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Galle Railway Line.. Southern Sri Lanka The 26th December 2004 will be a day we will always remember and the word, Tsunami will always be a part of our lives. As I watched in disbelief at these terrible events unfolding from the comfort of my living room, thanks to Sky TV. I started as many others to franticly contact friends who live in this beautiful part of the world. The Foreign Office help line, was no help a waste of time, with a continues engage tone and all local landlines and Mobil's were out. I now started to worry, franticly pressing my re-dial button on all my phones. After 2 days my mobile started to bleep with the message "All Safe Love Ruby", I thanked god. A month later I'm on a flight with Jon Kempson, who was also with his family, like many others caught on the beach having breakfast, they were all safe but in shock. Our first meeting was with the Colombo Rotary Club, made up of the most influential businessmen in Sri Lanka. They asked us to tell the Brit's do not give anymore money to the big agencies, because it's not getting to the people who need it. If you donate give to people you know and trust and will come out and spend it directly, were it is needed. The following pictures are of massive devastation and some real positive work from single people and small but very effective groups, who just turn up to help. People who just had to come out and help. Like Jon and small established groups of Stéphen Escola, from France with his charity France-SriLanka.Com and UK based, Doug Brian from http://www.aidsrilanka.org/ and most at their own expense. All the local villagers we met are very grateful and impressed by the "Tourists" that have come back to help. Even our tut-tut drivers, Kasson and Nalaka offered to drive us around the coast, checking out where help is most needed and for free!. The government have also implemented the "no rebuilding within 100m of the beach regulation". Local people are very reluctant to move as this is their land and would be prime for Redevelopment, if the rules were one day, changed??. But the main question that everybody was asking us "were is all the aid money" at the last count £300m from the UK alone -30% for admin cost's plus interest, on £300m must be colossal, it's not here in Sri Lanka as we have seen, or is it?. And with stories of main aid workers form the big charities, allegedly, hold up in 5* hotels in Colombo and Galle, these questions will be asked more and more by us, and the local people. And many areas have had no aid at all, like Ampara on the East Coast. We were advised not to even try as this is an unprotected area, bandit country for foreigners but we know now, that some have gone and come back, with some harrowing stories. This is where the real aid is needed and needed now!!. Lets hope when Bill and George visit Sri Lanka they insist on seeing these places and where the real work is being carried out. I'm sure our tut-tut drivers would be only to pleased to give them a proper, guided tour. After our very successful trip the comments made by the Colombo Rotary Club now ring true!!!
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