SA - Australian Red Cross

PAGE 6
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A troubled paradise
Sivapalam Sundaram not only survived the 2004
tsunami but also a violent 30-year civil conflict
in Sri Lanka. Photo: Australian Red Cross /
Nadeeka Arambewela
Sivapalam’s home town, an
idyllic seaside village in
northern Sri Lanka, has seen
tsunami destruction and 30
years of war. Sivapalam has
lived through all of it. Now he
talks about rebuilding his home
with the help of his surviving
family and Red Cross.
Sivapalam Sundaram used to fish the
waters every day. Then they turned on
the village. He tells of the deafening,
deep roaring as the wave charged
through the town. The 2004 tsunami
stole his wife and left him clinging
desperately to his fence, fighting the
water. He then sought safety at the
Hindu temple (kovil) with what was left
of his family.
Displacement and fearing for his life are
not new to Sivapalam. He has not only
survived one of the most destructive
natural disasters in recent history but also
a violent 30-year civil conflict in Sri Lanka.
Sivapalam lives in Mamunai village –
an isolated, breathtakingly beautiful
seaside village located in the Northern
Province. However, the white sand and
palms disguise the brutal fighting that
this village has witnessed. In years
following the tsunami, the conflict
intensified and the villagers were
largely housed in Internally Displaced
Persons camps.
Now Sivapalam has returned to his
village after his release from the camp.
His adult son has come back and they
have built two adjacent temporary
shelters with palm fronds and tin sheets
so that they are never too far from each
other. Even with this shelter they are
exposed to the elements and the
monsoon season is near.
Sivapalam is not too worried about the
rains, though. He shows me how his
kitchen garden has been moved to
accommodate the foundations of a new
house that will be built using the funds
contributed by Australian Red Cross. For
the first time in years, he will have
permanent shelter and a lockable door.
The Post Conflict Recovery Program
(PCRP) is a construction program
driven by participants and has proven
to be successful in other conflict and
tsunami-affected areas of Sri Lanka.
Cash grants are given to participants
like Sivapalam to start building. An
accompanying livelihoods and water
and sanitation grant offers extra
support. Red Cross works closely with
participants, managing and monitoring
the program, and ensuring that people
are technically supported throughout
the construction process.
Sivapalam’s granddaughter waves to
us from behind a tin sheet that forms
the wall of her current house.
Sivapalam nods quietly with a look of
pride as he acknowledges the little girl.
Her blitheness presents a contrast to
the contained emotion of her
grandfather who has survived so much
destruction and pain.
The war and the tsunami have left a
lasting legacy on those who have lived
through them. Although one cannot
erase memories of the past, continued
support will slowly rebuild lives and
renew hope. It is this hope that will
nurture the next generation of villagers,
like Sivapalam’s granddaughter, and
foster positive stories of seaside life in
the north of Sri Lanka.
For more information on our work with
vulnerable communities overseas or to
find out how you can help by
volunteering or making a donation go to
redcross.org.au or call 1800 811 700.
With shelter materials accessed via funds donated by Australian Red Cross to the Post Conflict
Recovery Program, Sivapalam Sundaram is rebuilding his home. Photo: Australian Red Cross /
Nadeeka Arambewela