Human Development Centre - HUDEC

(Colloquial Terms used: Appa - Father, Amma - Mother, Anna - Elder brother, Akka - Elder sister, Thamby - Younger brother, Thankai - Youngest sister, Ammamma - grand mother, Athay - Father's sister, and Athan - Sister's husband)

1. Experience of Mary Reginamalar

Father/ Sebamalai Mariyajoseph Emmanuel. (63)
Mother/ Mary Reginamalar. (52)

Children 5 Anala (14) youngest (1st daughter married and lived in another house) 2 boys 25 &18 were at home in the morning.

Attend for Sunday mass at 6.30 a.m. Then came home to cook meals. While she started cooking, heard a thunderous noise like heavy shooting. So she called her daughter and ran out as she thought it was Navy firing. "Amma (Mother) water is coming run, run" my daughter (married one) shouted. Without explaining anything she ran away. They all started to run. "When I turned I saw a huge wave, high to a palmyrah tree came over our house. The flood covered up to our nose". We all caught each other's hand & ran. " Appa (to her husband) don't save me" “ save my daughter” I shouted. Daughter shouted “Amma I don’t let you die". We saw a Puwarsu tree and I asked daughter to catch that tree and save herself and made my daughter to climb on the tree. "Save yourself" I said to my daughter but she caught my hand tightly and did not allow me to go. She lifted me up and I climbed. Sea water covered father(appa). We too shouted "go catch the palmyrah tree" He didn’t leave our hand, each other holding other ones hand and shouted “Sacred Heart of Jesus save us" the water went back. There was150 yard distance full area became muddy sand. Then we safely came to the higher land and then came to this camp by a vehicle with the help of youths.

2. Traumatised child Regica's sad experience:

Regica with Dr. Ratna Pushparajah from UK

Regica Vasingam (12 F) Brother Reginold (16 M) and Thambi (brother) Reginthan (5 M) are the three survivers and 5 members in their family, father (40), mother Mariagoratti (38), two sisters Agenica and Agilda (10 & 8) and one year brother Aginthan (4)

died.

“Appa was doing fishing when the sea rose high, Amma was cooking, Anna was on the road and shouted flood is coming, brother and I were that time playing under Vembu tree and ran way". "

After a certain distance Anna took me and Thamby and ran. Only recovered the bodies of Appa, Amma and Thankai and the other's bodies were lost in sea.

We ran on to a sandy mountain and escaped and stayed with one of the relatives. Anna only saw the dead bodies of Appa and Amma.

Altogether 3 families' children are like orphans because Aunt died due to bomber attack earlier, others died in floods and now the children are with grand mother.

3. "Hanging on the roof beam" - escaped experience of Mary Flora

Anthonipillai Mary Flora (55 F) 6 members in the family, 2 Girls and 2 boys - young children escaped and her mother died yesterday (76Years).

"We heard a big noise and thought bomber and someone said to lie down on the floor". Said Flora. When they turned to see they saw water coming so they were unable to escape home andsuddenly with the lifted water in the house caught the beams and hung on to roof beams. "We were hanging for about 15 minutes till the water level goes down".

4. "I was alone at home" - says Regina

Regina Saminathar (52 F)

"Door got suddenly closed automatically, I was hanging to the asbestos sheet for about15 minutes, because of the door closed I was saved otherwise I should have washed away with sea waters. I came last to the Manal Thiddu (small sand mountain in that village) I lost all my documents". "What is my future?" she asked and cried.

5. "We all escaped" - Annamary relates her story

Annamary (58 Years F) “I was cooking in the kitchen and heard a big sound. I asked what"

"bomber attacked (Kefir)".

"But I saw lot of water I hold the building while holding 4 children and grand children altogether 10, we all went away little by little to a higher place.

6. "My son was carried away with the water in front of me" cried Mariya

Robert Mariya pava (34 F) - 5 members in her family. 8 years boy died "2 1/2 years & 9 years were in my hand the wave took my son. I was hit by the palmyrah trunk. All 3 children were holding the tree but son fell into the water up to neck high I was able to bring the other two. After three days I buried my son, at Manathkadu.

Her cry continued.

7. Infant at the camp

Vaithy Anthonymuthu (54) Father, Usha Gnanaratnam (21) was holding her baby and feeding her in the camp Veranda. Usha said “Akka’s 4children akka and athan, father, mother my child all were together at home when we saw the sea water inside the house. We managed to escape through the flood.

8. "How to bear the loss of my amma?" - asks Jelankumary

Arokiyanather (62 years), Fasisamma (58) mother. “Amma died, we buried her and came here. Said Jelankumary (26) married to Lenin (30), in May'04 “Amma was sweeping muttram, we heard great sound we thought it was Kifir, I was 4 months pregnant and now aborted the doctor amma told that there is nothing inside. Amma gave birth to seven children she kept us all, but we lost her. We cry, cry and cry we are unable to bear the loss of my mother"

9. Pathetic situation in the camp

The situation in the camp is so pathetic. All were affected. Most of them lost at least one in the family. All were busy selecting cloths for them. Suddenly 100 m away from me, I saw one man fell down due to fits and all surrounded him. Some fanned I went to the scene and asked the people to give a space to get fresh air. There was no one to take care of that person or to guide any medical assistance.

All were helpless.

10. "Sea water did not even touched me"

Kavilraj (9 Years)
Grade 4 student, dark coloured child happily came with me to relate his exciting experience.
Sea water didn’t touch me I ran very fast ahead but others were caught.

Amma was with Thanga 10 days baby, 8 years thamby walked with amma and amma’s annan came with other thanga. Amma was carrying 10 days baby but sudenly water was all around them. A tree trunk hit amma and she fell on to Poovarasu tree and loss the baby she carried. Iya brought Kabil Jeyaraj (8 Years) and Athay took him from Iya but he died on his hand. Could not recover the body of 10 days infant. Appa was at Chempianpattu that time and never saw the infant. 4 year thambi also died on the hand of ammmamah She was holding tightly with her chest Nurses had to pull out the child out from here hand. The lady is terrified unable to speak like traumatised. Three children died and only little Kavilraj survived.

11. "Akka went behind Thambi to save him, but both were swept away"

Nishanthini (12 years) Grade 7 said, 9 were in the family; appa, amma, akka, anna, thanga, thambi, Kutty thangai were at home & (9,Months) Infant was with aunty. We heard a big sound and hide ourselves in the kitchen thought it was a bomber. But later we saw sea water risen up and ran away in different directions. Amma and akka lifted thambi caught his hand but the sea water washed away thamby so akka went back to catch him. We did not see them later. 9 month infant also left in water. Akka Thamby and baby died. 3 bodies were found. Some others brought the bodies to Manthikai hospital and then Appa went and buried them.