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FROM THE FIELD

Sri Lanka: Healing psychological wounds
19 May 2009 13:50:00 GMT
 Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland
Rishani Wijesinghe, Communications Manager, International Federation in Sri Lanka

Website: Website: http://www.ifrc.org/tsunami

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Sandamali proudly displays her latest embroidery work in Colombo. (p-LKA0378)
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Sandamali proudly displays her latest embroidery work in Colombo. (p-LKA0378)
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Background

•  Disaster risk reduction

•  Indian Ocean tsunami

•  Earthquakes

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Since the tsunami struck Sri Lanka, the plight of people who lost homes and livelihoods in the suburbs of greater Colombo has often been overshadowed by areas in the south and east of the country that suffered more extensive damage.

But residents of areas like Mattakuliya, Gampaha and Modara endured just as much emotional and psychological hardship as their peers in other coastal regions.

Sandamali and her three young boys, aged 14, 11 and seven, are among the thousands of families who had to temporarily evacuate their homes after the tsunami.

Flood-prone area

They live in Mattakuliya on the outskirts of Colombo, a flood-prone area sandwiched between a river and small lake. When the water levels rose after the first wave of the tsunami, they immediately ran to higher ground. Sandamali's neighbours on the other side of the river weren't so lucky, and many were unable to escape.

To help Sandamali and her community cope with the loss of family members, neighbours, and the general devastation inflicted by the tsunami, the American Red Cross and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society undertook a programme focused on addressing the psychological needs of tsunami survivors.

"This programme has been about re-establishing social networks and fostering a sense of well-being in communities so that people can lead normal lives again and feel safe," explains Ricardo Caivano, country coordinator for the American Red Cross.

Community gatherings

"After the tsunami, we attended the community gatherings and activities with neighbours we didn't know before," said Sandamali. "We were not old or young people, just neighbours making new friends and helping each other heal and learn new skills and talents."

This new-found sense of community enabled Sandamali and her friends to share ideas about their favorite new pastime-embroidery. Women from around 80 families in her community were able to join sewing, embroidery and ribbon work classes funded by the American Red Cross. They now make shirts, scarves, baby clothes and home decorations, all with colourful flowers and designs that they either display in organized exhibitions or sell to make extra income.

Religious festivals, village clean-up afternoons and a better awareness of psychosocial coping mechanisms are other activities that have helped the community to move on. There is also a focus on recreational activities that keep children active. The community was given sports equipment so that young boys and girls can play cricket, volleyball and other sports.

Community centre

Most activities are focused around the local community centre that was renovated with the help of the Red Cross Red Crescent. "Before the tsunami, the community centre was used once in a while for meetings," said Sandamali. "Now it is always in use, people are constantly coming and going and it is a space where we really feel a sense of togetherness."

Over the past three years, the American Red Cross/Sri Lanka Red Cross Society psychosocial support programme has reached more than 218,000 people in 84 communities and 77 schools across Sri Lanka.

More information:

Discover where this story takes place (requires Google Earth installed): http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/09/09051401/mattakuliya-en.kmz

En español: Sri Lanka: Curando las heridas emocionales http://www.ifrc.org/sp/Docs/News/09/09051401/index.asp

En français: Sri Lanka : guérir les blessures psychologiques http://www.ifrc.org/fr/Docs/News/09/09051401/index.asp


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Emergencies

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

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Indian Ocean tsunami - [Who works where]

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Disaster risk reduction Earthquakes Feature Media & Humanitarianism Women Working in Relief
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Sri Lanka

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In this photograph released by the Sri Lankan military on May 19, 2009 shows what the army says are the 'dog-tags' of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran ...


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Last updated:Tue May 19 13:55:45 2009