SURVIVING TSUNAMIS...

 Ten years ago today, Sri Lanka became the international poster country for the havoc wrecked on this part of the world by the infamous 'Boxing Day Tsunami' of 2004. Though other Asian countries, even Africa, recorded devastation and tragic loss of lives, Sri Lanka was truly hammered...40,000 death toll! Literally, everyone here was affected dramatically and personally...

 

Since 1980, my family has been actively involved in a poor fishing village community down the coast from the capital city of Colombo (check us out http://communityconcernsrilanka.com/) Most of the people we were working with at that time lived in makeshift shanties along the thin shoreline between the railroad tracks and the sea. On December 26, 2004 every dwelling and everything inside was unceremoniously swallowed up by the tsunami monster. Fortunately, it was 8am and nobody was sleeping. Miraculously, not a single life was lost in our area! Immediately though, we had 6,000 instant refugees without a thing in this world or a place to lay their heads that night. From that moment and for the next four years, immediate relief, rehabilitation and building projects became the priority. These are shots of some our people who have weathered the storm...

I say, God bless all who have selflessly chipped in so many ways along the way...
And, here's to the resilience and perseverance of the Sri Lankan people who seem to be able to smile through any adversity...

From the Island of Smiles  :^) Tom