© 2023 Dr Margaret Sheppard

Tsunami Market

In Hambantota the local council loaned a currently disused site for a special weekly market for Tsunami survivors to sell their produce to the local people.

This was one of the relief projects facilitated by a locally organised relief organizations - E.M.I. in collaboration with Prem’s Village Fund that allocated small grants to traders to buy stock to sell on their pitches

A Market Leader, an experienced trader and himself a Tsunami victim was elected. He  coordinated the traders, some of whom were widows of market traders lost in the Tsunami and others were victims who had needed a new source of income. He administered and marked out the pitches.

Customers  from the local Hambantota area supported the market. Eventually the local council required the return of the site but by now many of the traders had managed to save enough to continue trading at the larger markets and/or return to their former occupations.

Mother & son preparing &

selling refreshments

Stall holders  initially sold their produce collected from their gardens or

neighbours . They displayed small piles on plastic sheeting spread on the ground.

Only shade provided by an umbrella

Gradually enough money was saved to buy wood off cuts for building up “display tables”. These had to be dismantled after

Every market & locked away in a secure store as all building materials were in very short supply as so much coastal housing had been destroyed by the Tsunami waves.

“New Look” market stalls! Some traders had even managed to save up for scales