March 2005

Yenni: March 2005

Three months have passed since the tsunami destroyed Yenni’s home and her father’s workplace.

As we revisit her in March, we see her walking among the ruins, recalling what happened: "I usually sleep late, until 8 or 9. It felt like the floor between the living room and my mother’s room was breaking in half. I was so afraid. I called for mom to come out. I was very nervous because father wasn’t there."

Yenni and her family fled their home. They met father, Usman, on the way and they ran together. After running for half a kilometre, they met an ambulance and the family climbed in.

Yenni vividly remembers how she tried to save her sister when the mountain of water came rushing.

"The car filled up with water. I tried desperately to get her out. I got out of the car and told father…He swam down to get my sister -- gave her to me (while I was) on top of the car."

Then larger waves swept in, and Usman could no longer help his children: "I was carried away with my wife, and my children were scattered," he recalls.

Later, Usman went looking for his family. He found Yenni and asked where her sister was. "Yenni had let go of her sister because she couldn’t hold onto her any longer -- or she might have died too... They’re both my daughters -- I don’t blame Yenni for her sister’s death."

"When I was in the water, I was so sad. I tried to save her, but I couldn’t..." Yenni laments.

But despite her grief and sorrow, Yenni shows a brave face to the outside world. The arrival of a new baby in the household has helped.

"This is my cousin, but I call him my baby brother -- a gift from the new house, because I used to have a baby sister… Now he can be my baby brother."