On Boxing Day 2004 the Tsunami hit the East and South Coast of Sri Lanka causing massive devastation and the loss of many lives. Ian and Janice Anthonisz were there at the time. On their return they met up with Colin and Rosemarie Bray. Ian and Janice recounted their experiences of seeing so many people who had suffered.
At that Meeting the four of them decided to start a Charity to help the people who had been so devastated by the Tsunami and ONCE IN A LIFETIME was born. Within 3 months of setting it up they had toured the coastline and witnessed the devastation first hand. We stayed one night in a hotel in Arugumbay which originally offered 40 fine rooms but as a result of the waves was diminished to a couple of sparsely furnished rooms amongst the wreckage. There was the rubble from ruined buildings everywhere. The waves had travelled many miles inland causing great loss of life and untold damage to property and homes. Although the Charity was in its infancy we were able to donate food to the disaster camps, boats to fishermen, agricultural equipment and children’s books for a school. The Charity was up and running!
Colin Bray one of the trustees Recalls his story……..
Since that time, ten years ago, we have progressed a long way. Our main support is still in Sri Lanka and we have moved on from the Tsunami victims to helping the very poor and needy in the rural areas, which are generally forgotten about. In these areas most the families live in very basic huts, sometimes made of mud and roofs made from woven coconut leaves, with the bearest of facilities. Many only have seasonal jobs mainly working in the paddy fields.
We also saw the effect of the War and made several trips to Trincomalee in the East and saw many convoys of armoured cars and buses on their way to the Front. Sometimes, soldiers lined the road. We heard the sound of rocket launchers firing missiles overhead to the Front five miles in the distance. On many occasions we were subjected to interrogation, searches and vehicle checks. Leaving the roads was dangerous on occasions as there were land mines. However we were more frightened of the erratic bus drivers chasing each other for fares. Thankfully the War is now over but the bus drivers are still there and their driving has not improved!
In ten years we have visited and supported many Orphanages, Children’s Homes and Elders Homes. We have built 5 Nursery Schools and helped many others with, for example, new roofs, building materials and poultry stock. Almost 1,000 families have been helped to improve their lives with building materials and new homes, a better income, cataract operations, clinics, limb replacements and water wells. We have sponsored children – the list of completed projects is extensive.
All our work is very hands on – we have lost count of the number of times we have travelled to Sri Lanka – all at our own expense so that all charitable funds can be used on our causes only. We know the country well and the number of miles covered must be approaching 30,000 with our trusted driver Dissa and his van. He is now an expert off-road driver! On a number of occasions we have had to push the van out of a mud bath and paddle through floods. The rains can be horrendous during the monsoon season and on several occasions the roads were more like waterways.
Driving around is slow with the maximum travel that we can achieve in one day is about 80 miles. The tuk-tuk’s, old Lorries, hand carts, tractors and buses all cause congestion and in the countryside we are frequently slowed up by pot holes and on unmade tracks.
In addition to the satisfaction of helping others we have seen many wild elephants, monitors, snakes and wonderful bird life – fish eagles, different types of storks, kingfishers and wild peacocks!
It is also true that we have shed many tears from the sheer emotion of what we have seen and done, especially the delight of the children who may have been given something very simple like a toy. But we have also had many laughs. We are proud of the fact that we have achieved and seen so much and have grown to love Sri Lanka and its people who manage a smile through all adversity.
Our pockets are lighter but we are richer from our experiences.
