BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka (ABP) — When the day starts winding down, the action on a sandlot along the Sri Lankan coast begins to heat up as young men from around the neighborhood gather for a game of cricket nearly every evening. The teams are always the same, the competition always fierce, and the laughter always loud.
The young men pitch and hit a worn out tennis ball for hours, catching it with bare hands, only pausing for a “brobo” — a do-over — when the ball hits a tree or crosses a nearby street.
It's only appropriate they allow a “brobo.” The entire area is starting over, and the sandlot is no exception. For 30 years it was a groomed cricket field with a building that housed a large collection of sports equipment. Each person had a glove. There was a selection of bats. The team was the best in the region.
All of it was washed away by the Dec. 26 tsunami that killed more than 30,000 people in Sri Lanka. The game stopped for more than a month. When the players returned, the starting time was moved from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 to accommodate the longer work hours of the local fishermen.
Such is life in Sri Lanka nearly six months “after tsunami.” Everyone has to make adjustments. Coastal residents are adapting their lifestyles to correspond with their new surroundings. Many fishermen have relocated to temporary housing away from the ocean. Some families are rebuilding their homes along the coast. People are looking to learn new skills for new careers.
After months of despair and hopelessness, people are beginning to start their lives again, said Emmanuel Arulaj, a pastor ministering in the region. Bright, broad smiles are reappearing on faces. Neighbors are coming together to help with the recovery process. They are starting to enjoy life again.
“You can see they know we can get out of this situation,” he said. “There is a future for them.”
Sri Lankans are not alone in the recovery process. They are surrounded by friends from around the globe. Many NGOs — non-governmental organizations — continue working along the eastern coast, trying to assist with agricultural, economic, psychological, housing and water needs.
Among the NGOs are Texas Baptist Men and Children's Emergency Relief International, a branch of Baptist Child and Family Services, both supported by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. CERI is developing a foster-care program for the nation, while TBM is meeting a wide range of physical needs in Eastern Sri Lanka.
“You're team is really good,” said Sujatha Rajadurai, a Sri Lankan working with CERI. “They're fun. They're really smart. And they're working with [Sri Lankans]. They're collaborating with them. They ask about culture and customs. They obey our culture and customs. They're really friendly. They help in such a different way. They didn't see a Tamil or Muslim.”
Generally, living conditions are improving incrementally. Some areas, like the one around the sandlot, have largely rebuilt their infrastructures and homes. Other communities still are looking for drinkable water because their wells need to be cleaned again. Stretches of rubble several miles long still remain on some parts of the coast.
Work continues in all the regions. In one area, rubble from homes is being used to reconstruct a road. Sport utility vehicles full of food, operated by the NGOs, regularly visit homes. Texas Baptist Men is building a trade school to help former fishermen learn new skills. Organizations are attempting to plan relief efforts strategically.
The reconstruction of infrastructure is not finished, but Rajaduarai said the tsunami and subsequent relief work already have transformed Sri Lanka. People are thinking and acting differently on the local level even as leaders wage political battles.
“Before tsunami, [Sri Lankans] have some conflicts with Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslims,” Rajadurai said. “But [after the tsunami], they don't bother about that. Everyone helps everyone. They give everything to everyone.
“It's totally changed in their community life. They started to be friendly with each other. God gave a great opportunity to do lots of things for the people.”