Thinking flexibly: helping Tamil refugees in Sri Lanka

An awkward beginning

Marina left for Sri Lanka to work as a management advisor for the Chamber of Commerce in Hambantota, a small Muslim town in the deep south of Sri Lanka. “My role was to develop the skills of middle management,” she explains.

But things didn’t go according to plan: “Unfortunately, this assignment ended earlier than expected because the director general – a very strong leader who didn’t leave much decision making up to middle management – wasn’t ready to adopt change. VSO and I decided it would be better to end the assignment. So there I was, suddenly unemployed in Sri Lanka.”

Resourceful thinking

VSO Sri Lanka and a few long-term volunteers put their network to good use and looked for other opportunities for Marina to apply her skills. Shortly afterwards, their efforts bore fruit. Since she was now in the country, Marina could attend job interviews and visit prospective partner organisations herself. “I accepted an assignment with OfERR (Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation),” she remembers. “OfERR is a humanitarian organisation with the main objective of assisting and rendering relief to Tamil refugees in India and Sri Lanka. It was formed by refugees and is run by refugees on behalf of refugees.”

“Because of the civil war, many Tamil people left Sri Lanka for their own safety,” Marina explains. “A great many fled to India and on arrival they had nothing – no housing, no food, no money, just the clothes they were wearing. OfERR began its services in India by providing humanitarian assistance to thousands of displaced people. They offered strength and encouragement through counseling – especially trauma counseling. They also helped students find schools and colleges to continue their disrupted studies.”

A rewarding experience

Today OfERR does a lot more. “After the civil war in Sri Lanka ended, many refugees wished to return to their homeland,” Marina continues. “Once again, they had nothing – the lives they’d left behind in Sri Lanka were in ruins. Houses were damaged, land was overgrown or taken by others. Many people found themselves in refugee camps once again.” In response, OfERR expanded its programmes to Sri Lanka. Nowadays it has five offices there.

Marina’s role is to work with unit heads on proposal writing, planning and monitoring. This involves traveling to the different offices and she gets to visit areas of Sri Lanka that were closed off only five years ago. She also works with the organisation’s founders on development and strategy.

“My time in Sri Lanka has been a learning experience in so many ways,” says Marina. “I’ve become more aware of who I am and have a new perspective on my Western habits and wants. I’ve also witnessed the flexibility of people and how much can be achieved with very little. Most importantly, I’ve seen that sharing skills, knowledge and personal attention can change lives – including my own.”