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UNE to help students through tsunami aftermath

January 06, 2005

Janek Moses 1.jpgThe University of New England is preparing to help any of its students who might need counselling after returning from Christmas visits to their homes in countries affected by the Boxing Day tsunami.

“We are expecting that there will be an impact, both personal and academic, on any student in that position,” said UNE’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses.

“We are trying to contact students and staff who might have been in those countries at the time of the disaster,” Professor Moses continued. “We are also getting in touch with our alumni in the affected areas to see what we can do to help.”

In a message to UNE staff earlier this week, Professor Moses asked them to contact her office if they knew of anyone “whose family has been affected by the tsunami, and how we might help”. “We do have staff and students from Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India at UNE,” she explained, “and we worry about their safety and the safety of their families in the wake of the devastating tsunami.”

For one Sri Lankan student who remained in Armidale over Christmas there was an agonizing wait until he could contact his family and put his mind to rest about their safety.

“I was in a panic situation,” said Janak Vidanarachchi, a post-graduate student in Animal Science at UNE. “I was finally able, on the 28th, to make contact through my brother’s mobile phone and to hear that my family was safe. It was a big relief for me.”

Janak’s family home, which escaped the disaster, is just 4 km inland from the coast of southern Sri Lanka. He has already sent money to his mother, who is helping to clothe and feed villagers living precariously in a local school and temple.

He spoke with sadness about losses among his close friends in Sri Lanka, and particularly a fellow student, at university in America, whose wife and two children are still missing.

“I couldn’t imagine what had happened when my Mum described it,” he said. “I couldn’t eat or sleep. She said the situation is really bad. Everyone’s in a state of shock: they can’t believe it’s happened . . . it’s like a dream.”

UNE is mounting an appeal to enable its staff members to contribute to the relief effort. “We will be encouraging staff to participate, “ Professor Moses said, “and are hoping that the student organizations take part in the fund-raising.”


Media contact: Professor Ingrid Moses, Vice-Chancellor and President, UNE (02) 6773 2004 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
A photograph of Professor Moses and Janak Vidanarachchi is available. Please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at January 6, 2005 03:50 PM