From Tragedy and Emergency Relief to a Better Future
Sarvodaya USA Dedicates Housing in Honor of Contributors
At the End of the Road, a New Beginning
Trauma Still Haunts Tsunami Survivors
Why Sarvodaya Works: Hummaira Muzammil
Sarvodaya USA: One Year of Service
Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne to Receive Peace Prize
Coming up in 2006: Look for Sarvodaya Store
 

Despite the massive amount of aid that poured into Sri Lanka after the tsunami last year, rebuilding progresses at a crawling pace. Thousands of families continue to live in makeshift shelters and struggle to meet their daily needs. Two such victims are Mr. Nias and his wife, who camp in the ruins of their former home. They live in a small tent. After a year’s use, the tent is completely worn out by sun, rain and storm. Before the tsunami hit, they had a comfortable income from fishing. But the tsunami took their two sons and source of income — their boat.

A house destroyed by the tsunami in Kalmunai area, Sri Lanka

The effects of the tsunami get more pronounced as you travel up the eastern coast of the island, which sustained the brunt of the ocean’s fury. When you stand at the sandy land in what used to be Pandiruppu village, you are humbled by the scale and scope of the disaster. What used to be a thriving village is now deserted. Where houses stood, you can only see the remains of walls and foundations; complete and total destruction. This village alone lost 1,000 people.

The lone sign of habitation is a newly reconstructed Sarvodaya pre-school.

One man mourns his young daughter, who volunteered at the Sarvodaya preschool, and his wife, who ran his house. Sarvodaya has provided him with some livelihood support and is building a house for him. But there are thousands of others who still live in temporary shelters that protect them from neither rain, sun, nor wind.
 

"Despite these problems, Sarvodaya has committed to build at least 1,200 homes. In a country that lost over 40,000 houses, this beginning may seem small. But every new house offers a critical next step for a family whose life was turned upside down by the tsunami."

In this monsoon season, Mrs. Suandradevi, who lost two young grandchildren and daughter in law, can barely sleep inside her temporary shack. At night, she often squats at the half-built house of a neighbor.

The resilience of tsunami survivors like Mrs. Suandradevi is remarkable. Both she and Mrs Pullanayaham, whose fisherman husband lost a leg, have opened small shops. Similarly, Mr. Rahman, who used to operate 12 handlooms and earned more than $300 a month, is attempting to rebuild his business and his family with a lone handloom that brings a mere $1 a day.
 

Although international groups raised tens of millions of dollars, they lack the Sri Lankan human resources or infrastructure to cope with the nationwide need. The irony is that the organizations like Sarvodaya, which has the largest network of villages, had less international exposure to capitalize on the contributions from Europe, the US and other countries. The grassroots, volunteer-based Sarvodaya Movement, whose staff often work with no salaries or wages less than $60 per month, struggles to remain competitive with highly visible agencies. Some relief groups promise as much as five times what Sarvodaya can afford.

Sarvodaya built house in Pandirippu Village, Sri Lanka

…and You Are Part of this Great Reawakening

According to those at the village level, official government response has been slow and inconsistent. Even government officials at the village level express frustration. Despite these problems, Sarvodaya has committed to 1,200 houses.

In a country that lost over 40,000 houses, this beginning may seem small. But every new house offers a critical next step for a family whose life was turned upside down by the tsunami.


Your contributions will keep this process of recovery and reawakening alive.

Groups which donated $10,000 or more when combined together have contributed over half a million dollars towards tsunami relief. Working with village and district leaders, Sarvodaya USA is dedicating several housing projects in honor of large contributors and partners.  Under construction or already built in three districts – Galle, Kalutara, and Ampara –these houses already provide permanent shelter for over 100 families affected by the tsunami.

Like bricks in the foundations, your gifts reinforce the person-to-person connections.  If you know someone who will join you in the challenge to build even one new house, please contact us. info@sarvodayausa.org.

Mrs. M.L.Chandrawati, a single mother of five young children, is the sole caretaker of her elderly mother-in-law and a cousin who has developmental disabilities. On the day tsunami struck, her husband, sole breadwinner of the family, had gone to a vegetable fair in Matara. He never returned.

Mrs. M.L.Chandrawati, a single mother of five young children, is the sole caretaker of her elderly mother-in-law and a cousin who has developmental disabilities. On the day tsunami struck, her husband, sole breadwinner of the family, had gone to a vegetable fair in Matara. He never returned.

When a newspaper ran a story on the family’s plight, Mrs. Neetha Ariyaratne, of Sarvodaya Suwasetha, could not ignore the tragedy. Knowing the Chandrawati family could be without food or income, she learned that their house lacked a full roof, windows and a door. The children had no school supplies or even adequate clothing. Mrs. Ariyaratne arranged for a social worker from Suwasetha’s nearby children’s home to drive up the muddy road to meet the family. With the help of a Buddhist monk and other Sarvodaya supporters, mother and children now have a stable household, food and a finished home.

For the full story, see “Time Management: Neetha Ariyaratne Takes Us on a Visit” on our website.

Trauma Still Haunts Tsunami Survivors
— Shisir Khanal
 

Puzzled, I asked, “why?”

He replied, “we need to be ready to leave any moment”.

Not surprisingly, the deep the psychological trauma still lingers.

In all, six members of his family perished in the waves. Mr. Nagaraja lost his wife and three children, a sister and a nephew. In addition, he lost three houses he had built in this coastal village. He survived only because he had gone to town to fill up the tank of his motorbike.

As he returned on December 26, people were running from the village. Soon he saw the wave four times as high as his house inundating his entire community.

Among those who drowned were 58 children inside their school.

After one year, he can afford to live in a rented house on government salary.

However, most of his fellow villagers are not so lucky, he said.

They are still living in 12 x 12 ft temporary shelters. The only signs of reconstruction in the village are the recently completed Sarvodaya preschool and a memorial for those who passed away.

“It seems everybody is forgetting the ones who lost their lives here. We wanted to build something for them,” he said.

There are many he cannot forget. One of them is his nephew. Two days after the tsunami, the results of his “O Level” exam for higher education came out. His nephew had secured very high marks. But he did not live to rejoice in his success.



The future for the Nagarajas of Sri Lanka will clearly be quite different from the past. Working with Sarvodaya as a village leader, he can play a role in reconstructing the lives of his neighbor as well as his own.
 

Mr. Nagaraja standing on the ruins of his old house

Whether she is negotiating a dispute or coordinating relief to settlements long denied assistance, her talents are in high demand. Because of the nature of her job, every month she has to travel away from Colombo, where she lives, for days. In a country where females are rarely encouraged to lead an independent life, she stands out for her commitment and dedication.

Sarvodaya USA: One Year of Service

Collaboration is Key

United Airlines support has allowed us to collaborate and provide airfare for members of Architects Without Borders, the Nonviolent Peaceforce, counselors from Heart Circle Sangha, Tsunami Reach (housing), and others.   

Joan Hoeberichts of Heart Circle Sangha in Ridgewood, New Jersey, not only organized a unique Buddhist-based psychotherapy and trauma counseling training program, she also funded construction of a home for a young woman who had been victimized by a neighbor. Heart Circle Sangha will send teams to work with Vishva Niketan International Peace Center and the Sarvodaya Legal Services Movement over the next several years. 

Led by Prasanna and Annie Samarawickrema, Joseph Fernando and friends, Microsoft employees in Seattle and other offices worldwide stepped forward with financial contributions that were matched by the corporation.  A group of Sri Lankan Microsoft employees and others called Seattle Cares have also been involved in more direct aid to villages. Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential program has funded exciting new telecentres and outreach training throughout the island. 

St. Michael’s College, schools and friends in Burlington, Vermont have committed to build a school in the Matara District and carry on with a Village to Village effort.  The College hosted Sarvodaya founder A.T. Ariyaratne in November. 

The British School of Boston also hosted Dr. Ariyaratne. Their “Auction of Promises” and other creative educational activities raised more  than $62,000.

Thanks to Cate Waidyatilleka, Iolani School in Hawaii is partnering with the beachside village of Mirissa near Matara. 

Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne to Receive Peace Prize

Dr. Ariyaratne will receive Acharya Sushil Kumar International  Peace award on April 16, 2006 in Toronto,  Canada. The award was established in memory of Jain teacher Acharya Sushil Kumarji (1926-1994), who dedicated his life to promoting peace and harmony by mediating religious and secular conflicts in India.

Dr. Ariyaratne is being awarded for his commitment and practice of Gandhian values and non-violent means to achieve sustainable peace and development in Sri Lanka and worldwide.