It IS That Simple

Here's some interesting reaction to my recent Outlook article from a group of people in the Washington, D.C., area who have made several trips to Sri Lanka to help tsunami victims. They are probably fairly typical of the many people from western countries who simply showed up in the disaster areas after the tsunami, wanting to help. One of the places they visited was Weligama.

Scott Dahl, who works at the Department of Justice in Washington, says he wrote this letter to draw a distinction between his group and the "disaster tourists" I've written about in my previous posts. His co-author, Jack Schwab, is an engineer and homebuilder.

Just for the record, "disaster tourist" is not my phrase. It's a pejorative expression invented by professional aid workers to describe the nonprofessionals. Put that way, I'm probably a "disaster tourist" myself. But here is their letter:

Our experience helping the Sri Lankan people affected by the tsunami was deeply rewarding, in contrast to the complex and frustrating encounter described by Michael Dobbs in last week's Outlook article entitled, "Beyond Me." Ironically, one of our favorite places along the beautiful, but devastated southern coast was the village profiled by Mr. Dobbs - Weligama - where we returned three times after a wonderful initial visit to a small fishing community just a stone's throw from the tiny island belonging to Mr. Dobbs' brother. . . .

In the Weligama fishing community and in numerous camps and villages, we compiled lists, after talking with the parents, of some essential items that they lacked, like sandals for the children whose feet were often cut from stepping on the ubiquitous barbwire strewn about the landscape, cooking pots/utensils, mosquito nets, and infant care products. We returned with these and other requested items as often as we could because we felt that the children needed continuity and the sense that someone cared. On a subsequent visit to Weligama, a now widowed mother of two, told us that the night of our initial session with the children marked the first time since the tsunami that the children were willing to spend the night in the tents pitched on their homesites rather than returning to sleep at the camp.

Mr. Dobbs correctly pointed out that some groups made "assessments" and never returned, or they handed out unneeded items out of the back of their vans without even interacting with the people, but not all "amateurs" were "disaster tourists." Like Mr. Dobbs, we saw very little of the large relief organizations in the camps; instead, we witnessed the good work of service-minded individuals and small groups who came to assist in the relief efforts. . . .

Like Mr. Dobbs, we blogged while we were there, including about our visit to Weligama several weeks before Mr. Dobbs returned to Sri Lanka. Our blog, along with photos of children in Weligama and elsewhere and a few of the very moving drawings - often depicting the trauma of the tsunami - that children gave us using the books and pastels we bought them, can be found on our website, www.srilankanhelp.org . One of the photos is of a boy proudly holding his school supplies that we had given him, standing on the beach with the island of Mr. Dobbs' brother in the background. We disagree with Mr. Dobbs - it can be that simple to make a difference, at least to this boy, as it would have been just to buy Priyanthi de Silva those glasses she needed. . . .

We agree with Mr. Dobbs that there are cultural obstacles to overcome and occasional problems with decisions about who gets a piece of the pie and who doesn't. It wasn't always positive, but we were unwilling to say to ourselves that taking immediate steps to help a few people rebuild their lives was "beyond me." From the moment we arrived, we saw that some important needs were not being filled and that we could do something to help meet some of those pressing needs. Small, simple things, like purchasing a sewing machine to replace the one destroyed by the waves for an out-of-work seamstress.

-- Michael Dobbs

By washingtonpost.com |  March 9, 2005; 5:00 AM ET  | Category:  Michael Dobbs
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