The sea, your friend!
 
How Caritas-Psychosocial workers help tsunami-victims to cope
with their fears 

 
 
 
 
Not a minute is gone that little Sovina has left the water when she starts pulling at Selvamani’s blue sari: “Please, one more time!” she says in Tamil language. Immediately two dozens of other children join in: “Ama, ama!”, “Yes, Yes!” The children succeed. Selvamani, psychosocial support worker for Caritas, lets herself be persuaded: Once again the boys and girls run towards the sea. Indeed, not away from it!  Along with Selvamani they can play boisterously in the sea– for the first time since tsunami.
  
 
Nine months ago, the children, women, men of Venpurushum, a fishermen village two hours from Tamil Nadu´s capital Chennai, all ran in the other direction. Although nobody died here, the village-people are still very much frightened of the sea, originally their life insurance, and then at once changed to the devastating monster.
 
“I’m frightened every single morning when my husband and my son go for fishing”, Ponnama says, mother of three children. “I pray to God that he may send them back homesafe”. For Ponnama, Tsunami was the beginning of a new time: “Fear - we didn’t know that before”, she says and the other members of the women’s group “Selva Vinayakar” nod. As dozens of other women’s groups supported by the local Caritas-organisation “Chengalpattu Rural Development Society” (CRDS) the members of “Selva Vinayakar” meet once in a week. Even in the group’s accurately written diary with huge columns full of numbers, you can see Tsunami’s impact. “Vennila”, is written, has got 1600 Rupees out of the group’s account. “Vennila got the money to buy fish from the others, to then sell it in the market”, explains Mary, by Caritas put in charge of taking care of “women and children” in the tsunami affected villages in one particular area. “Since tsunami, many fishermen don’t catch the amount of fish they previously caught”, she says.

The men know that their wives worry about them: „But what shall we do? “, asks Chinnadurai, fisherman. “We’re fishermen, where shall we go?” Not having other skills, he goes to the sea, every morning at 5 a.m. – not as before tsunami at 1 a.m. “I am afraid something may happen”, Chinnadurai explains. Hundred of kilometres away, recently, “something” happened during the night. A thunderstorm killed four fishermen - this scaring news spread quickly in Tamil Nadu´s fisher folks´ villages. The sea behaves strange after tsunami and the daily catch has become “less”, “very, very less” he says with a rolling “r”. His wife doesn’t care even if he does not catch much. “She’s happy when we come back”

To beat the fear by information two hours drive from here, a Caritas-organization informs the fishermen three times a day through loudspeakers about the weather forecast - and even where the fish is located. Other local Caritas` plan to follow this idea, appreciated by Sr. Roselyn (SCN), Coordinator of the psychosocial work in the affected areas: “Information can help”, she explains, “but we also want the people to build up the emotional bond with the sea which they had before Tsunami, to accept the sea as their friend”. “The people in the fishing villages should sit at the sea again and try to talk with it, and try to rediscover the “good sea”.
 
Today, Selvamani tries to reconcile the children with the sea. She gathers the kids of the village.” Who would go to the sea alone? “, she asks. None of them puts up his or her hand. “Who would join us if we go to the sea”, Selvamani tries and the reply is a multiple “me!” When reaching the beach the boys start to run towards the water – the girls wait for a while. They seem somehow shocked and fascinated by the huge waves breaking and rushing towards them. Holding tight on Selvamani´s to hand, little Sovina step by step goes to the water. A huge wave breaks, the water reaches far on the beach – all are wet, they laugh, the fear is gone. After minutes, 20 kids sit cross-legged and enjoy the warm water playing with them.

Uncountable waves later, Selvamani calls the children and heads towards the village. Selvamani is enthusiastic about how much the children enjoyed the sea and is explaining how important it is for the children to rediscover the sea as a friend by visiting regularly – as Sovina pulls Selvamani´s sari and asks in Tamil “one more time?!”. The others join: Two dozens of children wish to go back to the sea to play boisterously like they used to ten months back! Selvamani thinks about it for a second, then turns around – Sovina and the others start running towards the sea, not away from it.
Venpurusham, October 2005.By Martin Zöller (Caritas Germany)