Across the globe, beyond the call of duty

With eight weeks until the fall semester begins, some Penn students have already had a fulfilling summer break.

Sixteen undergraduates, along with two faculty members, spent the last two weeks of May in Sri Lanka, rebuilding homes, visiting orphans and donating supplies to people affected by the devastating tsunami that hit on December 26.

Wharton junior Sumit Kadakia spearheaded the trip, inspired to help after watching CNN coverage of the disaster's aftermath in January. He had recently been elected vice president for community service of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi.

"I thought that if I was in a position all of a sudden to make a difference, then I should take every opportunity that I can," Kadakia said.

The group of volunteers -- composed of DSP brothers complemented by undergraduates who underwent an application and interview process for selection -- raised a substantial portion of the trip's more than $36,000 price tag by selling tsunami-relief bracelets and soliciting donations from their hometowns and from other sources.

In addition, the Graduate School of Education and student groups like the Asian Student Union and Undergraduate Assembly contributed money to the trip.

The students had planned to run their trip through Habitat for Humanity up until almost the last minute, but after the organization suggested they would be stationed in the interior of the country, which was not directly affected by the tsunami, the group partnered with the Association for Lighting a Candle, a Sri Lankan organization created in 1995 and dedicated to alleviating poverty in the country.

In less than two weeks, AFLAC organized the group's itinerary for its entire stay Sri Lanka.

"It worked out unbelievably well," Kadakia said.

Upon their arrival, many students were not prepared for how devastating the then-five-month-old crisis still was.

"When I first saw the areas that were badly hit, I was just shocked at how powerful the wave was," Wharton sophomore Keith Timko said.

Wharton and Engineering senior Ishreth Hassen, who lives in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital -- which escaped the tsunami's damage -- was particularly impressed upon first seeing the work site.

He said his first thought was, "Wow, there used to be a city here and now its totally wiped out."

The students spent the first few days of their trip helping with the construction of a 19-home development in the town of Wadduwa. They dug holes for septic systems and sanded and painted window and door frames.

Later, the group visited a home in Hambantota for children orphaned by the tsunami.

The students assisted in evaluating how children's relief funding was being spent. They entertained the children and made them feel more comfortable with the evaluation's interview process.

Wharton sophomore Amanda Bicofsky said she quickly bonded with one child, 9-year-old Rumesha, so much so that Bicofsky is now sponsoring the girl's education for 650 Sri Lankan rupees ($6.50) per month.

After participating in a number of other volunteer activities, the students enjoyed a few days of rest and relaxation to experience the Sri Lankan culture.

The group also met former President Bill Clinton, who was in the country representing the United Nations. He stopped to take photographs with them and commend them for their work.

Despite the extreme poverty of the Sri Lankans the Penn students aided, a few expressed their overwhelming gratitude to the group by cooking them a meal with what little food they had available.

"I think the thing that struck me the most was really just how resilient the people are," Bicofsky said.

The group intends to follow up its efforts by possibly adopting a Sri Lankan village.

"This is definitely something people shouldn't forget about," Wharton and College junior Thomas Radford said.

"We have a duty to help out the people who need it," he added.

Kadakia said, "If you notice something going on and if you really want to help ... then by no means should you let someone stop you."

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