Sri Lanka cricketers visit Matara Cricket-Aid camp

Sri Lanka's cricketers toured the south coast over the weekend, distributing food, medicine, clothing and toys and meeting with tsunami victims in emergency relief camps in Matara, Tangalle and Hambantota.

Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Avishka Gunawardene, Nuwan Zoysa and physio CJ Clark travelled south to see first-hand the devastating destruction caused by the Boxing Day tsunami that has killed over 40,000 people.

The cricketers visited Sri Lanka Cricket's Cricket-Aid camp in Matara, the first of four emergency camps to be opened across the island. The well-organised camp is currently providing shelter to 25 families and will eventually care for around 50 families.

Approximately 10 spacious canvas tents with permanent drainage are being constructed for the victims, and as the players arrived further land was being bulldozed for the erection of more tents.

The players' arrival created a flurry of excitement within the camp, especially the young children, who soon dragged off Muralitharan and Zoysa to play an impromptu game of softball cricket.

While aid, donated by the cricketers and Clarion Singapore Logistics, was ferried into the Cricket-Aid stores, victims told the cricketers about the confusion and panic created by the series of giant waves that rolled in from the sea.

"As national cricketers we have an important role to play in helping the people of this country through this terrible disaster," said Muralitharan. "The stories we have listened to and scenes of destruction we have witnessed have been deeply shocking."

But with three weeks having now passed since the disaster, the emergency situation in most of the southern province has started to stabilise. Food rations, clean water and medical supplies are now reaching most people - although there are still pockets of real need in remote villages.

The focus of attention is therefore starting to turn to the rebuilding of shattered livelihoods. In a community dominated by the fishing industry, survivors explained how they no longer had the means to earn incomes and be self-sufficient.

"The fishing industry has been terribly affected," said Mahela Jayawardene. "The vast majority of the boats have been destroyed. It is going to take a very long time for survivors to rebuild their lives."

"Many families have also lost the adults, the main income earners, which leaves the women, most of whom do not have the education or work experience to find employment, extremely vulnerable," Jayawardene added.

Others are deeply concerned about the psychological impact of the disaster. While the good humour and high spirits of the children was remarkable, there are fears that the enormity of the situation has not yet sunk-in.

"People still seem to be in a state of shock," said Sangakkara. "In some cases it will take a long time for the victims to really be able to deal with and address the trauma that they have been through."

Sri Lanka Cricket's Cricket-Aid programme is seeking to help address this situation by providing trauma counselling training this week to the volunteers that will be working in their camps across the island.

Sri Lanka Cricket aims to raise a minimum of $2 million for their Cricket-Aid project, which also includes long-term rehabilitation projects. They are well on the way to achieving after large pledges from World Vision and New Zealand Cricket.