Listen to Mandie Recount Her Time As JDC Field Representative in Tsunami-Devastated Sri Lanka
Six months after the devastating Tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004, Mandie Winston left Israel to serve as the official ambassador of JDC, as well as a representative of the Jewish people and Israel in Sri Lanka.
During her year in Sri Lanka, Mandie drew on JDC's vast experience and resources to coordinate and initiate a variety of projects. With a land donation from a Buddhist monastery, a new school was constructed and equipped for 800 students in Galle with help from the Rotary/Sri Lanka and JDC's local partner Sarvodaya. A project to build 85 playgrounds around the country was initiated and carried out in partnership with Sarvodaya, USAID and funding from the Bush-Clinton Tsunami fund. Through Mandie, JDC's experience in developing community centers around the world played a large part in planning the Lagoswatte Eco-Village – with homes for 55 families and shared communal amenities — the village serves as a model to be duplicated for communities across the country.
Listen as Mandie shares her reflections:
Unforgettable Jewish Experiences in Sri Lanka
Building a School and Future for Children in Galle
Jews and Jewish Life in Sri Lanka
Read more about JDC's projects in Sri Lanka
Helping Children Play Again in Sri Lanka Sri Lankan President Lauds JDC’s Housing Complex ProjectA Brighter Future — Rebuilding Children's Lives in ThailandJanuary 2007
