Caring for the Heart

In Batticaloa province, we are providing psychological counseling to victims of conflict.

Local social workers observe our fishnet-making sessions, and by talking to some of the participants, they identify people that show signs of trauma or bearing family problems. After these individuals have been identified, psychology professionals listen to their stories individually and create opportunities for families to discuss their issues together. These are the ways we can support psychological stress and problems.

In January, the social workers conducted music therapy with instruments in their hands. Music calms the soul, and alleviates psychological stress.

Psychological counseling does not yield immediate effects; the results are something that will become apparent only over time. However, for these individuals that have suffered long years of conflict or the trauma of the tsunami, it is an essential component of aid. The JEN staff are doing our very best to cover the wide variety of needs experienced by those facing ongoing conflict or disaster.

A New Year, New Challenges

First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

In addition, I would like to express gratitude for all of support of JEN’s activity over the last year.

With your support in 2007, we were able to conclude our tsunami relief projects in Hambantota in Southern Sri Lanka. Moreover, we were able to begin our new project, which aims to improve living conditions for victims of conflict in Batticaloa in Eastern Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, early into the New Year, we received the concerning news that the government of Sri Lanka will revoke the mutual ceasefire agreement signed with the Tamil anti-government organization, the LTTE, back in 2002.

It seems uncertain when this country can reach peace and during periods of conflict, people suffer from both physical loss and psychological damage.

We, at JEN, are striving to extend a helping hand to those people who are not covered by the media or general reports and activities in the region, but still require help to cope in situations of conflict.

We hope to have your continuing support this year.

The day to go to the sea is coming soon.

Thanks to the Japan Platform and supporters, manufacturing of boats for the Fisheries Cooperative Societies (FCSs) has started as a part of the returnees support program in Vakarai, Batticaloa.

Based on the records of Ministry of Fisheries, fisherman in the Vakarai area lost 109 boats after the conflict in January. JEN will be supporting the FCSs, which suffered the biggest damage, by providing two boats each, in total twenty boats.

This area suffered huge damage due to the Tsunami at the end of 2004, after that, a lot of boats were distributed by the supporting associations. However, several of these distributed boats were manufactured with disregard to the surrounding environment, and some were manufactured focusing on speed rather than quality. As a result, some distributed boats were unfortunately unusable.

Learning from past experience, we organized the boat manufacturing to be done by a local, reputable boat manufacturing company and based designs on the recommendations of the fisherman involved in this project.

Boats are now in the course of manufacture by putting dozens of fiberglass together to ensure endurance and waterproof properties. All 20 boats are scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2008.

A New Office has opened.

　We opened a new JEN office in the town Vakarai in Batticaloa, in the Eastern part of Sri Lanka on 1st of October.This town is the key traffic point where highways intersect and it is located about an hour distance by car from the new project area, Vakarai. Vakarai is the area, which suffered huge damages during the battle.

　We have completed carrying in most of office supplies such as desks, chairs and computers from the Southern Hanbantota office, which was closed last month.

　Different from Hanbantota area where many Buddhist Singhalese live, this area consists of mostly Hinduism Tamil and Islamism. Also, appearances and languages are different from the Southern area.
We are now interviewing candidates for project staff. Various candidates, such as those having experience with another association or those who studied in University and seek for actual experience, applied to us.

　We will soon be able to start supporting activities for fisherman in the Vakarai area immediately after establishing the new office staff. We very much appreciate your continuous support.

Completion of the Livelihood Support Project for Tsunami Affected People

We completed the project for supporting tsunami affected people in Southern Hanbamtota on September 22. We started supporting the people to recover their lives with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from last October.

With this project, we provided vocational training; children activities and physical counseling at 13 different resettlement places.  We remember joyful and unique people, such as those who voluntarily organized people and those who showed us their appreciation.

JEN provided social workers, instructors and counselors to one resettlement place over the last 2 months, and we were able to build up trustful relations with local people. Although local people came from different villages in some places, gradually we could experience people pulling together, connected through the project.

The survey after the vocational training recorded that the people have been receiving good harvests or earning money through making fishing nets by using the new knowledge and techniques learned from the project.

With the completion of the project, we have concluded the contract with local staff that engaged in this project for more than 2 years. We very much appreciate their contribution knowing that we could not achieve such a success without them, and we wish them continuous success in the next association.

Thank you very much to all of you for your long support.

The construction of a training facility in Batticaloa

As a part of the project, we were scheduled to provide occupational training (fish net making) in the Vakarai area (the Northern part of Batticaloa). However, due to the Tsunami damage and continuous battle, appropriate facilities for this training does not exist. Accordingly, we are planning to build a prefabricated training facility.

However, there is a physical distribution problem.

We arranged for a big track and a small track with a crane to deliver building materials of which there was 5 tons each for 10 different villages. Although vendors were reluctant to accept the order from us due to the bad access of each site, we were able to start negotiations with an experienced vendor for the building materials in the Batticaloa area.

Although it has already been 6 months since refugees came back to the village in Vakarai (*), it will take some more time for full-scale recovery. We very much appreciate your continuous support.

(*) Going back to other areas has been delayed for 3 months.

Coexisting with Wild Animals

The resettlement area where JEN is currently operating to support the tsunami victims has been made by clearing an area from the jungle. One issue that concerns the beneficiaries of the vegetable garden project is that water buffaloes, monkeys and elephants often eat all the vegetables and fruit.

It is not unusual to come across 3 meter long snakes or huge 1 meter long lizards from the nearby natural wildlife park. Also monkeys frequently take the fruits from the trees in the garden of JEN’s Hambantota office, and wild elephants are often spotted foraging for food at the garbage dump near the resettlement neighborhood.

However, if we think about it, we realize that the land taken for the resettlement works was once

these animals’ natural habitat, and thus they are also tsunami victims. That people are dying from

elephant attacks is a serious problem, but it is important that we consider good ways for humans

and animals to coexist.

Village Boys

  A trainer of JEN’s fishnet workshops talked about his first visit to a target village.  On the way back from the workshop, local boys asked him to drive them to towns.  The trainer refused, it is impossible for him to give them such a privilege.  Then the boys threatened him: “Never step in our village again!”  Unfortunately, the same story often occurs to trainers in other villages.

A psychologist analysed the boys’ aggressive reaction.  He pointed out two influential factors.  First, the boys have not been disciplined well because their fathers are often away from home fishing.  Second, the boys are mistrusting and insecure for some of their fathers are alcoholic and often get violent for no reason.

JEN’s staff tried to bring village boys out of their shell.  Using our principle of listening to them patiently with a respect for each boy’s personality, instead of blaming them for their aggressive attitude.

After one month had passed, JEN won the children’s confidence.  Boys show positive changes toward JEN’s staff.  Now they look forward to seeing the staff after school to talk about themselves, even discussing their own worries about their family, their future, and their trauma of the tsunami.

Beyond Circles

JEN has conducted a gardening project in Marganpura and Metserana, a newly plotted village for the resettlement of victims of the previous tsunami.  The initial obstacle to the project is factions within the village itself.  People from the same camp formed close circles and shut themselves to strangers from different towns.  Such divided circles hindered community-based collaboration that JEN’s workshop was based upon.

However, JEN’s social workers successfully brought participants from different circles together in complete harmony in the gardening workshop.  Farming together on a hot day drives participants to share in the achievement of hard physical work a sense of solidarity with others whose origins are different from their own.  Now village people enjoy chatting together over various topics while collaborating without any noticeable divides.

After Two Years – a Victim’s Remembrance

Wasanti lost her husband and her house at the same time at the Boxing Day tsunami. She currently participates in JEN’s gardening projects.　

“Two years having passed since that day, few international relief agencies remain in my village of Hambantota now. I resettled in a new house with my family, but our life remains severe, as I am only a widow without any income… JEN’s gardening projects have helped me a lot both financially and psychologically. I hope more and more families participate in the projects as we do, which are very beneficial indeed.”

After Two Years – Christmas is coming

While Christmas is coming soon, another important day is approaching in the coastline of Sri Lanka – the 26 December, the memorial day of the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. 

Instead of colourful Christmas illumination, people in the village of Hambantota silently decorate their houses with yellow leaves of coconuts as a sign of mourning for victims.

People involved in the mission

Relief project for Tsunami victims supported be Japan government has started at last. We care the tsunami victims mentally as ever with social worker, instructor, and expert in psychology through job training. Before we start the activities we trained our staff. They studied JEN and JEN’s activities, how to get involved in social psychology and counselling. “We should not take center stage, and our mission is bringing out people’s best”, said the expert in psychology who teach them.

The day before job training, an official from Sri Lanka embassy visited the village and encouraged the tsunami victims. The official said “It is a pleasure to see Japanese taxes are surely used for people in Sri Lanka, and people and the communities receive Japanese NGO.”

JEN’s mission cannot be achieved by JEN staff only. We are supported by a lot of people and act in unison with people in Sri Lanka.

Vegetable Growing and Nutritional Improvement Program

    In April, with the kind support of Ajinomoto Co., Inc., we began a nutritional improvement program through vegetable growing. This program targets female tsunami survivors who lost their houses and consequently moved to cultivated land further inland called "resettling areas."

    The project not only involves guidance to vegetable growing utilizing environmentally friendly organic farming techniques, but also social workers as well. They provide nutritional guidance and counseling; healing the victims' broken hearts whilst improving their nutritional situations. It has proved to be a great success among the participants, as they are able to acquire not only new agricultural methods, but also accurate knowledge about nutrition at the same time.

     "I lost my parents, and 2 children to the tsunami. I used to love gardening, but after the tsunami ripped through my house and ravaged my garden, I was devastated and could not bring myself to do it anymore. After moving to this new place, and through participating in this program, I became able to grow okra and beans in what used to be an empty garden. The program has helped me a lot. Now I look forward to meeting my friends in the nutrition class. I learn a lot of new things everyday; for example, what kinds of foods I should eat if I want to prevent illnesses-it is all very enjoyable."
－Nasreena (33 years old)

Cheer from Villages

JEN organized a study tour for the second time to our operational field in Sri Lanka.  We received eighteen people: participants doubled compared to the previous tour last year.  Victims of the tsunami survived the emergency period and have silently made a first step towards reconstruction of their normal life.

A village of Hambantota expressed a warm welcome by special ornaments of vivid flowers and leaves and fantastic smile of children.  Participants then visited a village of Siribopura.  The village is a resettlement area where victims of the tsunami have just started their new livelihoods leaving from temporary shelters. 

Participants planted bananas and mangoes together with local people.  After having a good sweat in the farmland, village women kindly invited to teatime with handmade sweets to chat over their lives after the tsunami.

A village woman smiled: “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in JEN’s gardening projects.  I enjoy cooperating with village people.  Now I restarted my life, yet economically still difficult.  International aids disappeared as time goes by after the tsunami, one year and eight months have passed.  Still, JEN stays with us – I am happy to see our garden to grow.”  A participant added: “I came to encourage victims, but their smile cheered me up indeed.  My experience with people in Sri Lanka will stay in my mind.  I would come back to see fruit of bananas and mangoes that we planted together.”

The Talk of the Town -the Tsunami Disaster Prevention Workshop

     On the 20th of April, an article appeared in the local newspaper about a tsunami workshop. This workshop, carried out by JEN with the kind support of Sompo Japan, was conducted for children that were affected by the tsunami in Hambantota province.

    In spite of voices strongly arguing for the need of disaster prevention education, in reality, most schools had no such programs introduced after the tsunami. JEN's workshop proved to answer such people's needs by disseminating necessary disaster prevention knowledge to children, and has been regarded highly.

    The newspaper article stated above began by introducing JEN, and went on to assess our workshops for children, introduced messages from workshop participants, and concluded by proposing that these types of workshops should be conducted throughout the country.

    Although all 4 sessions of the workshop have been successfully completed, we have begun conducting counseling for children through sports activities, and are continuing to provide support for tsunami-affected children.

Social Workers

     JEN is currently working on a follow-up program aimed at reaching out to tsunami victims in further need of help in dealing with their psychological wounds. The subjects of the program are victims from the 32 villages that JEN worked with on a previous project. Needless to say, social workers are an indispensable part of this program.

     Social workers regularly visit the villages, teaching community workers from various villages as well as holding counseling sessions. The below is a message from one of the workers:
“When we began this program, the villagers were expecting support in terms of money, and thus we had a difficult time in trying to win their understanding on the significance of psychological care. However, they eventually came to comprehend the problems that they carried, and were able to regain their ways of positive thinking. Through JEN’s program, I myself was able to learn many things, as well as mature as a person alongside the tsunami victims.”

    Today, she continues to heal people’s broken hearts, while wrapped in a beautiful sari and playing cricket with the children until the ball is no longer visible to the eye.