American Diplomats Help Build Houses in Balapitiya
Colombo, March 27, 2006—More than 20 senior American diplomats visiting Sri Lanka for a conference took time off from their schedule to volunteer and help build houses in the Tsunami-affected village of Balapitiya on the Southern coast.
Public Affairs Officers from U.S. Embassies and Consulates in the South and Central Asia region met in Bentota, Sri Lanka on March 22-25, 2006 to discuss American government educational, cultural and press programs in the region. Community service often plays an integral part of conferences involving American diplomats, and participants were especially interested in assisting Tsunami-affected people in Sri Lanka this year.
The diplomats volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, a U.S. organization with programs dedicated to building new houses in countries throughout the world. The volunteers made bricks and plastered walls of the new houses, working side by side with local community members and families.