Ngabe umhlebi wofudu waseSri Lank wathola umlayezo ezinsukwini ezandulela i-tsunami?

Kwakungu-Boxing Day 2004.

USantha Fernando, oneminyaka engu-27 ubudala waseSri Lankan osebenza ngendawo yokuchelela ufudu eKosgoda, eningizimu yeColombo, wezwa amanzi olwandle egijima phakathi kwezihlahla ngaphambi kokuba ezwe ukuthi ayazulazula futhi abhodloke ezinyaweni zakhe anyukele emadolweni ngaphambi kokuba aphele.

Imvamisa uSantha ubesebhishi cishe ngamamitha angama-300 ukusuka lapho kuqoqwa khona utshwala ukuze ondle izimfudu zakhe. Ngalolo suku ekuseni ukuthutheleka ngokungazelelwe kwezivakashi ezazizingela lezi zindawo okwakubhujiswe kuzo izinyawo kwakumbambezele.

Ulwandle lwahlehla ngendlela olwafika ngayo, lwadlula izihlahla zikakhukhunathi, izihlahla, uthango nezindlu ezakhelene nolwandle.

"Strange" wacabanga ngalezi zenzakalo ezingavamile. Kwakungakaze kwenzeke ngaphambili.

Wabe esejuluka ebandayo. Wakhumbula iphupho cishe ezinsukwini ezine ezedlule.

Ememeza labo ababemzungezile ukuba baye endaweni ephakeme, waxwayisa ngegagasi elikhulu nelinamandla kakhulu elizobuya. Ubeka izimfudu ezimbili ezingavamile ze-albino ebhakedeni, wabagijimela endaweni ephephile esakhiweni esinezitezi ezimbili esiqhele ngekhilomitha.

Ehlehla emuva ebamba izingane zakhe ezimbili, waziyisa endaweni ephephile ethempelini, ememeza yonke indlela kubantu ahlangana nabo ukuze baphephe endaweni ephakeme.

Okwenzekile ngenkathi igagasi lesibili lishaya ugu ngomthelela omubi ngumlando; izisulu zayo zisakhunjulwa ezikhumbuzweni ezakhiwa ngasogwini oluseningizimu-ntshonalanga yesiqhingi. Bude buduze nendawo yokuchamisela amachashazi, isakhiwo esiseceleni komgwaqo ePeraliya sime ngokuthula sithumele ukufakazela inhlekelele yesitimela esisodwa esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni lapho isitimela esigcwele abagibeli sikhukhulwe kujantshi nabagibeli abangu-1,270 ngamanzi olwandle agubhayo ngalolo suku.

Izisulu zikhunjulwa minyaka yonke ngeBoxing Day. Isitimela sizoma ePeraliya ngesikhathi kwenzeka le nhlekelele. Abagibeli bezitimela nabesitimela kanye nabantu basemakhaya bazobamba iqhaza emcimbini olula ngaphambi kokuba isitimela siqale uhambo lwaso.

USantha, njengowathinteka kakhulu yi-tsunami, uqhubekile kodwa uyacabanga lapho ekhuluma ngodadewabo nogogo nomkhulu wakhe abalahlekele olwandle ngalolo suku.

Indawo yokuchitha izinkukhu yakhiwe kabusha futhi ithandwa kakhulu phakathi kwezivakashi, futhi uthola abathandi bezimfudu-abagcina imvelo abamvakashele bevela phesheya bezosebenza njengamavolontiya futhi bafunde ngalezi zidalwa eziphila isikhathi eside kusuka olwandle. ISri Lanka ivakashelwa yizinhlobo ezinhlanu zezinhlobo zofudu, uSantha, uchaza futhi akhombe izindunduma zesihlabathi lapho amake khona amaqanda ezinhlobo ezahlukahlukene namaqanda awo asayizi ngosayizi kusuka kumabhola e-ping-pong kuya kumabhola wethenisi.

Uthando lwakhe ngazo zonke izidalwa ezinemizwa luyabonakala lapho esebenzisa induku ukunyakazisa ngesinono ufezela omnyama osendleleni yakhe eya ekuphepheni ekunyathelwa phansi noma ekuhlabeni izivakashi.

Emathangini amaningi amanzi olwandle, izimfudu ezineminyaka ehlukene nobukhulu obuhlukahlukene kusuka ezinkulwaneni ezisencane ziya ngosayizi wamasondo enqola ziyabhukuda. "UJosephine" okhubazekile ngenxa yobumpumputhe kanye nomama oneminyaka engama-50 onesibhobo esijulile esitsheni esenziwe ngunetha lokudoba okumenza achithe iminyaka eyishumi eyedlule endaweni yokuchamisela izimbaza, "uNatalia" no "Sabrina" baphendula Ucingo lukaSantha lokuthi asondele ezivakashi. Ngempela ubonakala ehleba ufudu.

Manje engama-41, kwakungelona ulwazi lwakhe ngamaLeatherbacks, Green turtles, Hawks Bills, Loggerheads, noma ama-Olive Ridley's okwenza umbhali acoshe izindlebe zakhe. Kwakungukukhulunywa kwakhe ngokuba nolwazi lwangaphambilini nge-tsunami.

Kanjani?

Wabona ukwenzeka okunjalo ezinsukwini ezine ngaphambili, wachaza.

“Ngikubone ephusheni,” kusho yena.

"Ngabona ulwandle lungena, lukhukhula izindlu, izilwane nabantu lwadala imbubhiso," esho. Wayichitha njengephupho nje, ngoba wayengazi nhlobo ngento enjalo eyenzeka kuSantha.

Kodwa-ke, ngenkathi amanzi olwandle ezungeza emadolweni akhe futhi ehla ngalolo suku ekuseni, wakhumbula iphupho. Wazizwa kugcwaliseka nokuthi kwakuzolandela elinye igagasi lesibili elibhubhisayo. Ngakho-ke izixwayiso zakhe ezimemezele kwabanye.

Kwakuyisifiso esimsulwa esiholele ekususeni izimfudu kuqala ngaphambi kwezingane zakhe, kuchaza uSantha. Ukwenza umsebenzi wokuhlenga nokunakekela izimfudu kusukela eminyakeni eyisi-XNUMX ubudala, kube yisenzo esisheshayo, “ukuchitha isikhathi esiningi nazo,” esho.

Izinganekwane eziningi zasendulo zigcwele umhlaba wonke wezimfudu nezimfudu ezingenakufa ngesikhathi sokuqoshwa, imidwebo yomhume, nezigxobo ze-totem. Ezinganekwaneni zamaGrikhi, isithunywa soNkulunkulu, uHermes owayethanda lezi zidalwa kuthiwa wayenza ihabhu lakhe ngegobolondo lofudu.

Ngakho-ke, ngabe leli phupho laliyisixwayiso esivela ekujuleni noma umlayezo owabanjwa ngokungazi ngenxa yothando nokuhlangana kwakhe isikhathi eside nezimfudu? USantha akazisho ukuthi uyazi.

Uthando lwakhe ngezimfudu lwalutholwa nguyise, u-Amarasena Fernando oneminyaka engu-68 ubudala, okwakungathiwa mhlawumbe uyisilwi sokuqala “sofudu” lwaseSri Lanka ukuzibandakanya ekusindiseni izimfudu nokuthola amaqanda abo ekuqothulweni ngabantu.

Amagama esihambi esikhulile ebhishi laseNigombo eya e-Amarasena osemusha ayesenesikhathi eside emqala empini yempi eminyakeni edlule. U-Amarasena wayelandele iseluleko sakhe sokuthi izimfudu, ezinye ezinempilo ecishe ibe yiminyaka engama-300, kufanele zihlonishwe futhi zivikelwe esikhundleni sokubulawa ukuze zisetshenziselwe inkolelo yobuwula yokuthola impilo ende.

I-Amarasena ibiqale ngokuthenga amaqanda kofudu ngenani eliphambili kubantu abawemba olwandle abazowathengisa emakethe. Bangcwatshwa esihlabathini esivandeni sakhe aze aqanduselwa amaqanda. Amachwane amancane ngesikhathi esifanele abese ededelwa angene olwandle ebusuku. Ulandise ngenjabulo ukuthi wahlenga kanjani izimfudu ezinkulu ezinhlanu ngokugqobhoza amasondo eloli elalinamathele esihlabathini ngenkathi lihambisa izimfudu zisiya ekuhlatshweni.

Lapho umshayeli weloli elingenawo amandla eyofuna usizo, u-Amarasena osemncane wayesededele izimfudu.

U-Amarasena wayethuthele eKosgoda futhi wayiphayona indawo yokufushelwa ufudu ngo-1960. Ngensikhala esingeningi esivandeni, amaqanda wofudu ayengcwatshwa esihlabathini ekhishini lakhe kuze kuvele amaqhuqhuvana. Kwesinye isikhathi uSantha kanye nezingane zakubo ababelala phansi babevuswa ngofudu abancane abancane abakhasa kumata wabo ebusuku.

USantha uyaqhubeka nomsebenzi kayise wokuthenga amaqanda kofudu ngemali encane, ewavikela aze achanyuselwe, futhi adedele izingane olwandle.

Namuhla, uSantha unezimfudu ezingaba ngu-400 endaweni yakhe yokuzingela ezigabeni ezihlukahlukene zokukhula. Ugcina izingulube ezinkulu ezingama-20 ezindala emathangini. Kubo, abahlanu bakhubazekile abanye bengaboni kanti abanye bekhubazekile ngenxa yokulimala. Bonke abanye bazogcinwa isikhathi esingangeminyaka emihlanu ukuze badedelwe ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi ngeke babe yizisulu zezilwane ezidla ezinye zezimfudu ezinganeni ezingena olwandle minyaka yonke. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi eyodwa kuphela kwezingu-1,000 XNUMX ezisencane ezisindayo kuze kube yilapho sezikhulile.

Uthando lwezimfudu lwamisa ukufunda kukaSantha esemncane kodwa hhayi imfundo yakhe. Ucwaninga imininingwane ngezinhlobo ezahlukahlukene zofudu, isilinganiso seminyaka yokuphila kwabo, ukudla kwabo, kanye nezilwane abazizingelayo, nezingozi ezibhekene nazo zonke izimfudu kusukela kumanetha okudoba kuya ezikhwameni zepulasitiki.

Kusukela endaweni ebiyelwe enezindunduma zamaqanda ambozwe ngesihlabathi, izivakashi zithathwa zizungeze amathangi amaningi olwandle okuyikhaya lofudu ezigabeni zokukhula ezahlukahlukene. USantha ubonakala ebazi ngawodwana njengoba echaza ngabo.

“Ngibheka amaphuphu achanyuselwa ngaphambi kokuwadedela olwandle. Kukhona abanye abangaboni nabakhubazekile. Ngibagcina ethangini elihlukile ukubanakekela, ”kuchaza yena.

USantha uyama abize amagama ethangini ngalinye, bese izimfudu ziphendula zibhukude ziye kuye. Iningi libizwa ngamagama ezivakashi zase-Europe ezinikele ngemali yokugcinwa kwendawo yokutshala. Kukhona uKara King noJane waseNgilandi. Kukhona u- "Julia," i-albino eyavela "ekuphambaneni" yindoda engathembekile ekhangwa isizumbulu semali ngumuntu wakwelinye izwe.

USantha akakukhuthazi ukuthinta izimfudu. Izivakashi kungenzeka ziphethe ama-virus ayingozi ezinkokhisweni zakhe, kanye nemikhiqizo yesikhumba esetshenziswa nsuku zonke engalimaza nezimfudu ezibucayi, uyachaza. Noma kunjalo, kukhona okuhlukile. Ungazama ukuyithinta le. ”

“Iyaluma,” uyaxwayisa. Ufaka isandla sakhe emanzini asikhiphe ngokushesha lapho ufudu luqaqamba luqhume. "Inentukuthelo futhi ilwa nabanye," esho.

Amanye amathangi anekhaya eliyimpumputhe enkulu kanti elinye lihlala kulowo owayenophephela olinyazwe yinetha lokudoba.

Abalimele nabangaboni bayanakekelwa futhi ngeke badedelwe olwandle njengoba uSantha esaba ukuthi bazoba yizisulu zezilwane ezidla ezinye.

USantha unethemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga azokwakha isibhedlela sezimfudu endaweni eseduze komhlaba. Kepha okwamanje kubukeka sengathi kufezeka iphupho, ngoba umhlaba uwodwa nje ubungadla izigidi ezingama-R30.

Khonamanjalo, u-Amarasena, owayesebenza ngaphansi kososayensi odumile waseSri Lankan, ongasekho uCyril Ponnamperuma, unombono wakhe ngetsunami. Kwakuyicala lokuqondaniswa kwenyanga nezinkanyezi eziningana ohlelweni lwonozungezilanga okwadala ukudonswa ngamandla amakhulu eMhlabeni okwaholela kuwo, usho kanjalo. Ukusho ukuthi izixwayiso zenhlekelele enkulu (hhayi ikakhulukazi i-tsunami) eyanikezwa abezindaba nguye cishe ezinyangeni ezintathu ngaphambi komcimbi azinakiwe.

Ubikezela enye inhlekelele enkulu ngonyaka we-2030.

Zonke izithombe © Panduka Senanayake