Expert translator Champike Yatagama shares his experience as a ScubaPOP! team member and a native Sri Lankan...
“Give a man a fish and he will live for a day, Teach a man to fish and he will live for a lifetime!”
Above is a Chinese proverb and when I first heard about the ScubaPOP! Project, this proverb came to my mind. I was simply impressed with the dedication, strength and the organizing capabilities of these diving trainers and experts. I would like to add my comments as a Sri Lankan who is involved in this project as a part-time volunteer translator.
-- BACKGROUND
On 26th of December last year, fierce Tsunami waves hit the coastal lines of Sri Lanka so hard that within minutes over 30, 000 precious human lives, assets worth of millions of Rupees were gone like the wind. Some lost almost all their family members, their properties and the sources of income. Most impact was for the people who lived closer to sea. Although time healed the wound to some extent, most of them are still struggling to rebuild their lives. Although their stories of determination and rebuilding are not in the headlines of the papers, still they need some assistance and assurance. But I would most humbly like to recall with gratitude the mammoth Tsunami aids we received from the rest of the world at the hour of need. The government, charity institutes, NGO’s are still executing major projects to support the innocent community who were affected by this massive tragedy.
-- HOW I GOT INVOLVED
About 3, 4 months back I received an e-mail from one of my friends. It requested for volunteer translators for a project at a village called Madiha in the southern part of the country. Actually I am employed in Colombo and only go home in weekends. My home is situated in Galle which is about 45 kms from Madiha. Therefore I hardly had any chance to join as a translator. But then again I needed to help them since their objective and purpose was genuine and without a translator at least for the first few days the whole project will be crippled. So I decided to join them. I took 5 days off from my office and dedicated it totally for the Scuba project. Frankly, when I received the above e-mail I didn’t know what scuba or padi meant! ☺
I also organized a team of backup translators who live a bit closer by to Madiha to make sure that the ScubaPOP! Experts will not run out of translator resources when I’m away. The total scheduling, planning phases were done via email only.
-- FINALLY THEY ARRIVE
Francesca arrived on 19th Oct and she straightaway headed South with Jason. We decided to start the course on 20th. So I took leave and left for Galle on 19th night. As agreed I met both of them at the Beach Inn restaurant. (Even though we haven’t met before, I felt very familiar since we had already communicated a lot via Email/phone calls) Anupa –from my backup translator squad also joined us. We had about 20 students and they were so eager to listen to us. It was a real challenge for me since I had to explain the diving basics (which I had zero knowledge), scientific explanations, ethics to a group of students in a digestible format. But Within hours I understood that we are delivering the goods. I could create an environment where they would understand all what Francesca explained plus her comments on what they tell about their experiences, beliefs. Then Tom joined us and he too, like Francesca, is very kind hearted and was never tired to devote time and energy for the students. After the first 5 days I only came in weekends and later I met Vlad, Phil, Sean, Christopher and Brandon. They were all equal to the task and so kind and patient with the students. In the weekdays where I wasn’t there for translation, Indika and Anupa/Danuka was there to serve the purpose. Indika was special because he happened to be one of the students and had some educational background.
-- THE RELATIONSHIP
The diving experts were very kind to the students and I know how much the students loved them. They are very poor but they always treat them with the broad smile- the biggest asset they had- plus the nodding of head which speaks thousand words. Francesca was a like a mother to them and I heard that she had cried on the day she left them last week. They still talk about her with so much appreciation. The students went frequently to their house (let’s call it ‘white house’) and they had film screenings, parties, BBQ’s, dancing and also educational sessions. (Unfortunately I missed all functions at the white house ☹ ).
It is important to note here what students think on the education. They told me that they were diving for years without such knowledge and now they understand the scientific aspects, the safety precautions and so on. It was evident to me that they had experienced some illnesses earlier due to the lack of knowledge on surface resting times in multiple diving. When the experts explained on the symptoms of some illnesses they were so much contributing with facts because they had experienced what they were explaining. ☺ That was only one example. As translators we know the enthusiasm that these students were displaying. The white house was like a home to them and they know that they can meet some living angels there.
-- A DINNER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER
Due to my tight schedule I was not able to sit for a lunch/dinner with them still. My wife, her sisters, our parents were very eager to meet the team and Francesca too was interested to meet my family, specially my 6-months old son. So I invited them to dinner at my wife’s place and Francesca, Vlad and Indika came there. It was an evening to remember. I showed them the small cliffs, tea estates and flowers and they were always pressing their digital cams for captures. The house was a bit on the land side and I knew that they enjoyed these green sceneries. They were very keen to talk to my family members and my son had a great time going to the hands of an uncle and an aunty from USA. They even watched the VCD of my wedding which was indeed a special event for them. I am sure they enjoyed what we prepared for them for dinner. It was a special evening for everybody and my loved ones praised highly of the two kind hearted Americans.
-- TIME GOES ON
The exam was on last Saturday (5th) and the guys got an opportunity to prove that they were grabbing the basics to the perfection. Everybody took 80+ and as expected Indika topped the batch with 92%. They were so happy due to the fact that they were making the instructors really proud. They were looking at the 3 boats since they know that the new engines to accompany the boats might be on the way by now! (It was a promise by Francesca before the test ☺)
I should note that I am really proud to join this special breed of hard-working, intellectual, friendly, kind hearted experts. They are still as energetic today as they were on day one, and there is tons to learn from them.
Scuba experts, ISTHUTHI!!! ( thank you in Sinalese)- on be half of the villagers at Madiha.
Have a nice day!
Regards/Champike
November 08, 2005
