When UCSD alumna Alissa Sears heard of the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster, she reacted immediately. In January, she flew to Sri Lanka to volunteer for four months, during which time she assisted more than 30,000 people.
Heeding the call:
Full of energy and compassion for others, Sears focused on applying the teaching skills she learned at UCSD and the Missouri-based Applied Scholastics Institute Training Center to educate the victims and provide emotional support.
Sears counts this as her fifth trip to Sri Lanka — only, this time, she arrived in the midst of tsunami devastation and post-civil war tensions. She traveled with the Scientology Volunteer Organization as a volunteer minister and was accompanied by 80 volunteers from all over the world, including her sister, 20-year-old Sara Sears.
“Alissa is always inspirational, super-enthusiastic, open-hearted and has a planetwide view point,” said Veronica Albano, public relations director of the Church of Scientology in downtown San Diego.
When interviewed by the Guardian, Sears had much to say about her experience with the tsunami relief effort.
Guardian: How did you first hear about the tsunami disaster on Dec. 26?
Sears: I heard about the tsunami on the radio and the Internet at first.
G: What was your initial reaction when you saw the tsunami victims for the first time on TV?
S: It was honestly one of the hardest things to watch. I care so much for these people; it wasn’t easy. But when you get there, thehave so much hope. Here, all I saw was the news. But it’s so different when you go there because you see them rebuilding their lives. When you help them, that’s what makes a difference.
G: Where in Sri Lanka did you volunteer?
S: I went all over Sri Lanka: Jassna, Trincomalee, Kuchaaveli, Ampara, Hambantota, Matara, Chilau, Galle and there was a base at Colombo.
G: How do you fund your trips to Sri Lanka?
S: I have raised $80,000 to $90,000 over the years for various projects. I just try to raise awareness. If I don’t have the funds to go, I raise awareness here by doing photography exhibits, teaching at elementary schools and giving talks. I work with local school kids and have them write letters to kids in Sri Lanka. If I show one person and it makes a difference in their lives, that’s important.
G: In what ways did you and your team help the victims of the tsunami?
S: We were helping to make people more able and treat them as survivors, not victims. We also had Buddhist monks working alongside us as volunteers. In some camps, there’s nothing. The victims are being given money but need to be trained so they can rebuild their own communities. We worked with entire refugee camps and provided first aid, schooling and emotional support. Our methods are very useful.
We met the Secretary General of the U.N. and he said he couldn’t wait for us to return. They kept saying we were the best people they’ve ever known.
G: What was your most rewarding experience?
S: I have to pick just one? Probably the teacher-training workshop. We taught Sri Lankans how to be teachers, and for the first time they felt like they could help their students. They lived through the war and now this [tsunami]. They told me no one comes to help them. But we learn from them as they learn from us. They don’t complain, they’re so happy just to have you there.
G: What organization did you go with?
S: I went with V.I.S.I.O.N.S [a program initiated by Harvard graduate Meera Pathmarajah of Tamil Youths of Human Rights], when I was a junior at UCSD. This trip, I had originally planned to set up a teaching station over there. But when the tsunami hit, my plans changed. Myself and 80 other volunteers went with the Scientology Volunteer Organizations and used our practical scientology solutions to impact people from all different religions. It was incredible to get trained and see the change. It changes you.
G: How did your family and close friends feel about you being in Sri Lanka for four months?
S: My sister Sara went with me on this last trip and it was incredible to see the impact it had on her and how it made her grow. The rest of my family is very supportive.
G: What motivates you to keep returning?
S: When you see each child or person realize they can do something. When you realize you can do something for someone else. To see realization is what motivates me to keep going.
