The United Sri Lanka Association of New Zealand has made a long-term commitment to rebuilding Sri Lanka. Apart from their generous fundraising, they sent Channa Ranasinghe here to evaluate the local needs and oversee the initial reconstruction project. This photo set documents his visit to the village of Wenamulla, which the USLA has adopted. It will be the first reconstruction project by Sarvodaya and the USLA, starting on the 3rd of February.
Channa is pictured here handing out schoolbags to students. The set also include photos from his visit to the East Coast, Batticaloa and Kalmunai.
Selected photos after the jump…
This is one of my (the person writing this) favorite photos, with the lighting glinting off the fender as if its coming from the child. The little fellow looks like he could fit in his backpack. The schoolkits mean a lot, because it gets the children back to some normalcy and routine, so they can move forward.
This is the saddest photo. It is a father, tending the grave of his child. He lost both his children, aged 18 months and 3 years. Now is (hopefully) a time of hope, but there are still great losses which may never quite heal.