Our Location

On December 26, 2004 Kathaluwa was devastated by the massive Boxing Day Tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake that occurred a thousand miles away.  In Sri Lanka, 30,000 died and 500,000 homes were destroyed.

Galle (pronounced “Gaul”) is a town on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka with a population of 90,000.  Galle is the best example in South Asia of a fortified city built by Europeans in south Asia, showing the interactions between European architectural styles and south Asian traditions. 

Galle Fort is a World Heritage Site and the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers.  Galle had been a prominent seaport long before western rule in the country, with Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Persians, Malays, and Indians doing business there.

The Village of Kathaluwa, part of the Town of Galle, is a sleepy seaside fishing community south of Galle.  During the monsoons the fishermen cannot cross the reef out to sea as waves are too high and dangerous.  They must subsist on what they can catch within the reef lagoon where the sea is calm. Six months a year they have no work. The community is extremely poor. 

 

Traditional Stilt Fishing                                                                    Train wreck from the Tsunami

 

Buddhist Temple                                                                                 Unawatuna Beach