Monday marked the two-year anniversary of the tsunami that hit several countries in South Asia killing thousands and destroying countless homes and other property.

DK Karunratne, who lives in State College with his wife, has visited his native Sri Lanka a number of times since the tsunami. He said its heartbreaking to see the destruction left behind.

DK's cousin and his cousin's family were killed in the tsunami. An estimated 220,000 people were swept away by waves when the tsunami hit. DK said the recovery process in Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries has been slow, but he's optimistic one day things will at least be close to normal again.

"Back home in Sri Lanka, a lot of private sector development was done well ahead of the government programs and government is still doing things," he said. "They are much longer term projects and I am sure eventually people will recover from this."

DK said that he and several other South Asian natives, who live in the State College area, continue to work on projects and provide assistance for those affected by the tsunami.