Something About This Disaster...

When Priyanka Sen heard about the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia on December 26, her response was the same as most other people: shock and disbelief at the level of destruction and loss of lives. She was glued to the news coverage on CNN, but after a while, she felt the urge to take action.

“Perhaps the most rewarding part about working with BAPS was finally being able to visit the villagers and distribute the supplies we had helped collect and sort.” —Priyanka Sen

“Something about this disaster—in addition to the fact that it was so indiscriminate in the way that it took the lives of thousands of innocent people—was really personal,” says Sen, whose parents are from northern India. “It hit home.”

Just three days later, Sen traveled with her uncle to India, where they stayed for a week, assisting with the relief and rehabilitation efforts. They worked closely with a small-scale local organization called Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), sorting donated items and serving as liaisons between manufacturers who wanted to provide surplus supplies and the villagers in need.

“We put together several hundred packages, each consisting of simple products and rations that would sustain a small family for about a week,” she explains. “Perhaps the most rewarding part about working with BAPS was finally being able to visit the villagers and distribute the supplies we had helped collect and sort.”

Sen, a Hanszen College freshman who plans to major in bioengineering, also attended meetings in India of government and nongovernment organizations involved in the relief. She actively participated in a planning session to organize a website that will link long-distance volunteers and victims of the tsunami. “This website, which is currently under construction,” she says, “will play an instrumental role in meeting the needs of the communities affected by the tsunami in a much more efficient manner, and it will allow for faster access to assistance and prevent duplication of effort.”

Getting involved in the tsunami relief was a very humbling experience, Sen says, noting that the television footage of the aftermath doesn’t come close to conveying the true devastation and suffering. She saw piles of rubble and plaster, thatched roofs completely detached from homes, and fishing boats that had been washed far inland.

“The whole scene was very chaotic,” she recalls. “Communities that had taken so much pride in their simple life beside the sea were now afraid to live near the water’s edge. Parents and orphans were mourning everywhere—some still frantically searching and some trying to come to grips with the grim reality.”

Sen plans to stay engaged in the rehabilitation in Southeast Asia, and she urges others to get involved in the process through donations of money and supplies or even by volunteering directly in the impacted areas.

Meanwhile, other students on campus also have been involved in relief efforts. Vinod Kumar, a graduate student in mechanical engineering and materials science, organized a campus event to provide information to students, faculty, and staff about the disaster. Co-sponsored by the Rice International Student Association and Rice for Peace, the talk was held January 19 and featured representatives from the affected countries as well as Red Cross and UNICEF. In addition, professor of earth science Dale Sawyer presented an overview of the geological events that caused the tsunami while professor of physics and astronomy Patricia Reiff showed before-and-after satellite images of the hardest-hit areas.

Following the information session, the Rice International Student Association and Rice for Peace joined with the South Asian Society, Leaders for Change, Rice Philharmonics, and the Rice Student Volunteer Program for a candlelight vigil in memory of tsunami victims. Money was raised through the sale of blue ribbons on the day of the vigil.

Sen worries that the help for tsunami victims will cease as the disaster and its aftermath are no longer front-page news. “The next several years will be a true test of our commitment,” she says. “Now that the tsunami is gone from the headlines, it is our duty to keep the momentum going and help these communities bring life back together.”

—Dana Benson