Dateline ACT

South & south east Asia/Sri Lanka - 08/05

By Jan-Åke Thorell, Church of Sweden Aid/ACT International

Tangalle, Sri Lanka, April 5, 2005—The Rev. Surangika Ferando never closes his gate–there is 24-hour service at the Methodist church where he is pastor. The church is located in Tangalle, a town on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, which was badly damaged by the December 26 tsunami.

“We do what we can,” says the young pastor. “But we are ordinary people–how can we assist all?”

After a few months of hard work and dealing with endless needs, Ferando is getting tired. Almost all of Tangalle was damaged by the tsunami, and hundreds of people come every day to Ferando’s church hoping to get some assistance. It’s the same at the Methodist church in the nearby town of Matara.

“All are affected,” says the Rev. Anil Silva. “Those who are not physically affected are emotionally and mentally affected.”

There are no jobs available. Most of the hotels in the area have closed, leaving their staffs unemployed. Buses were destroyed, and many drivers, conductors and others are jobless. About 180 shops in Tangalle have not been able to re-open since December 26. The list could be much longer.

Business operators in Tangalle have approached the Inter-religious Human Rights Organization in Tangalle after they failed to get loans from the banks.

“Many are very sad and with very little hope for the future,” says Silva.

The pastor in Tangalle has observed the same situation in his city. Many people have lost everything. Since the disaster struck, survivors have received assistance with shelter, food and water. But the trauma is still there—and lingers with nothing to do but cause them great distress.

“I know several who have turned to drugs to try eliminate the pain,” Ferando says.

Some survivors are receiving trauma counseling. But in Ferando’s pastoral education, he learned a limited amount on the subject. And the present situation is unlike anything else.

“None of us has been through anything like this. What can we say?” asks Ferando.

But Ferando knows the church must do what it can. Churches like his in the affected areas have been distributing many items to small businesses, such as scales to market vendors, carpentry tools, and bicycles for people who need to be mobile in their businesses. But most of the population in the affected coastal areas is fishermen, and in Tangalle alone, more than 200 boats were destroyed.

“We can assist with these small-scale projects,” Ferando says. “But we are ordinary people and can’t write proposals for million of rupees. We don’t know how to do it.”

In Hambantota, the Anglican church is trying to help residents return to their normal lives. As a member of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL), which in turn is a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, the Anglican church has been conducting a survey and has prepared long lists of the needs in its area. Some items have already been distributed. For example, tarpaulins have been given mainly to women who trade vegetables from their gardens at the marketplace. The tsunami swept away all kiosks and stalls in the marketplace close to the beach – along with many people’s only way of earning an income. Now the women can start to earn their living again.

In another project, the church is helping people make bricks for the construction of new houses. The Anglican church has also assisted some fishermen in repairing their boats and has started to produce 50 canoes to support the fishermen’s livelihood.

“Only 49 of the total 150 boats are remaining,” says the Rev. Upul Fernando. “It costs a lot to replace all the boats, and it would be good if the government could give a tax exemption for this matter.”

Fernando is saddened that survivors are still living in camps. They are suffering, and the camps are not a proper way of living, he says.

Despite the overwhelming needs, churches are still one of the best institutions to offer assistance because of their location in many communities. And they have been there since those first traumatic days after the tsunami hit, offering help and hope, often around the clock.