A Tale from”Prasa,” her proud father
Dear Friends, …… I like to share something with you which made me very proud of my older daughter Ruwani, who is now in Sri Lanka. During last years floods she together with a group of friends formed an impromptu relief and rescue group. To my knowledge it included two doctors, a couple of divers, an ex Army Major and a handful of others including Ruwani. They went when there was an appeal for swimmers to rescue marooned people. Last time she had swam out and done a number of swims carrying food parcels in siri siri bags in her mouth for the stranded victims who could not be brought a shore. They set up camp and treated many with first aid. They also collected dry rations clothes etc. individually through friends and made sure they went 100% deserving.
All this was done very quietly with no publicity or fan fare. This time when the Floods and earth-slips occurred they had been contacted again. This time they had gone to Bulathsinghala. According to Rue it is so bad that it is even difficult to walk. In some areas the water is above tall trees. This time too she had been out for 3 nights but had to get back to Colombo due to a bad leach bite which may have caused cellulitis.
She has had an excellent rapport with the villagers and she says they are so very lovely and grateful. Her words were “Thaththi until you meet then you really don’t know how wonderful Sri Lankans are.” When some of them were given food they had asked “Ithin Akkala kanne nadda..” A lot of them had been very curious about her as she was about the only female carrying people on her shoulders. Even when rescuing women from boats she had the one who had been helping them on board as they have to be pulled up under the shoulders and helped by bushing them on their bottoms.
Some boys had asked her “Akke Akka kohenda” Her reply had been “Ekanung mamath hariyata danne na….. Mage Thaththa Sinhala Baudda… Amma Demala Kristhiyani, manung ipadune Engalanthe, igenagaththe, Lankavai, Scotlanthei, Australiyavi…. Ithing maung naung hariyata danna kohenda kiyal!” Then they had wanted to know from where the Thaththa was from. So she had said “Ambalangoda -Balapitiya paththe” ,,,,, Their responsed had been “Ahhh eka thamai Akka ochchara edithara”
I have attached a photo of SLN officers getting a briefing from her!!!!!!!
What more can I ask of my Daughter……. Prasa
