Christian Education Ministries Support Post-Tsunami Counselling in Sri Lanka

The call for mental care and counselling in tsunami-hit countries has now become very desperate, according to international aid agencies. While the basic requirements for survival - water, food, shelter, medicine - are being received one by one by the dedicated efforts of aid agencies, relieving the survivors from post traumatic stress will be a very crucial step in them truly standing up again to face a new life.

Lanka Bible College (LBC) in Sri Lanka, supported by two UK-based Christian education ministries, Feed the Minds and SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian knowledge) Worldwide, has responded to calls to offer support and advice on rehabilitation and post traumatic stress care.

LBC has set up trauma counselling sessions for local Christians. The next project is to conduct seminars for school teachers on how to deal with traumatised children. Currently, all of the LBC partners have risen to the challenge to send their own volunteers to areas where no help had previously been received.

Maggie Rich, Feed the Minds' Northern co-ordinator, who visited the College shortly before the tsunami said, "I am just so impressed with the way the staff and students have responded. Young people who have lost members of their family are out there helping and witnessing inspired by the training they have received at the College."

Mihirukshi, a member of staff at LBC addressed the achievement so far, "Right now the major practical need seems to be school uniforms, books, water pumps, cooking utensils and housing and that, together with the trauma counselling, is what we have been helping with over the last few weeks."

Feed the Minds and SPCK Worldwide have supported Lanka Bible College for many years. Specifically they have helped the institution to meet the need for theological texts in local languages of Sinhala and Tamil, and to fund writers' workshops.

SPCK is the oldest Anglican mission agency, founded in 1698. It aims to help people to grow in Christian faith, especially through the ministry of Christian education and literature.

The Books for Life Programme, which is highly recommended by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, provides the clergy in poor countries with a set of 20 specially designed books, including a Bible, for their mission. The programme has been proved make a significant difference not just to the individual priest or pastor, but also to the lives of all those in the communities they serve.