Working with the kids at a refugee camp: Tucker's report of Jan 19th

January 19, 2005

The Serendib relief team departed Ratnapura shortly after 7 a.m. for the 200 mile journey to the Northeastern coast of Sri Lanka and Trincomalee, renowned as one of the world’s finest natural harbors. Trincomalee town itself, due to the structure and shape of the harbor, largely escaped damage by the tsunami. The outlying beach areas, however, bore the full brunt of the devastating waves.

After collecting two unexpected passengers in Awissawella which brought our number to twenty, we continued northward and eastward toward our destination, stopping only on several brief occasions to eat and purchase some additional toys for the children at the refugee camps. Rain joined us for part of the journey, which was a welcome relief to some as it cooled down the bus for the remainder of the trip.

We made good time and arrived in Trincomalee around 5 p.m., and were fortunate that one of our Serendib members had an old training college connection in Kinniya, one of the most damaged areas from the tsunami. As a result we were able to begin assessment on the ground quickly after the ferry voyage across the bay, and we visited two refugee camps being run by local government authorities.

By and large the needs of the people in terms of food, water, and basic shelter (as well as medicine and sanitation) seem to be met, however, their mental condition and ability to rebuild their lives and continue in a meaningful way has been seriously affected by the seriousness of this natural disaster. As mentioned before, Serendib will concentrate its efforts on working with children in these camps to improve their spirits, help them to cooperate and work with each other in the rebuilding efforts, and provide them with the necessary school furnishings to return to a “normal” academic life.

As such, we have chosen a camp situated in Al-Aqsa School, where there are approximately 94 children and 250 people altogether. As we have collected school bags and other donations for 100 children, we decided this would be the most appropriate site. We were welcomed by the children, army officers, and parents of the Camp, and are looking forward to beginning our program early tomorrow morning.

Tucker


[Webmaster's Note: The photos that accompanied this report from Tucker can be seen by clicking on the link below]

http://www.serendib.us/tsunami/11805/page.html