Surrounded by images and news of the aftermath of the Tsunami in South East Asia, we in the West are left feeling helpless and wondering what we can do to help. So many have already given what they can, but of course we know that it’s still not enough. Others haven’t gotten around to it yet, too busy with getting life back to normal after the holidays, or simply feeling lost when faced with having to choose from the many organizations reaching out to the world for assistance.

I offer the following, not as another poke with the charity stick, but as a choice that might be right for you, especially if you are wanting to feel connected to your choice…through a place, an idea, or through words.

This came today:

The Butterfly Peace Garden in Sri Lanka Needs Our Help

Dear friends of Geist:

The Butterfly Peace Garden near Batticaloa in Sri Lanka is a refuge for Sri Lankan children traumatized by war. (It was the subject of a story in Geist No. 33.) Batticaloa was destroyed by the tsunami in December and many thousands have died, and many more thousands are homeless. Fr. Satkunanayagam who administers the Garden has lost his home, and the family that lived there were all destroyed. Paul Hogan, Creative Director of the Garden since its inception in 1994, has lost his home and all of his possessions. The Garden itself is on high ground and is still intact, and has been transformed into a refuge for the homeless, who are now threatened by disease and floods.

Our story of the Butterfly Peace Garden has been put up on the Geist website, along with more information on the organization and how you can donate.

Regards,

The staff at Geist