Roberta Brusic on 21st Oct. 2008.

The Project was started in 2005, but due to many difficulties of obtaining the necessary assistance from the local government authority, proceedings of the project was delayed. Then His Grace the Archbishop Oswald Gomis took the initiative through the Seth Sarana, Caritas-Colombo and commenced the construction of the houses. These houses are built on 3 lands, 2 land purchased with the Tsunami Funds of the Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka Hope Trust Fund, Caritas Sri Lanka-SEDEC and one land was donated by the people of Pallansena Parish.

This housing project named as " Thomas Cardinal Cooray Hosuing Scheme ", was jointly funded by Caritas Germany and Caritas Croatia (Hrvatski Caritas ). The total value of the project amounts to 614,000 Euro and Caritas Croatia (Hrvatski Caritas ) very generously assisted with 360,000 Euro.Caritas Germany has been working through the Archdiocese of Colombo immediately after Tsunami brought destruction on lives of the people and their property.

His Grace the Archbishop Oswald Gomis addressing the gatehring, sincerely thanked German Caritas and Caritas Croatia (Hrvatski Caritas ) for their financial assistance to help the Tsunami affected families at Poruthotawatta in Pallansena Parish. His Grace the Archbishop further said to the occupants, " it is not enough to occupy a beautiful house, it is also necessary that you live an examplary beautiful Christian life, witnessing to Christ Our Lord."

The Episcopal Vicar for the Northern Region of the Archdiocese, Very Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, Director of Caritas Sri Lanka Very Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando, Director of Caritas Croatia Very Rev. Fr. Ivan Milovcic and the representatives of Caritas Croatia (Hrvatski Caritas ) Boris Peterlin & Roberta Brusic, Archdiocesan Director of Seth Sarana ( Caritas Colombo) Rev. Fr. Jude Raj Fernando and Parish Priest of Pallansena Rev. Fr. Maximus Rodrigopulle were present at the opening ceremony.

Plants were distributed to every family by Seth Sarana under their tree-palnting campaign and Holy Bibles were given to every Tsunami affected Catholic family, received from the Aid to the Church in Need in Germany (Kirche in Not / Ostpriesterhilfe ).