On January 27th, 2005, I returned from a three week trip to the tsunami devastated areas of Thailand and Sri Lanka. There I spent time surveying damaged areas, talking to victims, and helping as best I could. The destruction is unimaginable and the miles of devastation overloaded my senses. Yet, what I saw could not match what I heard from the victims. Their losses are heartbreaking; but their stories of survival and their drive to rebuild have inspired me in ways I have yet to realize. I left Gainesville hoping to make a difference in people’s lives, and did not know what a difference they would make in mine.

If you take our 2004 hurricane season, multiply it by 1,000, then condense the timeframe down from three months to a few hours, it still won’t equal the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. With waves up to 50’ high and water traveling at speeds up to 500 mph, the devastation was massive. For me, it didn’t seem real until I personally talked with some of the victims; saw notice boards posted with flyers from parents looking for children, husbands looking for wives, relatives looking for vacationing family members; and the gruesome images from the temporary morgues trying to identify the dead.

To get a true sense of the situation, I turned to Chaisinn Maninan, chairman of the Rotary Center for Thailand and Bhichai Rattakul, Past President of Rotary International and former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand. Through them, I was able to find out what was really going on and what plans were being made through Rotary.

As Bhichai and Chaisinn took me on a survey of the affected areas, we went through areas of massive destruction - homes completely wiped from foundations, boats torn to pieces and washed inland, and people trying to survive in something that looked like a war zone. We visited an area where an entire fishing village was destroyed leaving 1,500 families homeless and, with their boats at the bottom of the ocean or damaged beyond repair, no way to make a living.

During my travels with Bhichai and Chaisinn, I discovered that the immediate needs of food, clean water, clothing, healthcare, and temporary housing were being met and the difficult rebuilding phase was just beginning. With over 1.5 million left homeless, this phase will take years to complete.

After visiting the affected areas, Bhichai and Chaisinn showed me the land cleared for a housing development called Rotary Village in the area of Pang-Na, Thailand. This village will consist of 200 homes for tsunami victims from the fishing village of Nam Khen. Built on stilts, these “no-frills” homes will have a bathroom and open kitchen area downstairs and two bedrooms and a common area upstairs and will cost $2,500 each to build. A professional contractor will oversee the project and the people who will call this village home will provide most of the labor.

When I told my 83-year-old mother, Sylvia Hall, about Rotary Village, she was so moved that she wrote check on the spot. My children, Ashley Carroll and Ben Campen, Jr., and I also wrote checks. Including funds from friends, we were able to immediately donate funds for three houses.

The tsunami victims I met are wonderful, hard-working people who have faced the unimaginable. They are in the process of re-grouping, getting ready to re-build their homes and lives. Their spirit and determination have inspired me. Even though this is going to be a long process, my hope is that we won’t forget them. Please feel free to email me with any questions.

Additional Information
Ben Campen
Rotary Club of Gainesville
Response Team Coordinator
Phone -- (352) 262-5348
E-Mail --

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Rtn. Ben Campen surveys the destroyed fishing village of Nam Khen

Rtn, Ben Campen meets with Tsunami victims at their make-shift home

Rtn. Ben Campen and R.I. Past Pres. Bhichai Rattakul discuss the proposed Rotary Village on site at Pang-Na.