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Then, an exotic trip, now a mission of mercy
They were here three months ago. It was an "exotic" gift for Jaime Jones, 26, for passing out as a lawyer in England, from her parents. Although the threesome had been in Sri Lanka many times before, this was different - the first Christmas abroad, away from home. They were in Bentota, at the Taj Exotica, and it was exciting. What they didn't know at that time was that Christmas 2004 would change their lives forever and be etched in their memories.

On March 13, they were back in Sri Lanka on a mission, having collected an initial £ 50,000 to help tsunami survivors, the "wonderful Sri Lankans who though they themselves were victims who did not have any money, food or clothing went out of their way to help others who faced a similar plight". Dad Robert and Mum Karen, owners of a real estate company have collected funds in their hometown Tavistock near Plymouth and daughter Jaime in London by holding charity dinners, receptions and raffles not only among their friends but also in schools and churches.

When The Sunday Times met them last week, they had completed their first mercy mission, starting in Hambantota and stopping at most major towns along the southern coast that fell victim to the ferocity of the tsunami. "Hambantota looks like it has been hit by a nuclear bomb," says Robert, explaining that for people to live in tents is not the ideal situation, while Jaime chips in with, "But people are starting to get back to their normal lives".

With money raised from the Harrow School Relief Funds, the Joneses are working with the Hirdramani company to set up a housing project and also a project to provide boats to fishermen who have lost their livelihood in Hambantota.

The stumbling block in most projects is the red tape and bureaucracy, they stress. "The 100-metre issue is one of them," says Karen sadly, citing a case in Galle where the land has been identified to build houses but they cannot proceed because many meetings with government officials have yielded nothing. "It is very frustrating," she concedes pointing out that it is hindering the survivors from getting a permanent roof over their heads.

Among the many projects they have in mind for tsunami survivors are providing a livelihood to people who have lost their businesses in Habaraduwa, rebuilding a school in Galle and helping a children's home where tsunami orphans are accommodated. They are working with different people and organizations including lawyer Maithri Gunaratne, Lighthouse Hotel manager Sanjiva Gautamadasa and Crystal Villas in Weligama.

"We are giving a bakery owner who has lost everything the equipment for his bakery, others will get coir machines, sewing machines, tools for a tyre shop," explains Jaime.

Reliving the horror of the tsunami, Jaime recalls how on Boxing Day (December 26, 2004) she and her mother woke up early and went for a walk on the beach. "It was an unusually beautiful day. People were on the beach, children were playing cricket. The sea was abnormally calm, in hindsight," smiles Jaime.

On their return, close to a small hotel near the Taj, they got caught to the monstrous waves. They were running ahead of the first surge and were able to get into the corridor of that hotel when the waters hit, leaving them gasping and swimming, with hardly any headroom.

"Then a Sri Lankan grabbed us and led us through to the hotel's kitchen and we were able to get back to the Taj," says Jaime. Before the tsunami struck, Robert had been in the hotel's restaurant to get a good table for the three of them, when he heard a siren. "I didn't take much notice because we had been warned by the hotel that on poya there could be a high tide," he says. Soon after, the waves hit and he was washed away by the water. Though sustaining a knee injury, he had fortunately got entangled in some mangroves and been saved.

For the Joneses, the hardships of the next 36 hours are history. They managed to get back to Colombo on December 28 and flew back to England on December 30, with a resolve to return and extend a helping hand to the men, women and children left in despair after the tsunami. -Kumudini

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