Field Reports

TEAM FIELD REPORT 2
February 9, 2005
A symphony of early morning frogs and a few night staff are the only witnesses to these stolen writing moments. A week of full, sticky, swelteringly hot days, followed by evening meetings and for many of us long night hours of extra planning and preparations for the next day, have afforded little time for writing of our journeys. In just eight days, we have accomplished much, reaching more then 150 people, establishing contacts with 2 camps, a village, 2 monasteries, 10 schools, and hotel staff. All of these are networks and templates for future teams. We are refining research instruments for SE future disaster relief efforts and learning volumes of culturally sensitive adaptations through trial and error (and the gentle re-direction of our fabulous interpreters).

We were supported our first two days by the invaluable assistance of Dr. Wanlop Piaymanotham, mentioned earlier and the Princess' Mobile Medical team. This got us established in 2 camps in a way that opened doors for the rest of the week's work. Kip, a delightfully helpful interpreter/gal Friday stayed on with us after the Thai team departed, which allowed us to keep the momentum going as we expanded beyond the first camp at Ban Bang Muong District that serves Ban Nam Kem (Salty Water Village),to include another camp at Khuk Khat (which means "Much too happy village" ).

Khuk Khat was a smaller, equally dusty but bustling camp which we visited on a day so hot it was a challenge to breathe. The Princess' unit set up in much the same efficient way with dental chairs, medical treatment tents, lunch tents, and a few of us were able to see some people who needed attention. The Thai elections attracted several dignitaries and movie stars passing through that day, bringing media attention to the needs and assistance efforts.

We have also encountered other foreigners who have been volunteering with construction efforts. From these other (non-FHE) volunteers there is a mix of helpful assistance and those who have their own pre-set agenda or are charged with heroic disaster energy. It’s an interesting conglomeration of helping energies which arrives at disasters. The community is both supported and frustrated by so many agendas, requirements and sometimes broken promises. This has underscored the need for us being organized and collaborative in our work.

Nearby, the Wat (temple) Kom Ma Nee Ya Ked has offered the chance to begin work with a school and a monastery. The school has 415 students, of which 22 died, 7 have not been found, 110 lost homes and 55 are orphaned. We worked first with a group of orphaned children, grades 2-8, and later in the week, a fourth grade class. The SE group activities and games improved connection, and opportunities for fun activation while offering manageable discharge, awareness and safe settling. The children loved playing with the parachute, puppets, soccer and had an opportunity for some therapeutic art work. Many expressed the sadness and fears of seeing their homes and families destroyed, friends lost. Their trauma reactions range from listlessness, low energy to hyperactivity and clinging. The activities engaged them and we began to soon see some shifts.

The principal helped us plan how to reach children without over emphasizing the orphans, who have been getting most of the relief attention from other groups. He also suggested that we train the teachers from 3 schools in understanding signs of residual trauma and ways to use SE activities to help the children heal. The first of these trainings will start today. From this one school and Dr. Wanlop's centralized contacts in Bangkok, we have been requested to train 7 other schools next week in another part of the province. More on this will appear in the next report.

The contacts at the Wat (temple) have been extremely helpful within a Buddhist frame for focusing our efforts to address the people’s varying reactions, and fears of ghosts or returning to the ocean. We also had an opportunity to share the similarities of this SE approach with the foundations of mindfulness, a bridge which was immediately well received. We were invited to attend the New Moon service yesterday, where we saw many of people we had met at the camps. Another bridge!

We had a more in depth visit to Baan Nam Kem yesterday which was another level of reality. “Sheltered” behind two small islands, one of which is now submerged, Baan Nam Kem is nestled between the now calm green waters, mangrove forests and distant gently sloping mountains. The panorama of the shoreline is of pristine beauty. Yet looking to the town, the picture is quite different, the devastation intense. This primarily fishing village of (formerly) 5,153 residents has lost 973 people, with an additional 454 still missing. The residents are living with friends and in 5 different camps. We were told this village was densely settled, with scarcely any open spaces. Now it has huge gaping holes, with the appearance of a town where many bombs have exploded. Oddly, some houses are relatively intact next to many lots of total rubble. Some of these spared homes were protected by large boats that lodged in front of them during the waves. Many people have tragic stories of losing their entire family, the terrors of clinging to trees or being swept away by one or more of the four mammoth waves, yet incredibly surviving.

In the midst of this, since last week’s visit, there are signs of the beginning of hope as small areas in the village begin to clear the rubble, rebuild boats and restock stores. Since most have lost their livelihoods, and are trying to function in spite of the trauma, this will take several years.

Lastly, we have found even at our hotel, where 8 tourists died, that the hotel staff is continuing to function, though many are reluctant to engage with the sea and feel badly they there are some they could not help. They have told us it pleases them to see us enjoy the ocean. So we have been doing morning Qi Gong by the sea.

One morning 4 volunteer mental health workers (2 psychiatrists and 2 psychiatric nurses) joined us for Qi Gong. Later this week we will do Qi Gong with some staff inside the hotel, and perhaps this will help some to join us gradually by the sea. From our many different conversations with hotel staff we know that although not everyone is traumatized, no one is untouched.

Our next report we will let you know more about the teacher training, our experiences with modifying the research tools and the Army.

For each of us at different times, this has been an emotionally challenging experience to witness such pain. Yet there are so many tender, sacred, healing moments and such amazing resiliency in the people and land that it is also a precious gift. We continue to be grateful to be able to represent FHE, and adapt this work to the needs here in Thailand.

Geneie, Lisa, Daniel, Alexandre, Elaine, Laurie, Starr, Maggie, Patricia