Projektbericht 2008: Sujith Jayasekara
WCTAG Tsunami Relief
20.10.2008
It has been nearly four years since the Tsunami hit to Sri Lanka and now the country is almost back to normal, while few families are still left in temporary houses or camps. At the moment most of the general aid projects have finished their construction works, most of the school buildings have been reconstructed or rebuilt.
As a part of WCTAG Tsunami Relief we did lots of general help as well as a long term scholarship program to help selected 34 students to continue their studies. Our motivation was to make them independent. After having lost their families or their income, we wanted to help them to continue life on a normal basis. We supported the children with tuition fees, bus fare, school stationery etc.
At the moment some of the students have finished their secondary education and doing their high school educations while others also doing well in their educations. We are most grateful to WCTAG for this help.
Monks Training Institute
Another part of our general help is the support of a monks training institute in the South of Sri Lanka, which was not directly affected by Tsunami but needed help desperately. It is a place where young boys enter to an ascetic life and learn Buddhist studies and ancient languages such as Pali and Sanskrit. On the other hand, this place gives security and protection to them. This institute includes total enrolment of 50 young monks and staff strength of 10. Basically this temple is supported by the village. Villages are also depending on their agricultural activities. Due to geographical circumstances this area doesn’t get enough rain throughout the year for cultivations. Hence the villages are also in a very difficult situation and they struggle with the nature to live. Even in such a background the villages are doing their best to the institute. This institute itself has to feed to 50 young monks, look for their medical needs, cloths etc. On the other hand they have only 5 rooms for all of them to share, which is really a challenge.
As a part of the general aids WCTAG gave support to repair the roof of this hostel and to build a new shrine room to do their Buddhist rituals. We received 1,300 Euros from Jan Silberstorff for this event in the year 2007. In the beginning of 2008 the shrine room was completed and the roof was repaired. With the help from the villages and other donors (they voluntarily built the shrine as soon as the materials were arranged) the shrine room was finished and the young monks are now using it to do the rituals.
The hostel room roof has been damaged and leaking when it is raining. And some of the donations were used to repair the hostel roof.
Current Situation
At the moment there is an urgent need for a new hostel room, a room for studies and a library room. All 50 young monks are sharing the only 5 rooms with many difficulties. And at the moment there is an urgent need for a new hostel room with at least 10 rooms.
The school has only one room for conducting the classes and all 7 classes are conducted in the same room with many difficulties. And a separate hall is needed with a separate room to study. And the school doesn’t have a library room. They are encouraged to develop their reading; though they got books they don’t have a library to keep them organized and use them. A library room is also compulsorily needed.
We are most grateful to everyone who gave support to continue our good work, and I request help to continue this work. And help is still needed to this institute to fulfill the above mentioned facilities. And I do hope that all the kind donors will help us with the endeavor, while the student’s scholarship program is also running.
Finally I would like to thank WCTAG association for the encouragement and support given towards this meaningful work, especially Mr. Silberstorff for organizing the whole event.
And lot of thanks and blessings from
the monastery, the students who are receiving the scholarships and families who gained help since the Tsunami hit in 2004.
Sujith Jayasekara
Project Manager –
WCTAG Tsunami relief, Sri Lanka
Projektbericht 2007: Sujith Jayasekara
WCTAG Tsunami Relief
31.01.2007
December 26th 2004, an unforgettable day of the mankind. The Tsunami hit changed many lives of the globe, every one worried as it was a disaster for the whole mankind. Sri Lanka the second most affected country by the Tsunami hit, many thousands of people died, tsunami kept another part homeless. Children lost their parents, parents lost their children. Every one cried losing their beloved ones. Some had only the clothes which they were wearing.
People were crying when they see some their own people affected by this disaster, It was emotional but it was also time to get together and help them as they were desperately in need of help from the others.
In this issue, to help the Tsunami-affected people in Sri Lanka, World Chen Taiji Association Germany (WCTAG) started their Tsunami relief work with the Lewella Meditation Centre, Kandy. Mr. Jan Silberstorff was the main project leader and I (Sujith Jayasekara) was organizing the helping work in the South of Sri Lanka.
As I was involved with some social welfare work with some organizations before Tsunami, I already knew people that lived in the South of Sri Lanka. I started my Tsunami work the day after it hit the island. I also contacted Mr. Jan for raising funds for the work.
During the first trip I visited the people whom I knew before and organized them the necessities, and could organize loads drinking water and dry food. But it was very difficult for me also to see such a lot of dead bodies, broken houses, crying people who are looking for help.
When I met Mr. Silberstorff a few days later I had a discussion with him and we continued the necessary relief work. The places we were helping are located near Galle, Matara, Hikkaduwa, Saliyapura. Mostly on these aid trips we distributed dry rations, clothes, medical supplies etc. As we got lot of donations from the members of WCTAG we could organize lot of necessary help. And I personally would like to take this opportunity to thank all the donors who donated money for this event.
Current Situation
During my aid trips I met some students (some had lost a parent or both, some lost their houses and so on) and they were not in a position to continue education in any way. In this circumstance we started sponsorship programs to some of the selected students who are affected by Tsunami. At the moment we are supporting 34 students financially every month by in total 680 € per month. Our support covers their educational needs such as tuition fee, travelling cost, school uniforms, stationeries, food and so on.
There are three coordinators who are helping in this issue. Those are one monk, a schoolteacher, who also lost a child and her husband by Tsunami, as well as a student who is doing computer studies at the moment.
Expenses
Apart from our sponsorship program we have been doing lots of general relief work since Tsunami hit the South cost of Sri Lanka. On our general projects we received another 130,000 LKR (about 1,000 Euros) on the 11th July 2006 from WCTAG members.
We have used the money to help these families to start small scale business to be economically independent and also to get household goods.
Mr. R.P Sirisena, father of three daughters, lives in Matara in the South of Sri Lanka. He was selling goods by using his bicycle; he lost his bicycle by Tsunami as well as the goods. He had no income apart from that. Our project gave him 25,000 LKR in order to get a new bicycle and to start his business again.
Mrs. R.P. Ariyawathi, mother of two sons and two daughters, lives in Weligama, close to Matara in the South of Sri Lanka. Her husband also was a labor worker. On the Tsunami day he has been working close to the cost and by the hit he broke his leg. Today, he cannot do the labor work anymore. Our project gave her 25,000 LKR in order to start a family business (making ropes).
Mr. Thushara Pradeep is 22 years old. His small business (shop) was completely destroyed by the Tsunami. Due to the shock he didn’t want to start the same work again. Out of our donation of 15,000 LKR he started making cement blocks at his home in order to sell it to the customers.
Still, some families were waiting for our support in Hikkaduwa area (one of the most affected areas in Sri Lanka). In Hikkaduwa area we have distributed household goods (such as plastic chairs, pots, plates cloths ect) among 10 families worth 55,000 LKR (5500 LKR each family). Other expenses such as transporting, food and accommodation to helpers about 10,000 LKR.
When I look back I feel very much happy that I could do something. And here, I should not forget the support I got from the manager of the Lewella Meditation Centre and some of the friends of the centre. To see the smile of the students whom we are supporting and to see their success is so beautiful. And all this I could arrange because of WCTAG organization. I could work because of you, for me it was a challenge. But when I look back I see it was really successful.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the donors who donated the money on the general aid projects and all the “God Fathers” who are mainly sponsoring the students in Sri Lanka: Thank you very much! The people who gained your kind help wanted me to convey their kind regards. They very much appreciated your kind help when they were in real disaster.
Besides, thank you very much Mr. Silberstorff for organizing all the help and donations towards Sri Lanka.
Thank you all for bringing back a smile on those people who once had tears in their eyes!
Sujith Jayasekara
Project Manager – WCTAG Tsunami relief, Sri Lanka
Projektbericht 2006: Sujith Jayasekara
WCTAG Tsunami Relief
03.02.2006
Dear friends and donors,
Let me begin the letter by thanking each and all of you for your kind support you gave towards us to Sri Lanka when we faced the Tsunami disaster. From the first moment onwards I was not alone. Mr. Jan Silberstorff and his students and members of WTCAG did give great support so I could do lot of relief work many people who were in need of help.
As a respond to my idea to start a scholarship or sponsorship program for some selected Tsunami affected students, Mr. Jan Silberstorff organized necessary arrangements and now we are supporting 26 students. They get monthly support financially and other ways, so they can continue their lives and studies. I am in touch with them regularly and I really see the improvement.
Shan Lahiru, for example, when I first met him he had decided to not to continue studies but with the sponsorship program I told him that he is not alone and there are some people not in Sri Lanka but in Germany who are giving us support. So he continued, he passed the higher education examination and followed an English course. At the moment he is doing a computer course. He improved his English enormously and now he is intending to continue his studies. Most of the students are like this. Now they know they are not alone and there are people who are looking after them.
I saw them soon after Tsunami, and I see them now. There is a big change in them for good. And they have promised to continue their studies.
A Buddhist monk and widow lady (her son died on Tsunami and her husband died exactly after 3 months after Tsunami by a heart attack as he was only thinking of his dead son) are helping me organizing. Besides, they are aware of the students. And Shan Lahiru, who was mentioned above, is also helping as he is the eldest in the program.
Dear friends, thank you very much for everything!
Your help could brought a smile back on those children`s faces. They are happy now, continuing their studies and they know they are not alone.
I wish you all the very best, warm regards from all the students and their families to all of you. They wanted me to thank you from the bottom of their hearts, and they wanted to say “May Triple Gems Protect You At All Times”
Yours truly,
Sujith Jayasekara
WTCAG Tsunami Relief
At Matara, Sri Lanka
Erster Bericht des Projektleiters Sujith vor Ort
Simple Wisdom and WCTAG Project for Tsunami affected areas in Sri Lanka
31.01.2005
The Beginning
After Tsunami attack on the 26th of December 2004, we expanded our project works as it was necessary and needed. The simple wisdom head quarters are located in Colombo and one branch of the project is the Lewella meditation centre, where some more activities are going on.
Florian and Mrs. Theja Weeratna (his co-worker for Colombo) are running the project. Recently, WCTAG has become our most important financial supporter.
Basically, we tried to organize the basic needs for the Tsunami victims the very first days, such as dry foods, cloths, medical support etc. From Lewella meditation centre we have made 6 trips until today.
During Florian’s maintenance in Sri Lanka he had some contact with people who were living at the South cost of the island. Soon after Tsunami, we tried to get in touch with the people whom we knew and tried to organize the help they needed. But due to technical problems (telecommunication) we didn’t have the chance to do anything. That is why we had to visit the people to find out what had happened. During our first trip (from Kandy) we organized dry foods, baby food and medical supplies as well as clothes.
The families were known to Florian since he lived in a temple in Tissamaharamaya at the South cost of Sri Lanka. They hadn’t lost their lives, but they had lost their crops completely as their field situated very close to the beach. They didn’t have any income. Therefore, we started our help project from here, as we first visited them.
Besides, we got information about the area and there were two camps where the refugees were staying. During the first visit we gave all the things we had left to the camp as they were very short with goods and there were nearly 100 families camping there. Our goods including baby milk and baby medical supplies, were highly needed in the camp, as they didn’t have any of them. The support of established organizations came later on.
The other day of the first trip, we organized the breakfast to the other camp where nearly 200 people were staying. As they didn’t get any support that morning we took over the responsibilities of that we donated the breakfast to them. But the only food we could find was some buns and bread. Since then, whenever we are planning a trip we always have some parcels of dry foods, clothes and other basic needs (toilet needs, soap, under wears etc.).
There were three main places we supported, after two and half weeks one place was shifted to a temporary housing scheme with all the necessary support, now we concentrated on two main places. One in Hikkaduwa and other is in Hambantotoa (South of Sri Lanka).
Our target was to get in touch with people to gather information about the places. Since we are in touch with the head monk of the temple from Hikkaduwa and the head master of the Sunday School on Saliyapura our work has become easy as they are our coordinating persons. With the information and the help from them we could continue our work more meaningfully.
The children project
While this first aid was happening another subject came across: The children who are schooling are really in need of support. Even before Tsunami these people had to have really a fight to live. After Tsunami the situation has become tremendously worse. So, we started to collect information about some students and families which were really in need of long term basic help. The project started to organize support for children who need long-term support in terms of scholarships.
At the moment there are nearly 17 students whom we have selected, because they have lost their parent/s or their properties and belongings and who really are in need of support. The aim is to organize stationeries and school items such as shoes, school bags, and other things.
We would like to thank in behalf of simple wisdom for all the kind contribution from WCTAG in this extraordinary hopeless and sad situation. Thank you for helping our people when they were in need.
Sujit
Erster Brief von Jan Silberstorff
04.02.2005
Liebe Freunde, Schüler und Lehrkräfte,
inzwischen bin ich nach fünf Wochen wohlbehalten aus Sri Lanka zurück und freue mich riesig, dass der etwas kurzfristig spontane Spendenaufruf zu unserem Hilfsprojekt bereits über 3000.- € aufbringen konnte. Etwa ein Drittel kommt über das Internet von „Verbandsfremden“, was mir auch noch einmal ein gutes Gefühl gibt, dass sich hier wirklich etwas machen lässt! Alle, die bereits etwas überwiesen haben, sei hier schon einmal sehr gedankt (ich werde dies später in einigen Fällen noch persönlich tun), die anderen, die ich gebeten habe, mit der Überweisung noch zu warten, bis ich mich melde, möchte ich jetzt bitten, dass Geld an unser Geschäftskonto unter dem Stichwort „Sri Lanka Hilfe“ zu überweisen.
Schon auf meinem Hinweg konnte ich eine spontane Spende einiger Schüler und Freunde inkl. meiner selbst von 750.- € überbringen, welche inzwischen allerdings aufgebraucht ist. Über überwiesene Summen gibt es selbstverständlich Spendenbescheinigungen, welche gesammelt im Zusammenhang mit einer ausführlichen Dokumentation über das Geschehen und die Verwendung der Spenden im Internet veröffentlicht wird. Wer eine persönliche Einzelquittung braucht, gibt mir bitte kurz Bescheid, auch das ist kein Problem. Wer möchte kann das gesamte ungekürzte Dokumentationsmaterial auch für 5.- € Selbstkostenbeitrag im Briefumschlag als CD bei uns bestellen. Zu unserem Report finden sich hier noch unzählige Fotos und einige Videos über unsere Arbeit, welche wir im Internet nicht veröffentlichen können. „Grösseren“ Spendern werden wir diese als kleines Dankeschön automatisch zusenden.
Zur Aktion
Unser Projekt konzentriert sich vornehmlich auf zwei Bereiche. Der erste sind Fahrten durch das Katastrophengebiet. Bei diesen Fahrten halten wir Ausschau nach Familien und Landstrichen, an denen die internationalen Hilfsorganisationen nicht Halt gemacht, bzw. die übersehen worden sind. Soweit es uns möglich ist, versuchen wir dann spontan vor Ort das am meisten Gebrauchte zu organisieren und/oder finanziell unter die Arme zu greifen.
Es ist wirklich schwer vorstellbar: Noch nach fünf Wochen ist es ein nicht aufhörender Pfad von Schutt und Trümmern (vor ein paar Tagen, am 31.1.05, sind wir u.a. acht Stunden Auto am Stück gefahren und zu jeder Zeit war rechts und links nichts als Zerstörung und Not zu sehen. Damit hatten wir gerade mal die Hälfte des betroffenen Gebietes durchquert). Die einstigen Häuser, nur noch Ruinen und oft bis auf den letzten Stein schlicht nur noch der Boden selbst, sonst nichts. Die Familien, bzw. der Teil der Überlebenden campieren so gut sie können vor Ort, in vielen Gebieten haben internationale Hilfskräfte Zelte aufgestellt. Oft sieht man gerade alte Leute mit Stühlen auf „ihrem“ Fußboden sitzen. Gerade dort, wo vorher wohl das Wohnzimmer gewesen sein muss. Wenn wir halten immer ähnliche Situationen: Der eine hat seine Ehefrau verloren, viele Kinder ihre Eltern, viele Eltern ihre Kinder – wie die Häuser teils vollständig, teils halb und manchmal auch zum Glück nur schwach beschädigt sind, genauso hat es die Menschen um ihr Leben getroffen. Manchmal ganze Familien, sehr oft Teile von Familien, manchmal auch „nur“ Verletzte. Es gibt Häuser die fast heil stehen, während zwei Meter daneben alles mitgerissen wurde. Von dem Eisenbahnzug, in dem durch den Tsunami mindestens 1500 Menschen umgekommen sind, fehlen immer noch zwei ganze Wagons, die vermutlich ins Meer geschwemmt wurden. Auch hier haben wir gehalten. Die Menschen kommen ans Auto, erzählen ihre Geschichte und bitten um das Nötigste: Nahrungsmittel, Kleidung, Unterkünfte. Wir versuchen zu organisieren, was in unserem Bereich möglich ist. Oft ist Geld auch eine große Hilfe. Denn trotz großer Zerstörung ist es oft nicht weit, um sich im nahe gelegenen Binnenland viele Dinge besorgen zu können, wenn man Geld hätte. Denn es ist buchstäblich alles weg. Einfach alles. Kein Haus, keine Möbel, keine Kleidung, keine Arbeit, kein Geld. Und so sitzen die übrig gebliebenen Familienmitglieder auf ihren Grundstücken, es wird dunkel, es wird versucht ein Feuer zu machen, manchmal kommen schlimme Regenfälle. Sechs dieser Fahrten sind bereits unternommen und gerade jetzt wo ich (wieder in Frankfurt) hier sitze und dies schreibe ist der Bus zum siebten Male aufgebrochen.
Das Kinder-Projekt
Der zweite und langfristig wesentliche Bereich unserer Hilfe bezieht sich auf 20 Kinder, die ihre Eltern verloren haben und denen wir versuchen für die nächsten Jahre ein Leben zu ermöglichen, dass ihnen ihre Eltern zwar nicht wiedergeben kann, aber es ermöglicht alles in vorherigen Bahnen weiterleben zu können. Durch unsere Hilfe wird es ihnen möglich sein, weiterhin zur Schule gehen zu können, einen abgesicherten Lebensraum an Wohnung, Kleidung und Nahrung zu haben. Ohne ihre Eltern ist an eine weitere Schullaufbahn oder ein Leben in normalen Bahnen nicht mehr zu denken. Diese Hilfe wird sich vermutlich auf einen Zeitraum von fünf Jahren erstrecken.
Anbei findet ihr noch den Bericht von meinem Partner aus unserem Meditationszentrum, Sujith, über unser Hilfsprojekt. Von uns (WCTAG) und über Analayo (der Abt „unseres“ Tempels) kommt fast ausschließlich die finanzielle Hilfe, Sujith organisiert die Projekte vor Ort und ein weiterer Mönch und eine Mutter, die selbst einen Sohn verloren hat, kontrollieren vor Ort den sachgemäßen Umgang mit den finanziellen Hilfeleistungen von Seiten der Betroffenen. So ist sichergestellt, dass wirklich Hilfe pur stattfinden kann.
Ich bin darüber sehr glücklich, zu erfahren, wie alternative Hilfe in Harmonie mit den großen Organisationen, ganz direkt und unbürokratisch von Statten gehen kann. Und ich gebe zu, dass mich trotz der großen Verzweiflung der Menschen vor Ort, die Lebensnähe und Wärme, die die Menschen in der Not zusammenbringt und uns so sehr entgegen strahlt bei jedem Halt, in seinen Bann geschlagen hat und wäre tatsächlich am liebsten jetzt wieder mit unten im Süden, bei den Menschen an ihrem Lagerfeuer.
Vielen vielen Dank für all die Unterstützung, ich bin glücklich, zu erfahren, das eine Verbandsgemeinschaft und eine Taiji-Familie effektiv helfen kann und sehe auch hier die WCTAG noch einmal in einem völlig neuem Licht.
Vielen Dank und alles Liebe,
Jan Silberstorff
