Seelamunai is one of the villages in the BatticaloaDistrict badly affected by Tsunami. Fortunately, theloss of life is very minimal. However, most of thehouses were completely destroyed and extensive damagewas caused to property. The villagers fled from thearea to escape from the rushing tidal waves with nohope of returning to the village immediately. Theyreached the safety of Hindu College and becameinternally displaced persons, the College becoming arefugee camp.
During the past few years the villagers had beeninvolved in the “Third Eye Local Knowledge and SkillActivists Group” activities, and so were the childrenof the Seelamunai village. Since a good amount of therefugees at the Hindu College camp were from theSeelamuani village, they themselves took a major rolein organizing the day today running of the camp. Theyalso wanted to keep the children occupied and throughthat relieve them of their mental stress and fear.Their previous involvement in the “Third Eye”activities helped them to organize activities such asgames for a group of about forty children. Games andother activities were conduced in large groups as wellas in small groups.
After one week, a section of the villagers ofSeelamunai were sent to Mahajana College Refugee Campand the other group was sent to Koddamunai JuniorSchool Refugee Camp, for administrative reasons.
Now the “Third Eye” members from both the refugeecamps formed a formal group and worked with childrenin both camps This not only helped the children but also their parents who were getting relieved to seetheir children getting back to normalcy.
This group decided to work among children in otherrefugee camps too, but they lacked funds and transportas they themselves were refugees. They were only acollective body of affiliates and not a “registered”organization.
Luckily they had an opportunity to get the support of UNICEF who got interested in their work amongchildren. Currently the group is working successfully withchildren in the refugee camps in the BatticaloaDistrict.
By: Evanjalin Delina
