Small is Beautiful

The Aceh relief operation is considered the biggest and most expensive operation in history. Thousands of metric tons of food and supplies are arriving and have already arrived to provide succor to the thousands who have suffered in the catastrophe. In the midst of this massive operation, we had a nice experience three days ago at the camp we are servicing in Aceh Besar district, about 4.5 kms. from Banda Aceh town. On the advice of an officer of UNICEF we decided to buy a few balls and volleyballs to offer to the kids who sit in the camp all day and have nothing to take their minds off the recent traumas they have passed through. When we showed the balls to the camp coordinator and the parents their eyes opened with delight-finally an opportunity for the kids to play and the parents to relax! If the adults were pleased you should have seen the kids!! All balls gone in three seconds and loud screams and laughter made it appear as if 15 meter waves crashing on unsuspecting villages and towns never happened! Normalcy returned. At least for a while. An Oxfam water engineer who was working on sanitation for the same camp, when he saw our simple gesture exclaimed, "What a great idea! Why didn't anyone think of that before?"

As Mother Theresa said: "It is not how much service is done but it is how much love that is put into the service that is important".

Shiilabhadrananda, Banda Aceh



Child receiving food parcel from AMURT