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After The Tsunami: Residents of Sri Lanka Clean Their Environment
Hambantota, Sri Lanka - On most days, the residents of Hambantota could be found fishing in the Indian Ocean, playing cricket in the hot sun or chatting with neighbors under a coconut tree. For the past two months, many of those living in this small fishing village ? located 230 kilometers (approximately 143 miles) south of Colombo ? have been picking up garbage in the Karagan Lagoon.
?Every day people passed the lagoon, they were reminded of what the tsunami violently took from them, the loss of personal property, of livelihoods and the loss of loved ones. Now, they have been given the chance to earn some money, but more importantly, they have been given the opportunity to rebuild their community and reclaim what was taken by the tsunami,? said K.H. Prematilaka, secretary of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society.