Our Journey 1984 – 2008
Ours is a story of loss, hope, pain, vision, poverty, and empowerment and until there is a peaceful settlement to the 35 years ethnic conflict we will remain Refugees. Our struggle is to live in hope, our fate deeply intertwined with the politics of the Island of Ceylon. Our dream is to return to our homes and rebuild our motherland.

In pursuit of that dream we came together to help ourselves aided by the hospitality of the Indian people and the generosity of the International community. OfERR (Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation) has been working quietly and evolving steadily. From a small group of 7 volunteers in 1984 (a time when funding was scarce and we had to pool our own resources) into an organization with 640 Ceylon Tamil refugee volunteers and 120 Indian volunteers (tsunami victims) in 2006, funded by International Charitable Organisations such as NCC – Australia, Christian Aid UK, DanChurchAid, ESP Germany, Church of Sweden, PWRDF Canada, Operation USA and the European Commission’s HumaO – EU and supported by many international and local professionals, educationists and humanitarians who have volunteered their expertise to guide and train our refugee volunteers.

OfERR are an organization of Refugees by Refugees for Refugees, a unique concept that is our greatest strength. We represent our own needs, we advocate our own causes, we educate, empower and emancipate ourselves. We believe in one cause, that of the ‘Refugee as a Resource’. OfERR has trained more than 600 Ceylon Tamil refugee volunteers as counselors, health workers, women empowerment workers and teachers.

'Refugees to the Rescue'
Expressing our gratitude to India by helping the South Indian tsunami victims
 In December 2004 when the tsunami devastated the coastal villages of South India our refugee volunteers went to the rescue of the Indian population. OfERR's Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation wing restored 3364 temporary shelters, built 53 community centers, repaired 1246 roofs, provided solar lighting, smokeless cholas, toilets and water tanks. They trained 120 Indian Tsunami Victims as counselors, health workers, women empowerment workers and teachers. Our volunteers carried out psycho-social work amongst 60,441 tsunami victims, visiting 15,337 families.

The birth of OfERR Ceylon
20 years later we begin our relief work in Sri Lanka.
In May 2004 OfERR (Ceylon) Commenced interventions in Sri Lanka among the internally displaced (due to civil war) in Sri Lanka, and the refugee returnees from India and from 2005 extended its work to include Tsunami victims.

During this last year, we have also responded with emergency relief to cope with the unprecedented exodus of displaced persons due to the renewal of hostilities in the east of the Island.

The advantage of our staff is that many of them were refugees or displaced persons themselves, and therefore they have empathy and an understanding of the situation, which spurs them to risk their lives and work in these difficult circumstances.

Motivation
What motivates our refugee volunteers and gives them the will to carry on working selflessly for the community while they themselves continue to live in refugee camps for over 20 years?
It is not money, our remuneration and overheads are lowest in the NGO community (our head office is on the terrace of a building with a temporary thatched roof and our staff do not draw salaries but receive small allowances).

It is the vision, and the undying hope that one day there will be peace in Sri Lanka and that we can return to our home land as resource people and help in rebuilding our motherland.

"When elephants fight, it is the grass that is trampled"
-In Hope and For Peace