29 December 1000 GMT
My Dear Friends:
So much has happened in the last 3 days. The tragedy is far worse than we first anticipated. As the death toll exceeds 21,000 in Sri Lanka we grieve with our friends and associates.
One of our Field Team Members, Kathy from Nigeria, is still in the hospital in Matara and has required additional minor surgery. Her colleague Frank is with her. They will come to Colombo as soon as Kathy is able.
Priyah, one or our Sri Lankan staff members, has lost family, friends and neighbors, as well as her half of her house and most of its contents. Rajiv, our Asian Coordinator, has also lost friends in India.
Thomas of the USA narrowly missed the Tsunami in Trincomalee where he had been taking a Christmas break at a beach guesthouse. He had decided to go out for a bike ride with a friend just after breakfast. On the bike ride they ran into hordes of people fleeing in panic from being displaced by the wave. Some hours later he was able to get back to his guest house only to discover that the wave had destroyed all the guest bungalows in the compound. His possessions were lost but he was safe.
He returned to scenes of devastation in the low lying areas of the Mutur town where one of our houses is located.
NP Field Staff: Midori in Jaffna, Thomas in Mutur and Angela in Valaichchenai are all working with local partners to define what NP can do most effectively at the grassroots with our partner organizations.
From throughout the country the Nonviolent Peaceforce teams are reporting amazing stories of resiliency. They have seen examples of people who have been pitted against each other working together.
Many of you have written to offer prayers, gratitude and a desire to help. We offer two suggestions:
- Keep all the people of Sri Lanka, indeed South Asia, including the Peaceforce in your thoughts, prayers and meditations.
- Please consider making a donation to Oxfam or Sarvodaya with whom we work and who are doing direct relief and humanitarian work. We know them to be strong and effective organizations on the ground in Sri Lanka.
Sarvodaya is a Sri Lankan organization with the largest community network in the country.
To donate to Sarvodaya online by credit card you may donate through the Nonviolent Peaceforce:
http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/english/help/donatetosarvodaya.asp
Go directly to the Sarvodaya donation page. 100% of the money we collect at this site will go to Sarvodaya.
To donate via post within the USA, please send a tax-deductible check made out to:
Sarvodaya USA
5716 Manchester Avenue #3, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Please note that the check is for the Tsunami disaster and sent via NP.
To donate to Sarvodaya directly in Sri Lanka using a wire transfer here is the information you will need for foreign remittance:
Sarvodaya Inc.
Acct. No 159000 8015
Commercial Bank of Ceylon Limited.- Moratuwa branch
Swift Code CCEYLKLX.
Sarvodaya info in Sri Lanka: http://www.sarvodaya.lk/
And/or donate to OXFAM:
Go to: http://www.oxfam.org/eng/oxfam_sites.htm to find your country or the Oxfam home page.
Again, thank your for your deep and strong support. Let us all hold each other especially close.
With love,
Mel
Mel Duncan
Executive Director
Nonviolent Peaceforce