Every society that enters into a period of war, does so unsure of neither the duration of the war nor its final outcome and permanent effects. The Tamil society of Sri Lanka entered into a civil war nearly three decades ago, a period during which Tamil society was forced to stagnate both culturally and politically, where any societal voids were filled by a permeating culture of violence. Having emerged from what we hope is the final stages of this bloodshed, the question remains where is Tamil society now? Has it progressed, or as in many cases of war, has it in fact regressed?
Though this question can be answered on many levels, the volunteers of the 2003 VISIONS(Volunteers Inspire Students In Orphanages of Northeast Sri Lanka ) program were allowed a first-hand insight into the future of Tamil society. The future lies in the hands of a generation of Tamil youth, whose childhoods have been shaped by a society where violence was normalized. These Tamil youth are now faced with the daunting task of becoming the leaders and participants of Tamil society, a society which has been broken down mentally, emotionally, and physically by the atrocities of one of the longest protracted civil wars in history. After spending fifteen days with 42 orphans in the northeast part of Sri Lanka through the VISIONS program, intended to promote leadership skills and provide the inspiration and motivation to study english, we have every faith that these children will be an integral part of rebuilding and developing Tamil society in Sri Lanka.
We awoke every morning at 6 a.m. to the sound of a church bell and scent of hot tea. We never ceased to be amazed at the energy level of the children who, having been awake since four a.m., sat in yoga class eagerly awaiting the arrival of the groggy volunteers, an arrival which was met with a chorus of ‘Good Morning’ ‘s and a sea of bright smiles.
Immediately following breakfast we divided into our English groups, sorted by English level and age. Though we incorporated games, and our teaching style was a stark contrast to the disciplinarian methods the children were accustomed to, they took their English studies very seriously, despite mutual frustrations on both sides of the language barrier. Computer classes in the late morning were a twenty minute walk from the St. John’s Girls Home to the Boys Home and Vocational Training Center. We were fortunate to have a Tamil-speaking computer teacher address the children every morning, outlining basic concepts in computer software and its practical uses. The children all vied for an opportunity to be sitting in front of these monitors which they had often heard of, or perhaps seen, but never been allowed to experience. The expressions of wonder and amazement that crossed each child’s face, forced even the volunteers to marvel at the modern technology which we took for granted.
In the early hours of the afternoon we had a period of combined art projects and life skills. In these warm afternoons indoors we learnt not only of the hidden talents each child possessed, but of the depth and nature of their innermost thoughts. Coming, as we did, from societies driven by materialism, one would expect a child who had grown up without toys or any material comforts to strive towards a life that offered them the luxuries they had been denied. However, every one of the 42 children that we worked with envisioned a life for themselves where they could be of service to others through a variety of avenues. Whether they aspired to be a physician, teacher, or assist a relative in a family business, they harbored no visions of the grandeur associated with material wealth, naming as their heroes Mahatma Gandhi and Princess Diana in recognition and admiration of the service these individuals provided various communities.
Both the boys and girls looked forward to the evenings of sports and dance, hardly concerned about stopping hours later to eat dinner. There was an almost tangible feeling of camaraderie in any group activity, where every team wanted to win, but their instinct to help a struggling classmate far outweighed any competitive spirit.
Often times the late evening hours of free time evolved into impromptu dance sessions where the girls overcame their timidity in small groups and the boys aimed to impress by enthusiastically and fearlessly displaying their ‘moves’, much to the amusement of the girls.
The days full of fun and laughter ran into each other until it seemed almost impossible that we had already been with these children for fifteen days. Some children spoke longingly of visiting us at our homes, others used every spare moment to furiously scribble down and collect contact information, others shed tears and demanded promises of our return, while still others masked the overwhelming sadness in jokes and laughter.
“We were born at different places, we lived at different places, we thank the home that brought us together. We are worried that we will leave our friends and separate”
(Written and beautifully sung by Indra on Saturday 26th July 2003 at the VISIONS talent show)There is no doubt that these children provided the nine volunteers from four different countries a far greater service than we provided them. Despite having lived through tragedies that most of us will never even hear of in our lifetimes, these children are happier and more centered than most middle aged professionals who have had all conveniences and opportunities readily available to them. There was rarely a moment of silence, on a bus ride or in a classroom. The silence would immediately be filled with a barrage of young voices and makeshift instruments singing classic Tamil songs of love with lighthearted verses that every child knew by heart . This vibrant passion for life and music which the children at the orphanage naturally exuded made it painfully obvious that individuals in the so-called developed nations struggled with an inner emptiness that these children have never and will never experience.
St. John’s Orphanage, created and managed by Reverend Jeyanesan, is a lone fortress whose walls, fortified by love and hope, are impenetrable to the forces of violence and hate which have seeped almost unnoticed into communities throughout the island. At times it seemed impossible that the newspaper reporting continuing atrocities, that fell daily on the doorstep of this place was from the same country.
We are thankful to this group of young people for the perspective they have given us on our own individual lives and personal struggles, and will always be in awe of the spirit and love of all the children we encountered in our time in Sri Lanka. If children are the future of a society, then the Tamil society can look beyond its past marred by violence to a future which will be shaped by the passion and love of children such as these.
**: VISION:Volunteers Inspire Students In Orphanages of Northeast Sri Lanka