2005.1.19

Dear Friend of Surangani

by Shigeko Baba

Last year a “Peace Powwow” (funded by the The Peace Stone Foundation, Tokyo Japan) was held in Colombo from the 11th to the 14th of December. Forty-five primary school children from the village of Vadduwan were sponsored to participate in this event. Vadduwan is located in the province of Batticaloa, 350km North East of Colombo. These children were brought to Colombo to experience the excitement of the capital city. They visited the Overseas School of Colombo where a special sports and activities day took place with and for them. This allowed them to interact and get to know many of their Japanese sponsors in Colombo. Other excursions to the Colombo Zoo and to a Hindu temple also took place. Many of the children had never been outside their home village and so were able to return home with happy memories and plenty of stories.

Since the tsunami on the 26th of December, much of the eastern portion of Vadduwan was destroyed and five of the students who participated in the Peace Powwow perished in this disaster. In this small village, 128 families lost their homes and have been living a makeshift life in tents within a temporary evacuation area. Surangani set up an emergency aid tent (Blue Bird Nest) within this encampment and have been distributing milk, biscuits and other dry rations. Our main priority was and continues to be the welfare of the children. We are trying to ensure that they are adequately catered for.

Now more than a month has passed since the devastating waves hit these shores, the world turns it head towards other news and the huge tide of foreign volunteers ebbs away. The initial state of emergency has passed and the people have been provided with food and shelter, and we must start to look at what we can do to heal the emotional destruction that occurred on December 26th.

Through Surangani’s Blue Bird Nest we will continue to make the children our priority. We hope to make a haven for children who have lost mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Although we cannot erase the events of that devastating day from their memories perhaps we can ensure their future days are happier. Through the compassion and generosity of you, our warm-hearted benefactors, we hope to make a small difference in the lives of these, our children.

Yours truly,

Shigeko Baba
SVS Director

(2005.1.19)

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