"This was the first time since the Tsunami that I had seen fishermen return to cast fishing on Batticaloa lagoon. The fishermen had been unable to use their nets for fear of snagging them on the debris which had been washed into the lagoon, much of it the remains of the fishermen's own houses. With devastating impact the Tsunami had swept across the thin strand of beach which separates the lagoon from the sea, leaving more than five hundred people dead, with many of their bodies being washed into the lagoon.

These were removed in the days after the Tsunami but the debris was not completely cleared until October. Although the fishermen had begun to return to the open sea - some on new fibreglass boats donated by Oxfam - many preferred the relative safety of the lagoon.

The photograph feels quite peaceful but to get this vantage point I was perched midway on the bridge which crosses the lagoon. I'd spotted the casting nets being thrown each time we crossed the bridge and was sure there was a photograph worth getting here. The bridge is long and although there is a walkway unfortunately most of the fishermen were away on the roadside. With two of the Oxfam team shouting as lorries or buses thundered past I wedged myself between the metal girders and leant over praying the fishermen would cast quickly.

The photograph I hope captures some of the optimism of this visit which had not been there earlier in the year and the sheer courage and determination it has taken for the fishermen to return to their former lives."