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by Ranga Chandrarathne

The Sunera Foundation, established in April 2000 following a fruitful relationship between the Sunethra Bandaranaike Trust and a group of differently-abled artists, which conducts therapeutic theatre workshops for differently abled, throughout the country and earned a name for making a positive impact on differently abled through those workshops, has started its new Tsunami healing project T-TOP (Tsunami Theatre Outreach Project) to aimed at bringing about a healing effect on traumatized Tsunami affected and restoring their self-esteem which was shattered by a natural calamity.

The T-TOP which uses the therapeutic effect of the drama workshops that had been tried and tested and has been successful in bringing about a positive change in the lives of the differently abled, will use the performing arts as a therapeutic tool to heal hundreds of traumatized children who were adversely affected by the Tsunami disaster in six Tsunami affected Districts.

The idea for T-TOP was born when Sunera's Creative Director, Rohana Deva visited the site of the Peraliya train disaster a day after the Tsunami struck and realized the long-term need of the Tsunami affected for psychological and moral support.

Sunera's Chairperson Sunethra Bandaranaike, who has first-hand knowledge of the disaster as a member of the Taskforce for Rescue and Relief, realized need for psychosocial development for tsunami affected.

Twenty-eight T-TOP trainers were awarded with Certificates recognizing them formally as practitioners of Drama Therapy which was developed by Rohana Deva and Wolfgang Stange. The Top Drama Therapy trainers received intense training in the areas of Art therapy, leadership, drama and theatre, child safety and counselling. Workshops bring about a healing effect on Tsunami affected.

It is a novel method of rehabilitating a large number of Tsunami affected persons in refugee camps and makeshift shelters. It is not through drugs but through a series of theatre workshops that relief can be found. 'Sunera Foundation' is one such citizens-based organization struggling to change the mindset of Sri Lankan society on the treatment and recognition of differently abled through its creative activities.

Envisioned by Ms. Sunethra Bandaranaike, the Chairperson of the foundation, it tries to enlighten the lives of differently abled and to bring them into the arena of everyday life.

The foundation was set up in late 1998 against the backdrop of ethnic violence which erupted in the North and East which inflame the ingrained ethnic hatred in the minds of the Sinhala majority in the South.

Wolfgang Stange, Rohana Deva Perera and Ramani Damayanthi who were active in the propagation of the message of national integration through the performing and fine arts joined the foundation to streamline their activities and to bring them into mainstream discourse.

By the time they met Sunethra Bandaranaike, Rohana Deva and Ramani Damayanthi (traveling by a scooter) had held several workshops throughout the island including Jaffna and the uncleared areas. By now the foundation was abled to raise funds and receive substantial donations from similar organizations globally.

It has also expanded its activities to include themes such as peace, ethnic harmony, national integration, human resources development, and non-violence to the performance. The need of such an organization was felt badly at a time the human race caught up in a cobweb of religious antagonisms and cast rivalries. The upsurge of religious fanatism, specially, in the Middle East and the Islamic militancy in Afghanistan are unprecedented in the history of religious tolerance.

The agitation by various factions around the world was that one religion is superior to another and in some cases what are the several levels of castes considered to be co-equals. The reason for this misconception is that man has adopted religion as criteria to judge one's social status rather than a form of spiritual uplift.

Humanity treads along the dangerous path creating a society based on the bricks of religion, cast, ethnicity and region. It was obvious that the workshops had brought about a positive change in the lives of the Tsunami affected. Chandrika Premalal is one of the beneficiaries of the workshop conducted by Sunera Foundation.

"Though I am a skilled swimmer I could not swim against the tide. I was taken away by the waves and by luck, I could cling on to the boat. After this, I suffered from acute sleeplessness because this haunted me.

But after participating in the workshops, I got rid of that feeling and I went back to swimming without fear" said Chandrika. M. K. Dilini Priyanthika was in a bus, which was passing the Seenigama Devalaya and the bus was caught in the waves and dashed on to a tree. "I too could not get rid of this feeling after the workshop.

Now I do not want to be afraid of the past and could face the future with confidence. I was also able to overcome hallucination " said Dilini. Vinodani Kumari lost every thing in the Tsunami. She was desperate and she got a house from the Government.

At first I thought that it was a quarrel outside the house. I was able to survive clinging on to a floating log. After the workshop, I was able to overcome feelings of despair and hopelessness. Thanks to Sunera, now I could start life fresh " said Vinodani. K. D. Dilshan Sandareka (12) who lived in a log cabin opposite the Seenigama Devalaya was rendered destitute by the Tsunami.

"We had two lorries and a trishaw but we lost everything after the Tsunami. Everything was washed away. I swam passing bodies and it was a harrowing experience. Thanks to Sunera, I was able to get rid of these negative feelings" said Sandareka.

The T-TOP trainers received intense training under experts in respective fields. Professor S. Maunaguru (Eastern University), Prof. Sunanda Mahendra (University of Kelaniya), Mr. Parakrama Niriella (Jana Karaliya), Mr. Douglas Siriwardene (National Drama Council), Mr. Lionel Premasiri (National Child Protection Authority), Mr. Gamini Haththotuwegama (University of Peradeniya), Dr. Chandana Jayarathne (University of Colombo), Prof. Walter Marasinghe (University of Sri Jayawardenepura), Mr. Chandraguptha Thenuwara (Vibhavi Academi of Arts),. Bandara Medagama and Bimal Ratnayake(National Youth Council), Ranjith de Silva (University of Ruhuna) and Mrs. Lalitha Batuwita (National Institute of Education) were among the resource persons who conducted training programmes for T-TOP Drama Therapy trainers.

*****

Sunera foundation

Conceptualised by its Chairperson, Sunethra Bandaranaike, continues to be the leading Sri Lankan voluntary organization is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka dedicated to the rehabilitation and reintegration of differently-abled into the mainstream Sri Lankan society.

Sunethra, has dedicated her time and energy to the reintegration of the differently abled, victims of the war which has claimed over 90,000 lives and recent refugees, particularly, the orphaned children by the Tsunami that hit hard on the maritime areas of the Country.

The process of healing is done through a series of theatre workshops providing not only an avenue to release pent up emotions and to develop creativity through ingenuous theatre techniques which are unique and improvised to instill a sense of hope in the participants. Sunera has conducted several workshops and performances here and abroad.

"Flowers will always bloom" was performed in London in May 2001 at Riverside Studio to packed audience for three consecutive days. The Production consisted of a 45 strong cast of persons from all ethnic communities. "Turtles will never fly" has also been staged with differently abled cast here and abroad.

The same production was staged in Brisbane (October 2001) during the Commonwealth People's Festival on the Invitation of the Commonwealth Foundation. It was staged once again in New Delhi (April 2003) at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav. "A Prayer For Peace" was performed by four members of The Butterflies Theatre Company at the Wataboshi Festival of Music in Brisbane (November 2003).

Later this production was performed with additional cast at Disimilisfestival in Oslo (June 2004). At the moment the foundation is in the process of raising funds for the ambitious Integrated Theatre complex, which is to be served as a centre of creative excellence.

From the inception of the Foundation, theatre personnel Wolfgang Stange, Rohana Deva and Damayanthi assisted the workshops conducted here and abroad.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.