02/03/2025
Across the 20th anniversary of the tsunami year I’ve set out a personal task to achieve several clean-up initiatives across islands afflicted by one of the most significant natural disasters in the Indian Ocean.
My sole agenda is to collate stories, voice recordings of personal experiences, develop greater awareness to be feel, more broadly, empathy and better understand how grief and suffering continues to afflict generational traumas.
First, ground zero in Sri Lanka’s Arugambey on Boxing Day witnessed hundreds of volunteers in 2024. Three months after, it is now expected several hundred more will assist me in my asking for cleaning Matara Road, a strip of roughly 130km + Galle Rd in the south west to Hikkaduwa, the site of the train disaster where 1700 lives perished on that fateful day.
I’m asking for my network to consider supporting this initiative as I develop a PhD application into the arts for scholarship with my growing social documentary.
Team leaders have been sought in 10 locations to take up a small task for 2 hours, where I deliver resources for the clean up initiative.
In March, as Ramavan ends, I will embark on a journey to make an in-person and online meetings on the island of Malè in the Maldives, where the 3rd clean up will commence in August. With hope, November will allow for a 4th clean up in Chennai, Southern India at the entrance to the descent of the River Ganga (Ganges River).
Holidaying is not my only goal here. I seek even modest support through this below cause as I deploy resources for these events.
The rally ends on my birthday, so instead of my usual cake of surf wax for Xmas and birthday I’ve asked for across years now, I’ll ask my networks as I shut down the collective page for the cost of a cuppa.
“Thank yeeew” to those who attended gallery exhibitions across my undergrad and postgrad years, participatory events such as Wave Riders URBNSURF and SUP events, asked for assistance with claims and messaging in support from recent months.
It’s time to make a new wave for change, less straws, more conservation strategies where little infrastructure resides, and greater cross cultural tolerances between all peoples.
Planning one less punt on Anzac Day, one less schooner this weekend and holding off that caffeine fix makes all the difference in assisting me and my task that is measured and set.
You can read more and watch the first Wave Riders®️ film here. The next film should be released Anzac Day 2025.
Stay stoked 🏴☠️🇱🇰🇦🇺
JT.
Since arriving in Sri Lanka in 2024, I’d set on a long project to assist in cleaning up collaboratively across the coastline of Sri Lanka. As a graduate Master of Photography from RMIT University in
