Arts

From debris to prosperity

Coastal Rising Campaign :

by Ranga Chandrarathne

The tri-lingual media campaign on the success stories of Tsunami victims and individuals from the Districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Galle, Hambantota and Matara, produced by the Young Asia TV, was recently launched at the Galle Face Hotel.

The media campaign consisted of articles in daily and weekly newspapers and documentary series produced by Young Asia Television for TV and Radio. The insightful documentary series had captured the success stories of communities and individuals who rose to face their lives from the ashes of destruction with economic aid from community organisations, NGOs, INGOs and local and District level Government collaborations.

One of the salient features of the success stories is that they were the collective and people's initiatives launched with the collaboration of local level Government, NGOs and INGOs. The Coastal Rising depicts the stories of courage and endurance, people who have picked up the shattered pieces of their lives to face the formidable challenges posed in the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami.

Despite the hardships and heavy odds, the courageous individuals and communities succeeded in building up their lives, bringing about prosperity to their communities through development initiatives across ethnic and cast divides.

The Coastal Rising, The People's Story captured with the professional lenses of Young Asia TV, the achievements of success and the potentials of cooperation, collaboration, relationship building and women empowerment in TV and Radio documentary series that take the audience to hitherto un-trodden territories of success will be broadcast on ITN, ETV, SLBC in addition to newspaper supplements in Virakesari, Nawamani and Lankadeepa.

Among the success stories, the re-construction of the Kosgoda Turtle hatchery which was completely wiped out by the Tsunami, the remarkable recovery of alone Zeena who lost her entire family but rose to be a social worker and a vegetable farmer from Kalawanchikudy were outstanding stories that would inspire the Tsunami victims to rebuild their shattered lives.

"I believe that anyone can succeed the way I have succeeded. I believe that anyone can do the same, "said Zeena, Community Worker from Hambantota. Zeena was observing Idda, a Muslim religious period of mourning which lasted four months and ten days following her husband's death. When the Tsunami stuck Zeena lost her children and fourteen other members of her family.

After attending training conducted by NGOs, the grief-stricken Zeena changed her course of life by becoming a paid community worker. Her recovery will complete when she receives a house in a settlement village for Tsunami victims. Zeena, role model and inspiration to Tsunami survivors, motivated her to work for Tsunami victims.

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A flourishing career in drama

by Mahes Perera

In her teens and reading for a Bachelor in Music degree at Penriths University Sydney, Sri Lankan born Natasha Nathanielsz has also found success in drama. A Liberty Grove actress Natasha Nathanielsz was cast in a role that according to the blurbs "puts women at the forefront of a wartime tale and she couldn't be happier".

The play is the female dominated one "Over the Moon and Far Away, and depicts the historical experiences of the many women interned during World War Two.

She plays the role of Nerpati a young half Dutch, half Indonesian woman placed in POW Camp in Java with women of various nationalities. The only Indonesian in the play, she represents the Indonesian culture and the complex relationship that exists between those in the camps. It illustrates the unity felt by the women in the then Dutch East Indies and Indonesia.

"The actual play and what it stands for was really appetizing, it has such heart to it. Not many people knew about these camps and they still don't. The play does great justice in trying to bring the whole story forward. You rarely get to hear the women's side of the story.

The real essence is the unity of each character, each character is so different, but the thing that really unifies them is the need to be a woman again" comments Natasha. This was her first major performance which has resulted in a flourishing career for her.

Daughter of Mario and Bernie Nathanielsz of Sri Lanka, Natasha was chosen to be a member of the dance sequence for the opening ceremony at the Sydney Olympics.

A product of the performing arts school Mcdonald College, Natasha Nathanielsz in conclusion states "I think I'll definitely have to continue acting it's great, at the moment it's a lovely group at people, and a lovely place to be"

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