A STAFF member at a Chandler's Ford secondary school is facing an emotional return to her tsunami-hit homeland.

Maths teacher Himaly Makewita, who has been at Toynbee School since September, is travelling to Sri Lanka for a two-week break with her family.

The 40-year-old had the heartbreak of not knowing whether her parents and sister were alive after the disaster struck across southern Asia on Boxing Day. Eventually she discovered her family was safe and well, although she lost many friends, including old school pals.

She says the support and warmth of pupils and staff at Toynbee School helped her through the most harrowing time of her life.

As soon as they returned from their Christmas holidays, pupils and staff were rallying round to support Himaly. They launched a fundraising programme, including a talent show, a slave auction where staff were auctioned to pupils for menial duties, and traditional Sri Lankan food, prepared by Himaly, was sold.

About £3,000 was raised for the disaster appeal.

Himaly said: "The school has been so good and this has made me think this is my home."

During her break, Himaly will be seeing how Sri Lanka is recovering from the tsunami disaster.

Her parents, Hubert and Prema Rodrigo, and sister Nimaly Gunatilleka, live on the west coast and were not caught up in the tsunami, which claimed up to 31,000 lives in Sri Lanka.

Himaly said: "When I heard on December 26 about the tsunami and what had happened to Sri Lanka my reaction was terrible shock. I tried to contact my parents and sister.

"I managed to contact my mother-in-law in Sri Lanka but she could not even get hold of my parents. I was really scared and then all of a sudden all the phone lines got disconnected and I could not get hold of anyone."

Himaly said presents lay unwrapped under her Christmas tree and she stayed in her bedroom because she could not bear to hear the news coming out of the disaster area. Then at about midnight on December 29 she was finally able to get through to her parents.

She said: "When I heard my father's voice I paused and said 'thank God'."

Her parents and sister had been helping and providing food for those survivors who had been sent to safe areas.