Vipula

Vipula was out at sea fishing on the morning of December 26th 2005. He and the other fishermen watched from their boats as their village was destroyed. They returned to shore as soon as the waves had died down. Vipula was happily married and had two young sons, Bathiya (6) and Kalana (7 months old). Back in the remains of the village, Vipula searched for his family in the rubble, but could not find them. Their bodies were never found. About 230 people died in this village, and 275 houses were completely washed away, leaving only the foundations. Vipula was so devastated by the loss of his family, that he couldn’t face going back to sea after the tsunami, until the week before the portrait “Totamuna” was made (he holds a fish he has just caught).