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| Regaining
childhood They are the only survivors in a family of six who were destroyed by the deadly tidal waves on December 26. Three months later with the help of UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies, the two are piecing their life together, hoping to put a tragic past behind them. Soon after the daily prayer ritual, 13-year-old Supendrini sets off to school, wearing a clean, white uniform and blue tie. She must walk more than two kilometres to the temporary Mullaitivu school where she is in grade 8 and studies with her colleagues under a tree. "My mother told me I should study well and help my parents when I grow up. Now I need to study well and look after my father," Supendrini says innocently. She lost her mother and two sisters, aged 10 and five, and a brother who would have celebrated his second birthday next month - if he were alive. Children affected by the tsunami across the country are returning to school with some help from humanitarian organisations and dedicated teachers. Three months after the tsunami, probably the only positive development is that children are getting back to some normalcy - even if they are in temporary schools and homes. Everything else seems to be in a mess created by the politicians - tussles over the 100-metre zone, lack of proper facilities, red tape and haphazard transit accommodation. Last week, government officials, including presidential advisor and tsunami reconstruction chief Mano Tittawela, at a post-tsunami discussion in Colombo pleaded for more time and understanding in tackling the many complex issues particularly aid inflows. The children in the affected areas, however, are determined to study, come what may. Sharmila Ganeswaran, 19, learns commerce under a tree and seeks a good education so that she could help her family. "I want to work in a bank," she says, acknowledging tearfully that it's very difficult to concentrate. "It's difficult as I am constantly reminded of my brother and sister (who died) because they too studied in this school." Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka, says that three months after the disaster, more than 80 percent of the affected children are back in school. "Children are learning to be children again," he said. The tragedy for many in the northeast is that the tsunami disaster came on top of a prolonged conflict. In one eastern area for example, a woman affected by the tsunami found she had been displaced for the eighth time since the 1980s. "What's the use of my living?" she lamented to aid workers. Supendrini's father, Poobalasingham, 40, was a fisherman in a village several kilometres north of his temporary home but lost that livelihood, as fishing was restricted due to the conflict. He then acquired a motorcycle and hired it out for transportation and as business got better, purchased a hand tractor. Hit by both man-made and natural disasters, Poobalasingham wants to get his life back on track. "I want to come back. I wish we could return to our former homes. But the government must provide us some facilities," he says as he picks a piece of his wife's saree at their former home and hugs his daughter. The two cling to each other and look at the sea that destroyed their family on a desolate but picturesque Mullaitivu beach where hundreds of crabs scurry around without the fear of ending up on someone's plate! The importance of education is very evident. At the Mullaitivu Roman Catholic Mixed School, workers hammer in nails and prepare another shed to add to the number of temporary classrooms. Of the 476 students here, 184 died in the tsunami but life has to go on. Krishnapulle Pushpalatha teaches with gusto her pet subject, music, at the Kallaru school in Kilinochchi. "In the early stages of schooling, the children were worried and sad. But things are improving (a lot) now and the students are getting back to be normal children," she says while taking a break from a morning class. Nearly 72,000 children and 2,700 teachers were affected by the Boxing Day tragedy. Some 176 schools were either destroyed or partially damaged. After the tsunami, humanitarian agencies through government mechanisms gave emergency school supplies, cleaned up schools, provided psychosocial support and emergency education coordination. As school ends at 1.45 p.m., the Kallaru students tuck into a meal of rice, dhal and soya meat provided by the World Food Programme, before going home. Despite their enthusiasm, for many of them it's not easy to concentrate - like 13-year-old Udayakumar Rajindra who lost his father and lives with his mother in a tent in the same, large field compound where the school is located. "I like to study and play cricket and soccer," he says with a tinge of wistfulness, reflecting for a moment on his father. Back at his studies, however, Udayakumar is chatting and laughing with friends by his side. At the Unnapulavi transit camp where the Thavabalasinghams live, 500 families have access to clean drinking water through standpipes while rows of latrines provide better toilet facilities. Separate bathing areas for women and men are available while huge tanks ensure an unlimited supply of water. Therapy
at play Young doctors like Deepani Jasinghe, 28, who graduated just two weeks ago and hopes be a psychiatrist, relish the chance to help the survivors. "We build a rapport between the children; create friends; guide them to help other children. Earlier children were dependent on parents and adults. Here children help children. They are taught to be survivors," she said, pointing to children playing and having fun at a relief camp. "By this process children also help their parents recover." "This makes me happy," says 10-year-old Suraji Kumarawaduge who warned her family to run as the tsunami wave bore down on the area where she lived three months ago. The little girl says they lost everything except one chair and some of her books. "My ambition is to study and become a dancing teacher and I thought I had lost that chance when the waves hit us. But now I am happy playing with other children and being able to share our thoughts and worries," Suraji says confidently as she and other children at the camp complete another session with young doctors teaching them coping skills and how to regain their childhood. UNICEF Child Protection Officer Sarah Graham says UNICEF recruited the doctors for the three-month programme and gave them training. The programme uses play therapy and other activity to guide children through recovery. "The play activity is what they did before the tsunami. They played with friends at school; they played with friends at home. Their lives were turned upside down. This is something that they are familiar with and what they find very enjoyable," Graham said. Suraji confirms that in many ways. "I am doing what I did before ... playing games, singing songs and being with friends." |
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