The day after Christmas in 2004, the world watched in shock as the news reported scenes of devastation in south Asia. A 9.0 earthquake deep within the Indian Ocean had triggered a deadly tsunami which roared across the waters and demolished the shores of every country in its path.

That day, Ibralebaiya Monaideea was selling fish at the market in the village of Marthamunai in the island country of Sri Lanka. When he noticed some local merchants pointing towards the ocean, he walked into the open to squint at the water. Horrified, he saw what appeared to be a giant wave approaching the beach. Ibralebaiya ran toward home to warn his wife and three children. Just seconds before a wall of water slammed into their house, they were able to run to higher ground. They watched in terror as the powerful wave destroyed their home and swallowed up everyone who was unable to run to safety. It is a sight that Ibralebaiya says is permanently etched in his mind.

After each wave drew back, survivors rushed out to the beach desperately searching for their loved ones... their children and wives and parents and neighbors. They only found bodies lying among the debris of what had been an entire village. Ibralebaiya described seeing a group of women out in the water. The raging currents had stripped the clothes right from their bodies. They crouched in the water, sobbing, trying to cover themselves. When the people on shore saw another wave approaching, they screamed for the women to run to safety. But the women clung to the ground because they were naked and there were men on the beach. Within moments, the wave came crashing to the shore, killing all of the women as they were dragged out to sea.

The tsunami killed nine of Ibralebaiya's close family members and 1,000 other residents of this small village in the Ampara District. An additional 3,500 people from the village were never found. In Sri Lanka, a total of 30,957 people lost their lives and over a half million were left homeless, struggling to survive.