Irish play key role in Sri Lanka tsunami relief

WHILE questions that dogged the tsunami recovery effort through 2006 coalesced in a crop of media stories and critical reports of the failure of the international community’s response to the December 2004 disaster, the Irish public should feel proud of their involvement.

I have just returned from the Ampara district on the east coast of Sri Lanka — one of the worst affected regions in which one-third of deaths occurred. The quality and scale of the work done ranks among the most awe-inspiring I have seen in the 30 years of GOAL.

With a cash injection of €20 million from the public, the standard of the buildings is breathtaking, and the gratitude of the communities overwhelming.

One local dignitary said it would have taken 20 years for the Sri Lankan government to achieve what GOAL has accomplished in 15 months. In this time, GOAL rehabilitated and rebuilt 65 schools, so some 35,000 children can return to education.

For so many people around the world, the Irish are legendary sports enthusiasts, great storytellers, natural comics. But in Sri Lanka, we are known as the ones who cared.

A young girl in one of the schools wrote: “GOAL you are kind, and the people of Ireland, happiness filled their minds, they are the god’s hand. We thank you by heart, for your helping art, we thank you Ireland.”

John O’Shea

GOAL

PO Box 19

Dun Laoghaire

Co Dublin