Sri Lanka

Countless Sri Lankans have lost loved ones and life as they knew it in the Tsunami, and there are still innumerable people who are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and the emotional and psychological consequences of this disaster. We promised to provide continuous psychiatric and psychological support for the people in the Mawella camp and the adjacent villages, as well as for the Tangalle area.

STARR Inc. in Miami, Florida, had followed our work in the Mawella camp. They decided to fund the expenses for a psychiatrist for 2-3 visits a week for a two-year period. This psychiatrist will cover the Tangalle/Mawella area.

Prof. Harendra DeSilva, a professor of pediatrics at the Ragama (Colombo North) Medical School, who is the founder chairman of the Presidential task force on child protection and subsequently the National child protection authority, NCPA, already committed to assist us in the search and hire of the psychiatrist. Dr. Kevin Becker from Harvard University, Cambridge, had helped to initiate the Training of Trainers (TOT) program for psychiatrists/psychologists and counselors for the Tsunami related work.

Stay tuned to meet our new psychiatrist…

Thank you to all of you, and special thanks to Viraj, Dushyantha, and Shirley for making it possible!