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| Wednesday, 29 December 2004 |
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by E. Weerapperuma Despite the death dealing tsunami tidal waves unleashing all its fury dashing and smashing the eight feet parapet wall and roaring mercilessly within the Home for the Mentally Retarded Children of the Preethipura Home, at Hendala, the angry waters could not devour any child or inmate living at the Home at the time of the unexpected catastrophe. "We thank the Providence for saving all of us including all the 71 children and 22 members of the staff attending to the children", said Ms. Sumana Bandara who works at the home as a helper. Relating her horrific ordeal to the Daily News from the Kerawalapitiya Church Grounds, she said that she never felt the fear of death but was conscious of the fate of the innocent children. "It was after breakfast. Violet, one of the housemaids was with a disabled boy, 15 year old Uditha, who walks on his toes sunbathing facing the sea. All of a sudden she called me saying "Akke, Muhuda Goda Galanawa Wagei" (literally Sister, it seems the sea is coming on to the land) and pulled up the child who could not run and moved up. With that there was a terrible sound of the breaking of the parapet wall and the engulfing waters. "I was carried hither and thither but, fortunately I was able to get hold of a nearby tree since the water was up to my neck. Some children were floating in their beds helplessly. There is another high wall which was not damaged by the flood. Fighting with the currents I managed with others to move the children to the other side of the high wall and others took them to an upper floor of the next building",she said in tears. "While we were struggling to save children, people in the neighbourhood rushed to our help. Boats and the Police rushed to evacuate the inmates. I do not know what is the position of the Home is right now. No one is allowed to go there and the telephones are not working. Our chief Matron Nita de Silva remained in the upper floor of the Home. At the time we left there was no damage to the building but, all our belongings were lost. Three persons living close to Preethipura were killed. There were no foreign helpers with us at the time. They are expected to arrive in next February, she said President of the Ceylon Fellowship of Service M. A. P. Jayawardene, former Assistant Director of Customs and who has been serving the Preethipura Home for the past 41 years said that, he had called for an emergency meeting of the Members of the Fellowship to decide the cause of action to renovate the building. Children at the Preethipura Home now reside temporally at St. Joseph' Church grounds at Hendala, Kerawalapitiya. For the moment what they need most is medicine, clothes, mats and mattresses and those willing to help could send them to Kerawalapitiya Church. |
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