Rallying together to help in this hour of need
As news of the deadly Easter Sunday bombings of April 21 hit the nation, concerned Sri Lankans rallied quickly. Through word-ofmouth, and social media, many began projects and fundraisers with the common goal of easing the pain of their fellow Sri Lankans.
Here are some of the many efforts in the days after the disaster.
“When something like this happened, we couldn’t just watch and wait,” said Founder and President of Ironman 4×4 Community Response Emergency Team Sam Chandrasoma. Ironman has been working closely with the Disaster Management Centre with whom they have a working relationship as Ironman volunteers during times of natural disasters. Sam says that a burning need to get involved was what spurred Ironman to help although this wasn’t a natural disaster. They donated bottles of water for people who came to the mortuary and funeral houses in Negombo, as well as at the Colombo National Hospital, and cooked food to the Colombo National Hospital for lunch and dinner. They have contacted the Batticaloa church to find out, collect and donate whatever is needed. They are also planning to help the victims rebuild their lives in the coming months.
The Rotaract Club of Negombo began collecting money to buy medical equipment needed by the Negombo General Hospital such as oxygen regulators, spinal boards, laryngoscopes, oxygen stands, syringe pumps, paracetamol suppositories, portable ventilators etc. Some of the equipment was directly donated to the hospital.
The club’s relief efforts will be in three phases; Mental health - a joint project with the Rotary Club of Negombo and the parish of Katuwapitiya, a prosthetics project and an educational and financial aid project which is a long term effort, says Secretary of the club, Minolie Fernando.
Community service coordinator of the Rotaract District of Sri Lanka and the Maldives 3220 Dahara De Costa says they hope to help victims now at the Colombo National Hospital and also long term. The club will be posting all their work online in order to ensure transparency. “Everyone in Rotaract is involved in this project in one way or another,” she says, noting that most of the donations came from Rotaractors themselves.
Secretary of the DehiwalaMount Lavinia Masjid Federation Tahir Haji says the mosques in the Municipal area of Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia have been collecting donations throughout the week. They were collecting money as most families have lost their breadwinners and they wanted to help such families, Haji said.
Their disaster fund that was used during calamities such as Kolonnawa, Digana and the floods will also be tapped.
Videographer Manjith Thamanegama’s desire to do ‘random acts of kindness’, which he documented with his GoPro and posted online (to inspire others) is how Kind Hearted Lankans began. Usually they help people one on one, but the Easter Sunday bombings demanded a quick response. Doctors who volunteer with the organization contacted the National Hospital and found out what items they required, which were then collected, packed and donated.
Manjith says they hope to visit Batticaloa, and may also help Negombo if needed.
They are also collecting funds through the website which will be utilized 15-20 days after when less urgent needs such as school supplies etc. will be required. Every item bought using funds received will be documented and posted online. They hope to maintain a proper database of victims and what they require in order to help them long term.
Manjith feels that the surplus of blood donated within a few hours of the attacks shows how kind hearted his fellow countrymen are. “Sri Lankans came together so fast at a time like this and have a real spirit of kindness which inspires us to keep going,” he says.
GST(Global Service Team) Area Leader of the Lions Club Mahesh Pasqual says that the Lions Club of Colombo Somerset has been collecting cash donations. Initially collecting bed linen, sarongs etc, the club then decided to fund medical equipment such as infusion pumps and pulse oxymeters. The funds are collected to one account and documented and Mahesh says anyone can call and check how the money is spent. They also plan on helping out in the long term.
The religious societies and student body of Royal Institute of Colombo have been collecting donations - food rations and supplies for hospitals in Colombo. President of the Islamic Society Sameeha Siddeek speaking on behalf of her society and fellow Presidents S.S Sharangan of the Hindu Society, Hiruni De Almeida of the Buddhist Society and Vinuri Weerawardhana of the Christian Society said they had donated toothbrushes/ toothpaste, bed sheets, pillows, sanitary napkins, sarongs, towels, etc.
Charter Chairman of Negombo Round Table 7, Randika Cooray said that apart from visiting the funerals and providing the basic needs of the families affected, the international non-profit association’s 110 members around the country as well as international members overseas have begun collecting funds for the families and intend giving scholarships for children affected by the bombings.