Juliet Coomb, a volunteer and photojournalist from Melbourne, interviewed children who survived the Asian Tsunami
"The first few days we cried not due to the death of our families but fear of these big machines held by giants with white faces that shine bright in our eyes.'"
It is not just for the expressive and lucid photography by the children once they were given cameras that Evelyn Rodriguez will be visiting Peraliya again. Out of Tragedy, Meaning.
The mental health crisis the tsunami left behind is unimaginable. Normal grief over the loss of loved ones has been compounded by the loss of homes, livelihood and entire community networks says a press release from the World Health Organization. WHO is working with local organizations to train community-based workers to be counselors for traumatized individuals.
UPDATE: Since I have a very strong, sometimes overactive blacklist, it's impossible for some people to add comments. Here's what Evelyn Rodriguez wrote me:
Jill, Thanks. Actually Satinder Bindra, CNN's New Delhi Bureau Chief,
wrote that wonderful piece; and he says he is going back. I was really
struck by what he wrote and he's moved me to go to Peraliya, Sri
Lanka, this winter (with other writers, bloggers, photographers) for
the tsunami anniversary. The main theme is to take an in-depth look at
how people are rebuilding emotionally, psychologically, spiritually
over one year's time as I think their stories could shed light for
anyone confronted with trauma and loss in their own lives.