The trauma caused by the Tsunami was unprecedented. The country was ill-equipped to face such psychological distress; however we answered the need of the hour thanks to our prevailing experience in supporting war-affected comunities.

During the crucial emergency phase 40 special events were organised to support the well being of those affected. Play activities can be liberating for children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and in Batticaloa, EHED-Caritas Sri Lanka organised r egular play, art and talent shows.

With the vision of assisting the Tsunami-affected population in the long run we then proceeded to a thorough nationwide psycho-social assessment that covered 1,199 households and reached 3490 adults and children. We also trained 329 counsellors.

A landmark achievement was the publication of 'A Dawn of a New Beginning' - a training manual aimed at trainers of psycho-social workers issued on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the Tsunami.

The psycho-social team is eager to develop. We collaborate with the Ministry of Education and network with other national and international agencies.