New Kalpakkam; 14, 15 Jan – The waves of Bay of Bengal are back to normal as little kids of New Kalpakkam sing the song “ We shall over come” with their highest voice.
After our morning exercise with children of village. Tashi starts teaching a song of unity to them. “WE SHALL OVER COME”. Within a few minute they sang the song with ease and they keep on singing the song when they head towards their temporary tent house. This was how we start our third day at the fishermen’s village at New Kalpakkam.
Even after twenty first day of the Tsunami disaster. The event’s picture is very clear on child’s mind. We knew it after conducting drawing session amongst the kids. Some drew huts carried by wave with note ‘ my house’…….
We asked Mr Shekar whether our effort made any difference. He said, “ It was only after your arrival and mingling with children. We see first smile on their face after Tsunami and we can hear laughters too.”
It was our small effort to practice the basic teachings of Lord Buddha “ Others before self”that brought us down to Chennai, and when we saw the response from these villagers we felt happy with our work.
Fulfilling the wish of victims for long run:
New Kalpakkam 16 th jan :“It is those tall coconut trees that save us from Tsunami ”says Vinod. One of the villager who escaped by climbing on coconut tree when Tsunami waved the village. Really he is true, when we walked around the village we can see the difference in the volume of damage in houses which has trees near then that without trees. To help them in a long term we decided to plant trees at New Kalpakkam.
Twenty two TSAM members and trainers of TCCR arrived at relief camp around ten in the morning while, we were helping them in making temporary bathroom. In no time we saw all kids with our Tibetan friends and playing with them even though non of us knew there language and vice versa.
At four we start digging pit for plantation along the road side of village. In total we made sixty nine pits for different plants. We chose sixty nine in celebration of the sixty ninth birthday of His Holliness the XIV th Dalai Lama.
We prayed to the three jewels before the first sapling was done by Aunty Aasha Reddy along with Tashi Dhondup and Rinzin Dorjee.{ President of : VCSS & TSAM}She is a very active Tibet supporter in Chennai and a very kind aunt to all. Each plantation was done with two children from the village along with one Tibetan student. And the name of child was given to the sapling. Our first tree’s name is “SURYA” This was done so that child will take care of the new trees in their village.
Sixty nine trees brought life to the deserted village of New Kalpakkam. For us it was a blessed Sunday.
Clean environment for healthy life;
New Kalpakkam 17 th jan; Every day a truck or a van comes with relief goods and each people were given a plastic bag filled with different kinds of gifts. This had made the slope of beach full of plastic bags of different size. To teach them the importance of cleanliness we cleaned the beach. The temporary garbage they have made was very close to the new relief camp. So to save them from disease we burnt all the waste and covered them with sand. Another garbage which was digged.
We appreciate all the volunteers for the Tsunami and encourage you to contribute in anyway you can be it financially, physically or just a words.
