University aids victims of tsunami

When sophomore Andrew Chen studied abroad in Singapore and Thailand this summer, he noticed that the widespread poverty seemed almost unavoidable.

After he heard news of the tsunamis that hit Southeast Asia late last month, he said, he couldn’t imagine that the places he visited could be any worse off. “Even if we get them back to the point of where they were before the tsunamis, it wouldn’t be enough,” Chen said.

According to the Office of the University Registrar, 58 Southeast Asian students attend classes at UNC — 21 of whom are from Thailand.

Chen isn’t one of them, but he said he felt the need to take initiative and take the first steps in mobilizing relief efforts on campus. His efforts have been mirrored by other members of the UNC community.

“I knew if we could get a firm grip on getting things going on on campus then things would fall into place,” he said. “It’s getting organized pretty fast, and things are coming together really well.”

Chen, a member of the Southeast Asia Interest Association, has worked with other campus groups to coordinate events such as a candlelight vigil, a ribbon campaign, mixers and concerts that will be held this month — all in hopes of raising money to go to various relief organizations.

“We’re trying to get as many organizations involved as we can,” he said, adding that individual involvement is not enough.

The University maintains a study-abroad program in Southeast Asia for high-achieving students. Twenty-five students who have just finished their freshman year take classes while touring the region.

Bob Miles, director of the study-abroad program, said that as of now, no programs have been affected by the disaster. UNC has yet to make a decision about the status of this summer’s Southeast Asia trip.

But Chen said he hopes students focus their attention on immediate relief instead of worrying about their own plans. “We need to have more than just an educational bond between our university and their universities. We can really help them out now.”

Lalith Perera, a computing consultant with UNC’s Information Technology Services, was born in Panadura, an inland village in Sri Lanka. He recently used contacts in his native country to establish the Carolina Sri Lanka Relief Fund.

“Basically, it’s just a grassroots organization,” he said. “We can help out in a small way.”

Perera said that $1,200 to $1,500 will fund the construction of a four-person house. He said he believes funding the construction of 10 houses would be a great accomplishment for a community the size of Chapel Hill.

A friend of Perera’s recently left his home in Cary to act as a liaison for the fund in Sri Lanka. Initial funds will provide immediate needs, such as food, clothing and medical supplies.

“Most people don’t have anything but what they were wearing (when the tsunamis hit).”

UNC Hospitals and the UNC School of Medicine helped to relieve the absence of adequate medical supplies by sending 30 boxes of medical equipment to Sri Lanka last week.

Heading the efforts were Aravinda de Silva, a native of Sri Lanka, and Georgine Lamvu — both assistant professors at the school.

“It’s going to take years for the country to rebuild,” de Silva said. “What we are planning to do is not to make this a one-time shipment, but to make this a long-term program. … I think it’s a wonderful example about how we can help out in developing countries.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.