IT WAS a disaster of Biblical proportions, a swirling curl of nature that no modern-day Noah could survive. Unannounced and unforeseen, it killed thousands in its path and left millions more barely clinging to life.

The tsunami that devastated southern Asia in the final days of 2004 was the biggest catastrophe to hit mankind in living memory, a giant wall of water that killed more than 300,000 people in mere minutes.

It was a tragedy that held the top of television news bulletins not just for days, but for weeks and months. The world watched as whole communities, built up over hundreds of years but blitzkrieged by Mother Nature in the blink of an eye, struggled to rebuild a future out of nothing.

And the world not only watched, it gave, with millions of dollars raised to help those fortunate enough to survive. To most, 'tsunami' was an unfamiliar term prior to December 26, 2004. After that date it became almost fashionable.

Fast-forward 14 months and the struggles of those impoverished communities may no longer be the focus of the world's attention, but they are still very real. And for Bermudian Clare Crook they have become an inspiration.

Mrs. Crook was holidaying in Sri Lanka with her husband and daughter when the tragedy struck, and although she plays down her own close call ? her family was spared after the wave inexplicably diverted either side of them ? the scenes that she witnessed compelled her to devote her life to helping victims of the tragedy.

"We were confronted with such terrible scenes of devastation and death that we felt compelled to do something about it," Mrs. Crook, who now lives in the UK but is back home in Bermuda this week, told the .

Following the disaster Mrs. Crook, along with five others, set up a charity to get desperately-needed funds to region.

But it was not so much the plight of the suffering that inspired Mrs. Crook, but their strength and spirit in the face of such hardship.

"The people in Sri Lanka have a serenity, humility and dignity that is extremely rare in today's world," she said.

"During the tsunami they helped foreigners onto roofs and pulled them into trees. They fed us and cared for us. Their temples and schools became a refuge for everyone regardless of faith or nationality.

"Their dignity and joy, their generosity and laughter in the face of such devastating personal loss was the most profound experience of my life."

To date, the Rebuilding Sri Lanka charity has raised more than $500,000 for the country. Mrs. Crook, who worked as a photographer and yoga teacher before the tsunami hit, now works around the clock without a salary, as do all the UK-based staff of the organisation. "We set up RSL because we knew where the need was and how to get it on the ground effectively," Mrs. Crook, 39, said.

"This is still the case and because we are a small non-government organisation we are not crippled by the political and bureaucratic paralysis that the big charities face. We also have low staffing costs, so the money raised goes exactly where it is needed most.

"We have achieved a great deal since the tsunami. I spent half the year there in 2005 and have just returned from my third trip this year. We have 100 per cent accountability for donor funds, which is almost unheard of for any tsunami charity and as a result we have great credibility with our donors, many of whom have also visited our projects and serve as our most effective referees."

Although no longer as high-profile a cause as it was a year ago, Mrs. Crook insists it is essential that funds keep coming in.

"There is still a great deal to be done 16 months on," she said.

"We are still feeding people in some areas and it is not unusual to still see great numbers of people in tents and temporary shelters. In Sri Lanka alone 40,000 people lost their lives ? many of them children and babies ? while one million were displaced. The rehabilitation will take a decade or more and for that we need funds.

"Although I have a background in fundraising, this sector it is extremely difficult. Each disaster is superseded by another terrible tragedy. Also people are disheartened by stories of corruption and inadequate or divisive aid allocation. There is also apparently something called 'donor fatigue' ? the cure for which is surely spending a few months in a disaster zone!"

HE added:"We would ask the public to please think again about the people in these countries and to research the track record of those charities still working there ? we have worked every single day since the tsunami ? and to have confidence in us that we are spending their money as they intended when they donated it.

"In the West we should all recognise just how privileged we are and that surely, if we are able to we should support the people of the world whose lives have been torn apart. It's that simple.

"Ironically, with just the clothes on their backs and a few treasured possessions they still find time to stop and talk and give you a smile that can light up your day. They have so much to teach us and I will spend the rest of my days attempting to repay the lessons I have learned since the tsunami."

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