Sri Lanka Native Reports to "Tide of Hope" Team
By Kelly Jones, '05
On Thursday, Feb. 3, Tony Andrady, president of Carolina-Sri Lanka Friendship, provided insight to Meredith's "A Tide of Hope" team. The 10-member team, led by Campus Minister Sam Carothers, is organizing Meredith's tsunami relief efforts.
Andrady is a U.S. citizen who is originally from Sri Lanka. He gave his personal testimony of being in Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004, the day the devastating tsunami struck.
Although Andrady was not in the area of Sri Lanka that suffered the greatest damage, he witnessed the after effects around the city of Colombo.
"I saw the desperation and panic in the eyes of the people," said Andrady. "Being exposed to that scale of human confusion somehow transforms you."
According to Andrady, societal damages are even greater than the economic impact. In a culture where people live very close together and personal relationships with their extended family are valued, social displacement has become an important issue.
"People have been isolated suddenly," Andrady said. "Between the social displacement, the lack of relationships and the creation of orphans – they weren't equipped. No one would be equipped to handle that." He shared that he knew of an individual who lost 40 of his relatives in the disaster.
Because victims have lost relationships, Andrady encourages aid to assist their emotional needs, such as counseling. He said that the coastal fishery industry, which makes up 10 percent of Sri Lanka's Gross National Product (GNP) has been severely affected because the surviving fishermen are "hesitant to go back to occupations that will put them into contact with the sea."
"There has to be some bright light in this," Andrady believes. He advised the team that the personal contact is important for the victims. He believes the victims need to see people coming to interact with them, to see what went wrong and to help them. Andrady encouraged an educational trip to document and preserve the experience of this tragedy.
Andrady promotes aid to help the longer term relief effort. "Things will go on for months to come," he said. He pointed out that the orphaned children will need up to 10 to12 years of care and that it takes time for aid to "trickle down."
"It can take six weeks for millions of dollars to provide even one loaf of bread," Andrady said.
Andrady also said poor water supply and contamination of wells are concerns. He says "a lot of things need to be rebuilt," and schools, clinics, orphanages and homes need to be refurbished.
"Little projects make a difference," Andrady believes, even if it is sending school supplies or paying the $25 or $30 a month needed to feed, clothe and educate one orphan.
"All activities would be greatly appreciated," Andrady added.
