The
air is full of dust as energetic Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers
carry tsunami debris away from a destroyed house. Every day,
ten houses in Beruwala are cleaned up by Red Cross and community
volunteers. Their work helps identify basic needs and immediate
solutions, speeding up the mental and physical recovery of the
affected communities.
The Belgium Red Cross, together with the Sri Lanka Red Cross
(SLRC), has been running an integrated project in Beruwala in
the tsunami-affected district of Kalutara since February.
Project activities consist of cleaning up the community area,
house construction and psychosocial support. Several hundred
houses will be constructed as part of the project.
The interaction of the volunteers with the community is proving
an effective means of identifying needs and providing support.
“During the cleaning we have a golden opportunity to be
with people. We get to know them well and if they feel sad we
can help them and make them understand that they are not alone,”
says SLRC team leader Priyanthi Athukoralla.
Belgian Red Cross psychosocial delegate Sylvaine Courbiere agrees.
“When you discuss with people, you see that their main
need often is housing. But there are also a lot of little needs”.
“These needs may appear small but they can make a big
difference in helping people return to normality,” she
says.
An ear to listen
The needs and challenges faced by people are numerous. Identity
cards and birth certificates were washed away, some people lack
a mattress, others need milk or a school uniform, or have health
problems. Widows have no money and have children to take care
of.
Help is available both from within the community and external
agencies such as NGOs.
Neighbours have banded together to help to organise kindergartens
while NGOs have various projects running distributing relief
items and addressing needs.
While plenty of assistance is available, in the wake of the
disaster some people don’t have the energy to start rebuilding
their lives. The Sri Lanka Red Cross and community volunteers
are providing a vital service establishing the link between
needs and resources. They are a listening ear to affected people,
helping them regain momentum in their lives.
“People are mentally down when it is dirty everywhere.
We help them clean up and we also listen,” says SLRCS
volunteer T.D. Buddika Saman Kumara. “There are physical
needs, but people also want to talk about their experiences,
nightmares and feelings of insecurity.”
What is a tsunami?
To date, 30 Red Cross volunteers and a further 30 community
volunteers have participated in the project. During March, 12
SLRC volunteers were further trained to provide psychosocial
in addition to their community cleaning activities. A component
of the training is to ensure understanding of the causes and
consequences of the tsunami.
“What is a tsunami, and how do the communities that you
have worked with understand this phenomenon?” Belgium
Red Cross’ Sylvaine asks the 12 SLRC volunteers.
One of the participants points out that some of the affected
people believe the disaster was caused by something they did,
and that the tsunami happened as a punishment.
As Sylvaine discusses with the volunteers, she draws a sketch
on the whiteboard where circles of waves spread from the earthquake
epicentre until they hit Sri Lanka’s beaches.
“It is very important to provide people with accurate
information. This can help the person cope with the disaster
and understand that it is not his or her fault,” she says.
The SLRC and the Federation have committed to reconstructing
15,000 houses in the hardest hit districts of Sri Lanka. But
just as important as walls and roofs is the understanding and
ability to listen of volunteers both from the Sri Lanka Red
Cross and the community.
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T.D.
Buddika Saman Kumara has been a SLRC volunteer for five
years and went immediately to his local branch to offer
his services the day of the disaster. (Photo: Lena Eskeland,
IFRC) (p12757)
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The
Red Cross and community volunteers are assisting with
more than clean-up operations. Their presence is providing
important emotional and practical support to affected
communities. (Photo: Lena Eskeland, IFRC) (p12756)
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Sylvaine
Courbiere from the Belgium Red Cross chats with some of
the children in Beruwala. The Red Cross presence helps
identify and address some of the needs of the affected
communities. (Photo: Lena Eskeland, IFRC) (p12755)
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M.
Tialin is one of the 30 community volunteers. People of
all ages engage in the activities with an impressive energy.
(Photo: Lena Eskeland, IFRC) (p12756)
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SLRC
team leader Priyanthi Athukoralla was not affected by
the tsunami herself. Now she spends every day helping
the communities in Beruwala. (Photo: Lena Eskeland, IFRC)
(12754)
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