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CHILDREN FROM UK HELP SRI LANKAN TSUNAMI CHILDREN A YEAR ON

Harriet Goonetillake

My name is Harriet Goonetillake; I am 13 years old and Half Sri Lankan. This is my account of my visit to Sri Lanka from the 21st December - 9th January. I represented my school St. Philomena's in Carshalton Surrey and my Father's charity Helplanka. I visited lots of schools, Tsunami camps and orphanages. My school has twinned with St. Mary's Convent, Matara.

It was quite upsetting to see the conditions the orphan children were living in. They were really young including newborn babies. I looked at my little brother Max aged 5 and I imagined him in these poor children's situation without a home or family. I wondered how he could cope if he was one of them. Would he be smiling even after a year on from the traumatic ordeal of the Tsunami?

It was Boxing Day, the day after all the Christmas celebrations and the Tsunami, one year on to a special Tsunami Remembrance Service we organized in Moratuwa. I started to talk with a girl who said that she "was Tsunami". She meant she was a victim. She went on saying that she had no home. I didn't know what to say so I just nodded to show that I had understood her. I thought that five minutes ago we were laughing and talking as though she was a friend back in England.

I went to visit my pen pal and she showed me around her school St. Mary's Matara. It was so similar to my school. It was a convent, similar rules, an all girl's school, the girls and teachers and nuns were similar to the ones in my school too. I saw how close the water was to the school practically on the beach. I imagined the Tsunami rising up and covering the school and wiping out everything in its path. How scary that would have been for somebody standing where I was looking out of the window then a big wave would come and sweep them away.

I felt a variety of emotions during my time in Sri Lanka including sad and upset when seeing the conditions and children without families. I also felt happy and satisfied when I helped these children and making a difference to their lives just by spending time with them or giving them a pencil and exercise book. Just by giving a little it can do so much and make such a difference to somebody else. I suppose people are right when they say "to give is to receive in return" I think that is the main lesson I learnt over the past 2 weeks. I think that after this experience I have a better understanding of the true meaning of charity.

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