PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN

Photograph of children at a Government tsunami orphanage in Cuddalore.

CUDDALORE: It is a year and a half since the tsunami struck Tamil Nadu. Scores of children were orphaned at the sweep of a wave while others lost either a parent or close relatives who contributed to their sense of security. When you revisit the area and meet the children, you find there is a perceptible change wrought by the combined work of many agencies — voluntary and State.

Till recently, 14-year-old Saravanan hated crossing the bridge that led to the old town in Cuddalore — and to his old home in Singarathoppu. For, it was from a nearby terrace here that he had watched his mother and elder sister being consumed by the waters. Now the boy stands near the remains of his home. His father, R. Punyabal, who did not remarry, devotes his time to cooking and caring for his son, the only one left of his family.

"Saravanan was highly disturbed after the tragedy; he would cry inconsolably," say Sujatha and Kamu, social workers of the Indian Council for Child Welfare which has helped reintegrate children in school in the tsunami-affected districts. The voluntary organisation aims to keep children who lost a parent within the family and avoid institutional care. ICCW provides educational materials, monetary assistance and counselling. "We are also facilitating the formation of watch dog committees by the Government with the support of the UNICEF to prevent trafficking," says Andal Damodaran, secretary of ICCW, Tamil Nadu.

"Children's clubs have been set up to encourage participation in sports and cultural activities. Adolescent children receive training in life skills and health issues."

The voluntary organisation is one of 30 such — including Save the Children and Plan International — that continue activities for children in the districts hit by the tsunami. The Life Help Centre has set up an English medium school in Velingarayanpettai, Cuddalore, for 230 children.

Other problems

More than 1,300 children have lost a parent in the State in the tragedy while 148 children have been orphaned. The children affected by the tsunami have had to face quite a few problems. Owing to the large number of boats given to the fishermen, boys have been sometimes kept back from school to help in fishing operations. Girls have been retained at home in a few cases to take care of younger siblings in the absence of mothers. There have been instances of girls having been coerced or coaxed into marriage either by relatives eager to be rid of the responsibility of looking after them or by their own fathers who have remarried. Those in authority shake their heads in distress when they tell you how most fathers remarried within three months of the tragedy (few mothers have married again).

Success stories

But there are stories of success and triumph. Despite having lost her mother, Sandhya obtained 100 per cent in maths in her Std. X exams. Her friend Nivas too was able to score a centum in maths despite the trauma of losing his parents. The children are held up as role models in the crowded Cuddalore orphanage where they are among 73 residents.

The decision not to give children in adoption was a good one, it is felt, as it kept children in familiar surroundings.

The District Social Welfare Officer, Grace Annabai, lists the measures taken to entertain the children — excursions, and puppet and magic shows. Games played on the seashore have helped them overcome their fear of the waves.

In Nagapattinam, the new home for the children affected by the tsunami impresses by the way it has been planned and constructed. "When the children first came here they would have colony (kuppam) wars, ganging up together depending on the colonies they came from and also fight to use the bathrooms," says Suryakala, District Social Welfare Officer. "The younger ones would cry for their mothers. We used the play-way method of touch and made efforts to make this seem like a real home."

Despite this, the sadness in the eyes of some children shows they miss their own homes.

The children greet you, dressed in brand new clothes; the girls are adorned with bead necklaces and eardrops. They glow in their finery. Little touches reveal the empathy with which the children have been approached and dealt with. "The State Bank, during Pongal, brought four shopkeepers with their wares here and asked the children to choose the baubles they prefer," says a member of the staff.

"Our family is huge, there are 84 members. The older ones, like me, look after the younger," says 16-year-old Nirmala, summoning up a smile. "The past is over and done with, we have to look ahead." Even if she is courageously parroting a line, it augurs well for the children and their future.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail