Well-Being For All

Sara's Journey - The Spirit of Hope Part III

*as seen on World Class documentary

My Surprise…

This is my favourite part of the story to tell. Despite what seemed like a hopeless situation, where so many odds were stacked against the people of Sri Lanka, hope bloomed. I interviewed many people; parents who had lost children, mothers, fathers, the elderly, rural and urban dwellers and children. All of them ridden with emotion and suffering personal loss but not without hope. This hope reflected in how communities pulled together. It was not uncommon for a community to adopt and care for children orphaned by the tsunami. This hope empowered many of the people to take reconstruction into their own hands and use the means they had to get their lives and their community back on track. Where neighbours would come together and help one another reconstruct their homes. I met many inspirational women who were working through SAPSRI in a lace-making cooperative to weave lace and sell it to the domestic and international market. They had found a way to improve their lives and were working together to achieve it.

I had only a short month to volunteer in Sri Lanka, but I came away with such a rich experience and greater understanding of the difficulties of mobilizing a recovery effort for the tsunami. I felt inspired by the courageous individuals and communities I met and felt that effective and sustainable change would emerge from these local efforts. When I left, I felt as though I had only just begun to become involved with the development process happening around me and I wanted to contribute more. I had given my promise that even though I was leaving, I would continue to help and support the projects that I had been a part of.

So when I was contacted again by Terry Fielder at World Accord to be a part of a TV documentary on my experience in Sri Lanka for Villagers Media Productions, I was thrilled.

Sara Maki

posted by World Accord Staff @ 4:23 PM