Article For Folkestone Herald and Kentish Express

24 January 2005

On Saturday evening I attended a Quiz Night at the Saltwood Village Hall in aid of victims of the Tsunami.

But this was a Tsunami event with a difference. Anne Morton, who works for the Transcription Agency which is based in Hythe High Street, spends half the year in Hikkaduwa which is a part of Sri Lanka badly hit by the Tsunami. The purpose of Saturday evening’s Quiz Night was to raise funds to help those in Hikkaduwa whose community has been devastated.

Readers will perhaps recall that I have set out before my view that we all need to make sure that the plight of those devastated communities is not forgotten once the media spotlight moves on. The best way of achieving this would be to establish lasting relations between communities in this country and the communities which are so badly in need of help. One way of achieving this is to match specific local communities in Britain with specific local communities in countries like Sri Lanka. It would then be possible to match schools with schools and churches and mosques with churches, mosques and temples. Local charity groups like the Rotary and the Lions could adopt specific projects in the affected areas. Teenagers might spend part of their gap year working on construction projects and school children might be brought over here for part of their holidays.

I am now investigating the possibility of matching Shepway with Hikkaduwa. Obviously no community in Sri Lanka is going to have a close resemblance to Shepway. But Hikkaduwa is a coastal area. It has roughly the same size population as we have and tourism and fishing feature prominently in its economic activities. In addition there is the personal link which Anne Morton provides. 

I have written to her, to the Leader of Shepway District Council and the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, suggesting the establishment of such a scheme. It may not come off. But I certainly think its worth having a go. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Shepway were one of the pioneers of such a scheme?

It would certainly be good for Hikkaduwa. But I think it would be good for us too.