26th December 2004 was one of those unforgettable days that affected the whole world
A major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. A massive tsunami with waves of up to 30 m (100 ft) high, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami, or as the Asian Tsunami, devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 300,000 people in 14 countries in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
The world awoke to images of devastation and destruction causing major disruptions to living conditions and commerce in many coastal provinces of countries, including Sri Lanka. It was the worst tsunami disaster in history, the worst Sri Lanka had ever faced, and the third most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the world since modern seismography began in 1900.
Reflections from our founder Dilanee Bunter on how Ocean Stars began
Watching the TV on Boxing Day morning 2024, I felt sad at hearing about the devastation and loss of lives in Sri Lanka, the land of my birth. A strong sensation within me moved me to wanting to do something on a personal level to help. I reached out to friends, family, my church and the local community and asked for funds for my project. Within no time I had collected £15,000, a sum beyond my wildest dreams. Having left Sri Lanka as a teenager, this was also a journey of reconnection for me.?
I travelled to Sri Lanka in March 2005, and found myself at the heart of communities whose lives had been torn apart by the tsunami. I met mothers who had lost children and babies, and children who had lost parents
I felt a sense of duty to help the people of Sri Lanka rebuild and recover from this tragedy. On my return to the UK, friends helped me to set up the charity Ocean Stars Trust, and the support from the global community has been simply awesome.
This has been a very privileged experience for me reconnecting with the land of my birth. I have made several memorable friendships and met some truly inspiring people. Spirituality has also played a large part throughout this journey as I have reconnected with my Christian and Buddhist routes.
I hope you find our story an inspiring one and do have a look through our website for more detail on the projects we work with. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like to get involved in any way as we are always looking to introduce new volunteers to OST and the beautiful island of Sri Lanka.
Thank you,
Dilanee Bunter
Tsunami 2004 Sri Lanka
From the wonderful chaos of 2005 to the here and now in 2025, Ocean Stars Trust is now 20 years old! We have gone from strength to strength, our impact greater than ever imagined :
Over 283,000 meals have been provided
Over 18,000 children have attended our preschools
Over 42 teacher training sessions training over 2,000 teachers
Over 290 children have been sponsored through their academic career
Over 40 teachers have been sponsored
Over 400 women have attended sewing classes
Supporting Mahadeva Children's Home in Kilinochchi . Currently home to over 200 children between ages of 4 to 18 years old
Community Help
Over 65 bikes
Over 35 boats
Clean drinking water in the most rural areas
Data as at June 2024
The future will soon be our past and another chapter in our history will have been written. But what are our dreams for the new history yet to be written.
