Refurbishing Homes, Restoring Community Life

Despite his dedicated duty as an army officer, U.L. John and his family have always lived hand-to-mouth. Still, his income has been sufficient to provide for his wife and three girls, ages 22, 18 and 14. "We have lived in the same place for 16 years," he says, proudly, of their house in Dodanduwa in the Galle District of Sri Lanka.

John never would have imagined that living in this beautiful setting amidst nature — near both the ocean and a river inlet — might jeopardize their lives. Yet when the tsunami struck, they were doubly affected: waves crashed in, flooding their home and, when the river flooded, they were again inundated. Their house filled with as much as 6 feet of water. Their furniture was washed away, along with personal items such as their official identification papers and bank cards. John’s youngest girl was nearly pulled into the tide, but a neighbor grabbed onto her from the roof of his home and saved her. Devastated by the damage, the John’s family moved in with an aunt for nearly a month; they could not return to the skeletal remains of their home. Still, the floor is full of rubble, cracks and holes. They have put hooks in the ceiling to hang their scant belongings, as the walls can no longer support shelves and the ground is still damp. With most of one bedroom destroyed, the John’s wife sleeps in the hallway.

This home is one of 100 being refurbished by JDC, in partnership with the renowned Sri Lankan organization, Sarvodaya as part of its Tsunami Relief effort. Through this project, JDC is helping to resettle lower middleclass families back into their homesby purchasing furniture and household supplies including kitchenware. Like U.L. John, the beneficiaries of this project are primarily army officers, government workers and civil service professionals — police, school teachers, postal workers, nurses — who play key roles in their communities. They have not received assistance from others following the tsunami. JDC is enabling working people to return home, restoring a degree of stability and comfort to those who help keep the society running.