Saturday 26 December 2009 marks the fifth anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami that brought devastation in 2004.
The aftermath of the tsunami continues to affect those who witnessed its catastrophe, and CBM's help is still very much in demand. CBM helped with construction, and continues to provide medicines, counselling, grief management and providing small financial loans to help those who lost their means of income, but there's still a long road to recovery ahead.
A huge earthquake triggered large waves that spread far and wide causing havoc in the Indian Ocean. In coastal areas, the huge waves claimed the lives of thousands of people and left thousands more homeless as the water swept through villages. In its aftermath, it has left many people with depression as they try to deal with their tragic losses.
Paniyamma, 65, from a village on the Kanyakumari coastline of Southern India, is left with the memory of her two children and three grandchildren who were swept away by the tsunami wave while the children played on the beach.
CBM has helped Paniyamma to receive treatment for her deep depression, and she has been given a loan to help set up a shop. She now sells small goods within the resident fishing community.
Mike Davies, former CBM Regional Director for South-East Asia & Pacific, reported that the CBM-funded psychosocial rehabilitation programme in the tsunami-ravaged Aceh province of Indonesia, had so far unchained over one thousand people with schizophrenia, and got them back into productive roles in their communities.
"People with schizophrenia are often chained up by their families, to prevent them wandering around and getting abused by other people. CBM support includes the training of community health nurses, and providing them with motorcycles so they can cover greater areas and serve more people. Today, five years after the tsunami, CBM is one of the few international agencies still active in Aceh, because the process of psychosocial rehabilitation is long-term in nature."
For some, there's still a long way to go, to help them overcome the catastrophic events of Boxing Day 2004.
You can help CBM to continue providing much needed care by donating online today.
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