Jun 05 2017.
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The recent flooding and mudslides caused by the monsoon has left a wave of destruction in its wake, leaving several thousand families displaced and more than 200 people dead.
Disaster knows no race, no religion, no gender and no species, as it mercilessly ravaged many parts of the country. Due to an unfortunate lack of preparedness by the government, aid and manpower has been provided by and large by the triforces and private donors. But in what is the greatest show of strength and unity, especially despite the recent spate of internal racial rifts caused by a minority, it is the ordinary citizens of Sri Lanka who rose to the occasion in togetherness, selflessly donating everything from clothes, money, food, medication and other requirements. Help was provided to anyone who needed them, irrespective of cast or religion.
Many have gone above and beyond in their quest to help, and these stories continue to inspire us and give us strength and hope. Life Online asked readers to share such stories of those who went out of their way to help in any way they could. Here's what they had to say.
(We do not hope to undermine the contribution of anyone through this post. Readers have simply recounted instances that touched their hearts in the hopes that it would inspire more people to help in any little way they can).
Tharika
Something that really touched my heart was a video I saw on the Internet of the people at the railway station donating their lunches to the displaced. If I'm not mistaken, they did this last year too. It is truly heartwarming to see people helping in every little way they can.
Sara
A good example of people who have gone above and beyond to help flood victims is Mohamed Farshan. He is a social activist who has been on ground since the floods occurred. With the assistance of his friends on Facebook, he has been personally collecting aid from various places and distributing them to the flood victims.
Rashmi
I'm not putting down any other guys but if you could check this album on Facebook, I think it really makes anyone think twice about the spoilt "rich kids" label we have in our country. Shows what a difference young blood can bring in if they have the mind and dedication. I don't know them personally but I think this album deserves a share.
Dhananji
(Referring to above comment) I totally agree. I saw them on Derana TV today. They have been helping the DMC and Army to clear up the roads, distribution of the aids and etc. It had taken them 15 hours just to get to Kalawana. They had travelled there to distribute the donations but once they saw the situation, they decided to stay back and help for a few days.
Vihan
The prisoners of the Welikada prison had donated their lunches to the people affected by the floods. They may have messed up royally to find themselves in prison, but at least they have more humanity than most politicians in the country who are simply using the disaster to shamelessly promote themselves. That is utterly disgusting.
Thanuja
One of my neighbours picked up many dogs who were stuck in flood affected areas and was caring for them. I understand that in rescue attempts, human life is given priority, so hats off to all those doing their best to save animals as well. We must also appreciate all those homeowners who didn't selfishly leave their pets behind, something that was really common last time.
Danu
What really melted my heart was witnessing the family of our domestic help out. They don't have much at all, and I know they had some financial problems as well, but they still prepared as many lunches as they could and donated them. It just goes to show what great folks Sri Lankans are. Not all of us have big wallets, but we really do have the biggest hearts. These people inspired me to do as much as I could for the flood victims.
Many people and animals still need your help. If you are interested in donating and want to know the how's and where's, you can check out our post #FloodSL And How You Can Help.
PHOTOGRAPHS by Kushan Pathiraja
1 Comments
Dayawathie says:
Jun 06, 2017 at 04:45 pmI saw some politicians without a drop of mud on their pure white national dress and designer sun glasses getting off their airconditioned four wheel drives and walking around the hapless villagers and enjoying all the worships they can get and trying score points. This is pathetic to see while the ordinary villagers helping each other and sharing the meagre supplies they have. Politicians should be banned from these disaster areas as it doesn't serve any purpose, but disrupt the relief efforts. Besides it leaves bad taste in the mouths of the affected people and think why this is happening to me while those people are enjoying all the luxuries.