The most successful day: Tucker's Jan 24th Report

January 24, 2005

Today was perhaps the most successful day of the trip. Thanks to the serendipity of yesterdays’ discovery of the refugee camp, we were able to get an early start and head straight for destination Shantively Sithi Vinayagar Tamil Vidyalam just about an hour outside of Batticaloa. We had learned our lesson from the first distribution of goods in Kinniya, and this time we did not mention that we were coming to deliver aid. Promising only a full day’s of English activities, we were hopeful not to attract the unwanted attention of individuals outside the Camp. A fundamental problem with most aid programmes, in fact, is that the undeserving and unaffected citizens from surrounding areas often come to claim the goods (food, books, etc.) which have been brought by NGOs and other government affiliates. Without a clear plan and organizational skills, and hampered by communication challenges, unfortunately most of the aid does not reach the hands of the most deserving people.

The morning sun greeted us on the beach of Kallady and the vista of devastation was totally incompatible with the glistening rays glancing off the early morning waves. Standing on the point where the waters must have raged, it was not difficult to imagine the awesome force of nature – one that had the power to wrench steeples from their foundations and cast them into treetops and poses of disarray – that had completely destroyed the lives of so many Sri Lankans. The stench of buried bodies that, according the army patrol had not been discovered, constituted a palpable sign that death lay lurking in the ruins around us everywhere.

It was a somber scene indeed, and as we were later informed some 10,00 homes had been destroyed, and in fact the scene which we witnessed we were told was not the most ravaged site among the debris of Batticaloa. We steeled ourselves for a ride down into the Burgher section of the beach, where the proximity of the homes to the shoreline spelled doom for most of the residents who had lost not only their homes but all of their possessions and many of their relatives. Heavy with the vision of what we had seen, we proceeded to the refugee camp to begin our English activities for the day.

The children at Shantively were very receptive and eager to learn, and with the bracelet and nametag system of identification which we inaugurated today, we were able to quickly identify the children who belonged to the Camp and work with the some 87 students who were truly refugees. It is always a case, as I mentioned, of people from surrounding villages coming and claiming status as refugees. This imperative step of clarification saved us much administrative headache later on.

Several children were incredibly eager and talented in English, and we felt that they were overjoyed to have someone take them in charge and give them confidence, hope and enjoyment in their education once again. A favorite activity of the Camp – the balloon toss- turned into a game where the children could overcome their fear of the sea through an informal and harmless contact with water. I recalled the words of the Jesuit priest of the night before who told us that children were so afraid of water the small children refused to be lowered into the bath for their daily ablutions.

We concluded our day with (for the students) the unexpected distribution of schoolbags filled with all the supplies necessary for the children to return to school. One of the complaints which the head of the camp had relayed to us was that the younger primary students had not yet returned to the classrooms for simple lack of uniforms, pencils, and other necessities. We were lucky to have been able to meet this urgent need in such a timely fashion. It was, indeed, an efficient and effective distribution and all the students and parents were content. They thanked us profusely and we made our way to the next destination and tomorrow’s program: Ampara.

Tucker


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