Tsunami Survivors

"As the water rose we all prayed together... I yelled for everyone to get upstairs, then the second wave hit." Sithamparapillai

Stories of survival: Sithamparapillai Piyadasa lives to rebuild his community in Batticaloa with Habitat's help

by Mikel Flamm in Batticaloa

BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka, 9th January 2005: Sithamparapillai Piyadasa, an HFH Sri Lanka affiliate board member in Batticaloa and his family were getting ready for church that Sunday morning. Suddenly a boy on the street yelled out, “a big wave is coming, it’s coming…”

Sithamparapillai lives with his wife, Esmay, and their two daughters (17 and 24 years old) on Bar Road, alongside a large lagoon. A row of palm trees and higher ground shields the lagoon from the ocean. Athough not visible, the distant sound of the waves can always be heard.

“I was taking a bath at our outdoor well. I thought it was a joke, but decided to have a look just the same. I wrapped a towel around me and walked out to where I could see the lagoon. In the distance I saw a wall of water racing towards us. I ran back to the house and yelled for my wife and daughters to get inside. A wall of water was coming.”

With little time to do anything more, the family huddled together in the main room of the house. Within seconds, the wall of water hit the front of the house, breaking all the windows and engulfing the house. Inside, the force of the water swept the entire family into a corner of the room.

“As the water rose to our necks we all prayed together for the water to go down. As the first wave began to recede, I yelled for everyone to get upstairs to the top floor. I said I would follow after. The three of them made it up the stairs and I just got to the first step as the second wave hit.”

The force of the wave dragged Sithamparapillai back. He was lifted up and carried out of the rear of the house. “I was almost at the tree tops, so I grabbed onto the papaya tree. I could only pray that I would have the strength to hold on. I prayed more than I ever have before…”

Within minutes, the water began to go down. Sithamparapillai reached for a house beam, and held on. As he climbed down he heard his family crying out his name, then he raced up the stairs, where they were reunited.

“I remember the relief on all their faces as they saw me. It was only through the strength of God that I was able to survive. My wife held onto me. She grabbed my arms, held on tightly and said to me, 'The Lord has saved you. We thought you wouldn’t come back to us.'"

"My wife grabbed my arms, held on tightly and said to me, 'The Lord has saved you. We thought you wouldn’t come back to us.'"

Holding on tight: Sithamparaillas Piyadasa with his wife Esmay, who had climbed to the rooftop of their house with her two girls. She thought her husband had no chance of survival when he was taken by the force of the wave

As his neighbors struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives, Sithamparapilla is working with the Batticaloa affiliate and other members to begin the reconstruction process.

A local businessman, Dr. Nalayuni Yogananthan, donated three acres of land to Habitat two years ago. The plan is to begin building here by the end of January, following government approval and surveys.

Fifty new houses will be built, for families affected by the tsunamis. The size of the house will be 10ft x10ft with a main room, veranda and toilet. These first houses will cover a land area of two acres with the remaining acre planned for the second stage of the reconstruction to follow. Construction time is expected to take at least two months.

You can help the efforts of the Habitat for Humanity Disaster Response Office by a donation to the Asia Tsunami Response Fund.