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Sri Lanka

Community centres help Sri Lankans recover from tragedy

By Gina Wilkinson, IOM Colombo
Recovering from the massive emotional impact of the tsunami will be a long and challenging task, but IOM is helping Sri Lankan survivors draw strength from within.

The towering waves that struck Sri Lanka last December uprooted hundreds of thousands of people and swept away entire villages - but eight months after the tsunami survivors are creating new bonds and new communities.

At Vattavan in the eastern district of Batticaloa, children made homeless in the tsunami are making friends in a community centre built by IOM.

"There's lots of room for us to play, and there are always plenty of games and activities," said 11-year-old Danujan, who lived in a tent for several months before his family moved to the Vattavan transitional housing site.

IOM transitional houses are designed to last at least two years while permanent homes are built for the 86,000 Sri Lankan families made homeless in the disaster.

Children enjoy an IOM playground in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Community centres, pre-schools and sewing rooms are built at transitional housing sites, with funding from the Japanese government and the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), in order to strengthen bonds between residents and help restore a sense of normality in the lives of survivors.

"I come here every day after school and now I have lots of new friends," said Danujan, as he raced towards the newly installed swings and slides at the Vattavan playground.

Providing children with time and space to play and express their emotions is vital if they are to recover from the loss of loved ones and homes in the tsunami.

Nirosha Chandrakumar teaches sewing classes in an IOM built community centre in Vattvan, Batticaloa district, Sri Lanka. Adults are also benefiting from IOM community centres. Nirosha Chandrakumar was elected by her fellow residents to be one of the camp leaders at Vattavan.

The 25-year-old now teaches basic sewing skills to other residents of the camp in a workroom fitted with two sewing machines at the rear of the community centre.

"I already had experience as a seamstress and I feel happy helping other people living here to keep busy, learn new skills and get on with their lives, if only in a small way," said Nirosha.

"Sixteen people are taking part in the sewing classes and they are already able to make small things for their families, which has given them a real sense of accomplishment," she added.

IOM community centres host a wide variety of activities carried out as part of the agency's psychosocial programme, funded by Japan, Korea, USAID and Poland.

Evening classes, art projects, cultural activities, and workshops for camp residents on camp safety, hygiene, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, reproductive health, safe migration, and child protection issues all take place at the community centres.

The bonds being made in this new community will help Nirosha, Danujan and the other families at Vattavan to recover from the tragedy of the tsunami and forge new lives.