Recently I went back to the coast to do a project with the young German woman, Christina Retz, of Heartkids. She has adopted a village called Puddapettai in the Nagapattinum area, the most hard-hit area in India. I had not been there before because it is about three hours drive south of Pondicherry where I live.

It was an emotionally moving session she conducted, designed to help the children put their grief to rest. She invited any child who wished to join us, to come to the one-room school at a set time. About seventy children showed up. She had them sit in a large circle and in the center of the circle on the concrete floor Christina drew a large, chalk heart. Then, using an interpreter, she told the children we were going to each light a candle for those who had died in the tsunami and we were going to have nice thoughts about them. In the background she played a CD that had a very soft, sweet chant sung over and over. The words to the chant were: "Om Shanti Om, Om Shanti Om." (You know the meaning of AUM or OM of course, and shanti means peace.) All the children joined in singing this melodic chant.

One by one they each came up to the heart, where Christina gave them a candle and helped them light it from the candle of the person who preceded them. After their candle was lit, she helped them drip some wax on the floor near the chalk line and root their candle. When everybody had an opportunity to participate the heart was outlined in lighted candles and very beautiful. Then Christina moved them into another activity that was obviously designed to help them get on with life. She put on another music CD, this one much more lively than the chant, and the children were invited to stand up and dance.

After that I took over and told the kids we had one toy for each of them. First I separated out the children who had lost a member of their family in the tsunami and I had two of Christina's team go off into a corner of the room with them. I had a doorman who kept the doors closed allowing the kids to leave one at a time after they got their toy, but no one could come back in. That way we ensured each child got a toy, but only one. After all the kids had gotten a toy and had left the room, then we met with the 11 or 12 children who had lost a family member and let each of them pick out a teddy bear from the selection I had brought with me.

As we drove back to Tiruvannamalai it was fun to realize that we left behind a village where there now were a whole lot of kids playing with balls, jacks, jump ropes, marbles, Frisbees, foam gliders, and teddy bears.

Some of the playgrounds have already been constructed in villages that were devastated and it was wonderful to watch children playing and acting like children again. So little by little we do what we can to help "make their hearts free."

David

You can help us continue our relief efforts in India by contributing to one of the following projects:

Donors to Plenty have provided funds to build two playgrounds in villages that were devastated by the tsunami in southern India. The sadness previously seen on the children's faces disappeared when we opened the playgrounds and the children forgot their fears and grief. India had 800 villages affected by the tsunami. We will build as many playgrounds as donated funds allow. Each playground costs $1,500 and includes swing sets, slides, merry-go-rounds, parallel bars, etc.

Two charitable organizations in the state of Tamil Nadu, India have worked in the tsunami-affected coastal villages for many years. They have started projects to help women and children who survived but lost homes, possessions and family members. HOPE (Holistic Approach for People’s Empowerment) is working with four villages in Pondicherry. BLESS is working with 18 villages in Cuddalore.

Child Sponsorship Program—seeks sponsors for children who lost a parent. A sponsorship is $80 a year and goes to the child’s family in monthly installments to pay for clothing, food, medical care, school uniforms, school supplies, etc.

Pregnant Women Intervention Program—medical and psychological care, food, clothing and financial assistance to pregnant women who lost husbands or children during the tsunami.

Toys for Tots—provides a stuffed toy animal to each young child who lost a parent in the tsunami. Cost for toys range from $2 to $10 depending on size.

To help please contact PLENTY and ask that your donation go to the India Tsunami Project and specify which program you wish to support.