Nothing brings a community together like a tragedy, as the past week has shown in the Asian community in Bermuda. Since the tsunami disaster in South Asia on December 26, nationals from the effected countries have gathered almost daily in an effort to raise money for relief efforts and share news about loved ones back home.

There are currently about 1,000 Asians living and working in Bermuda and they make up about 20 percent of the workforce in restaurants, cafes, hotels and the bar industry.

Until about 15 years ago, very few Asian nationals ever came to Bermuda to work, but this trend has increased over the past few years. According to the 2000 Census, some 722 Asian nationals live and work in Bermuda as well as 395 Filipinos, making up three percent of the workforce in Bermuda.

Of these 722 Asians, some 600 had arrived in Bermuda, or returned to the Island in the past nine years.

Lawyer, Bala Nadarajah, arrived in Bermuda in 1979 when there were only five Sri Lankans living on the Island.

"Sri Lankans are an adventurous lot and because of the excellent training in the tourism industry back home, as well as the fact that they are fluent in English, we tend to travel the world," he said.

Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was previously known, was a British Colony for some 450 years.

It's also been called Serendib, Teardrop of India, Resplendent Isle, Island of Dharma and the Pearl of the Orient.

Sri Lanka, he said, is one of the most religiously and culturally diverse countries in Asia and because of this, Sri Lankans who come to Bermuda find it easy to fit in and socialise both in the community and various religious groups, although they very rarely get together to celebrate festivities back home.

Besides those working in the tourism industry, Mr. Nadarajah said there were also a large number of accountants on the Island, all working in the insurance industry.

Over the years he's seen the numbers of Sri Lankans coming to Bermuda gradually increase.

"As the demand grows, so do the numbers and I believe there are about 400 on the Island now," he said.

But most who come to the Island to work, come on their own, leaving their families back in Sri Lanka. People like Handhruwan Weerasinghe who works as a chef at La Trattoria. He lost his home in Galle in Sri Lanka, but his wife and children managed to escape.

There are a few family groups such as the Kulasiri family from Sri Lanka who live in Southampton.

Asitha Kulasiri works as a waiter at the Southampton Princess while his wife Roshini works as a secretary for Bermuda Business Services. They arrived with their son Saminda, ten, on the Island from Sri Lanka three years ago and call Bermuda home ? for now.

But family groups like the Kulasiri's are rare.

"It's too expensive," they all say and end up sharing the rent in small apartments, or live in accommodation supplied by either the restaurants and hotels in an effort to save as much money as possible. Money which most of them send home to to their families.

Many fly back to Sri Lanka before Christmas every year and return in March.

There are reports that about 100 Sri Lankans did go home for Christmas this year, but most have reported back that they were alright and would return to Bermuda in March.

But many, like Mr Weerasinghe, lost their homes.

That's when Mohammed Rafique and other Sri Lankans in Bermuda decided to establish the charity, 'Bermuda Help Sri Lanka'.

They've since raised more than $25,000 in donations and as of today the charity will have bank accounts available for donations.

Mr. Nadarajah said he had managed to contact most of his family in Sri Lanka and they had all survived the devastation.

"I have a family member who started an orphanage in Navalady, a small fishing village along Sri Lanka's east coast and was worried about him until I saw the news on CNN," he said.

His relative, Dayalan Sanders made the headlines last week when he rescued some 28 orphans from the devastating tsunami.

The Sri Lankan-born missionary and US citizen founded the Samaritan Children's Home in 1994 in Sri Lanka and on the day the wave hit, managed to get all the children to safety by boat.

Mr. Nadarajah said they have all since found temporary refuge in a tiny church, but two of their employees were still missing, presumed dead.

He said despite the tragedy of the situation, the efforts by the community to raise funds towards the relief effort was to be commended.

"The most amazing thing to come out of all of this is how the community in Bermuda has pulled together," he said.

Donations towards the 'Bemuda Help Sri Lanka Fund' can be made directly into:

The Bank of Bermuda, account number: 1501831875 for Bermudian Dollars, or 1510831875 for US Dollar donations.

Spring Garden in Washington Lane will also be hosting a fund raising dinner and dance on Saturday, January 8. Tickets are being sold at $20 a person and include a buffet dinner and all the money will be donated towards the Bermuda Help Sri Lanka Fund.

Tickets go on sale today and the restaurant can be contacted at 295-7416 for more information.

A member of the Indian community, Naveen Yousuf, is also raising money for those effected by the tsunamis in India.

Mr. Yousuf will be travelling to Nagapattinam in Southern India on January 11 and is hoping to take some monetary donations with him.

"I want to help fishermen and small businessmen get back on their feet. While the Red Cross and other relief organisations are handing out supplies, it won't help these people get back their livelihood and that's what the Indian community is hoping to achieve," he said.

Anyone who can help can contact Mr. Yousuf at 238-7372.

There are about 400 Indian nationals living in Bermuda and Mr. Yousuf hoped that many would contribute towards his efforts.

Donations towards the Bermuda Red Cross can be made directly into bank accounts on the Island. Bank of Bermuda account number: 70121565

Bank of Butterfield: 20006060401365-200

Donations to the Salvation Army can be made online at: www.salvationarmy.ca or www.salvationarmy.org