The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Nagercoil News : Efforts on to make children forget post-tsunami trauma

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 08, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Nagercoil

Efforts on to make children forget post-tsunami trauma

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL, JAN. 7. The district administration, in cooperation with a non-governmental organisation, has embarked on a programme to make the children (aged below 15) affected by tsunami, which killed many and devastated the coastal villages in the district on December 26, forget the trauma and lead a new life.

The NGO, Centre for Social Education and Development, working in the fields of child labour, child rights and capacity building for children, at Avinashi, Tiruppur, Sulur and Palladam areas, has launched an innovative programme for restoring the mental strength of children to cope up with the post-tsunami trauma. The module comprises a series of self-exploration possibilities through games and arts. The children are given a mind-oriented sequence: learning - experiencing - enquiring - inquiring and exploring. Creative thinking is also encouraged to produce some innovative artwork.

The creative output from the tsunami-affected children was presented to the public in an `Art Gallery' at St. Xavier's Church in Kottar, in cooperation with two other NGOs — HEAL and Master Trust.

The Government has also deputed more than 50 village health nurses in different parts of the tsunami-affected areas to provide counselling to tsunami victims, particularly women and children.

Meanwhile, even as these programmes are going on, those housed in more than 14 relief camps have expressed their concern over their future. Fishermen in these camps have already started returning back to their villages. The worst affected — fishermen from Mela Manakudi, Keezha Manakudi, Azhikkal, Pillaithoppu, Kottilpadu and Colachel — are under a grip of fear for they do not know how to start a new life from scratch. All their houses, household articles, near and dear ones, boats and other implements had been washed away by the killer waves on the tragic day.

Santhya Junu (5) of Mela Manakudi, who lost her mother in the tsunami tragedy, still believes that her mother is alive. When asked about her mother, Mary Puspham, the girl said she had gone to Colachel to attend a marriage and she will return in a couple of days. "I told her likewise because she started enquiring about her mother. After two days how will I console my grand daughter," rues her grand mother, Porthasigam, who had lost her daughter and son.

Her son, Arockiadas was washed away when he was engaged in saving the lives of many children in Mela Manakudi. The father of Santhya Junu was critically injured in the tragedy.

Similar is the case of Mary Jenith (18) of Mela Manakudi, who lost her three younger sisters, a brother and her mother. Fortunately she escaped as she had gone to Nagercoil, complained that even though they received the relief amount of Rs. 4,000, they were not served quality food. All the well-wishers and the philanthropists had already contributed a lot of things to them. But they are yet to be handed over.

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