Sri Lankan actor and musician GK Reginold navigates a small craft through flooded neighborhoods, aiming to bring essential supplies to those in urgent circumstances.
Many families, Mr Reginold says, have gone without help for days, cut off by the country's most severe natural catastrophe in recent years.
Cyclone Ditwah struck the country last week, causing widespread destruction that killed more than 400 people, left hundreds unaccounted for and leveled 20,000 homes.
But the flooding has also sparked a rise in volunteerism, as people face what the president has described as the "most challenging natural disaster" in its history.
"My primary motivation why I wanted to do this, is to at least help them to have one meal," he shares. "And I was so happy that I was able to do that."
More than one million people have been affected by the disaster and a state of emergency has been declared.
The armed forces has deployed helicopters for search and rescue, while relief assistance is arriving from international partners and non-governmental organisations.
But it will be a long journey to rebuild for Sri Lanka, which has seen its fair share of difficulties in recent years.
Activists Pitch In at Community Kitchen
In a Colombo suburb, individuals who protested in 2022 are now operating a community kitchen that produces food aid.
The protests from three years ago were driven by a severe economic downturn that caused lack of fuel, food and medicine. Public anger erupted and led to political change. Now, that political activism is being channelled toward cyclone relief.
"People came after work, some rotated shifts and some even took leave to be there," one organizer explains.
"We mobilized our network as soon as we heard what was happening last Thursday," he says.
The organizer also views the kitchen as an "extension" of his community service in 2016, when heavy rains and floods affected hundreds across the country.
The team have compiled hundreds of requests for help, shared them to authorities, and managed the delivery of food.
"Every request we made, we got an overwhelming amount in response from the community," he says.
Online Campaigns for Aid
A flurry of activity is also happening on the internet, where netizens have created a public database to channel resources and helpers.
Another volunteer-backed website helps supporters find relief camps and see what is in highest demand in those areas.
Local businesses have organized donation drives, while media outlets have initiated an effort to provide food and basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes.
Amid criticism over the management of preparations, the president has urged citizens to "set aside all political differences" and "come together to restore the nation".
Critics have claimed authorities of ignoring weather warnings, which they say worsened the disaster's impact.
Recently, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in parliament, claiming that the ruling party was trying to limit debate on the disaster.
In affected communities, however, there remains a feeling of togetherness as people begin the cleanup after the floods.
"Ultimately, the satisfaction of helping someone else to save lives makes that tiredness fade," the organizer wrote after putting in long hours at aid centers.
"Disasters are not new to us. But, the empathy and capacity of our hearts is greater than the destruction that occurs during a disaster."
