Report from Matara

This is a report from Sagala Ratnayake [once a Regency rotarian] who is also a member of parliament from that district. His team is one of the many we have been helping besides our focus on Batticaloa. [see previous posts]

He says Matara district currently has 37 operational camps. However he adds that there are more locations since the camps are sometimes unable to cope with housing the number of families registered with these camps.

His team has been working in the Weligama, Matara, Welipitiya, Devinuvara and Dickwella divisions since the 1^st of January providing food parcels utilizing dry rations provided by you through us. Sagala says that program will continue on a weekly basis until the need is no longer there. He says "We have also helped them with kerosene cookers, cooking utensils, mattresses, pillows, clothes and toys". [Picture below shows Sagala distributng relief at one of the many make-shift distribution points.]

Laki, a team member says that some camps where they cooked meals for the displaced “there were tears in their eyes, as they had not had a home cooked meal since the day of the tragedy.” She added “They said that they appreciated the fact that we took time to come and speak with them and how grateful they were for the effort by organizations like Rotary providing them help”.

We thank Sagala and the teams for helping us distribute the food and other immediate needs among the people in Matara.