Reisverslag 2006

(if I use the word "we", I talk about myself and Gamini)

The packing up and sending of the 350 boxes was not great fun.A certain Andrew Pieris, working for the police force in Alkmaar and himself a Sri Lankan,promised to help us to get the boxes through customs. However when it came to the trial he didn't prove his promises. The case is too complex to go into details. So, I go on with my report....

First to Colombo, where a firm (Appoint) from the Netherlands, supports a children home. Later on I went with the children and companions on an outing during one afternoon. The children were allowed to buy shoes by them selves,after that they had something to eat and drinks and a take-away meal. It was marvellous to see how the children and the girls enjoyed themselves while being allowed to make a choice for themselves. And, by the way, we already talked about next year (2007) and what they would like to do than.
The elderly women received fabrics -chosen by themselves- to make their own dresses. This project is being supported by Appoint at Amsterdam and I am the one who accompanies the project.

After that to Kandy. Here we did different things. First we visited a primary/secondary school, for the 2nd year. Together with the English teachers we went to buy English books. They also received 2 white-boards plus felt tips etc.
In case we do have sufficient money next year(2007) we will put into place new water closets. Besides that I visited several times Singhita home. This is a home where children live, placed there by a Judge, children from divorced parents, neglected children and abused children. With the help of De Ark,a primary school in Heemstede, this home has been able to buy a washing-machine, paint for the new kitchen ,t-shirts and ..furthermore we have given them educational materials.

After that we went to the mountainous part of Sri Lanka.There you find enormous waterfalls and tea plantations. The most well known place is Nuwara Eliya. We had with us 30 boxes with winter clothing. It was prepared by the monk. Upon arrival we were paid homage with a flower chain and a speech. I myself, at such moments, do feel very small. I was impressed by the organisation. All men helped to carry the boxes. Later on a handful of clothes were given to each family.. All was neatly administered and there were 300 families in this village and every one received something.
Furthermore they started to build a community centre, however more than the grass and a few little poles was all they could show us, but that they showed us very proudly. I wish I could have done more!!!!

Later on the same day we travelled to the monk (2 hours into the mountains) and we stayed there 2 days. We visited another 4 infant schools. One of them is situated on the mountainous compound of the largest farm of Sri Lanka.You see a lot of cows walking around(a strange sight for us Dutch) and there live a lot of Tamils in this area , they have to work very hard in the cold. And for a shameful pay.

Back in Kandy we were invited to the celebrations of the Singaleze New Years party. It was given later so I could be present. This school we have supported during the past 3 years and they have sufficient now. After a "thank you"-speech, which I didn't understand of course, a few sentences were translated- there was a feast. It is fun to see that children all over the world play the same games. We also visited 3 other infant schools.

There was another request to finance the roof of the house of the poorest family in one of the villages. The village people together bought the stone works, the roof was too much.
Don't forget that all these people are poor. So we helped this family by giving them 2/3 of the money they needed. We never give the entire amount, but part of it. Thereby you give people the feeling of one's own worth and are they not a case of charity.

Succes - an orphanage for 30 girls - I visit every year. We supply them with food with keeping qualities and the girls a present, but also soap, shampoo, toothpaste/brush and panty liners. The eldest among them do speak a little English and with them I have a conversation. That's fun!! These girls are Singalese or Tamil and have different religions. It's a mix. It should be like that everywhere.

The last 5 days we went to the East, for the 2nd consecutive year. This of course with other people who help out, so they have a holiday, a chance they don't normally have and in the mean time they help me out. We always stay at Aragum bay close to Pottuvil. Here we helped 4 infant schools with educational materials and we all gave them soap, toothbrush and paste and an lolly.
We gave the park guards in Yale Park books about nature. Very simple but very handy. After the Tsunami they lost all their books and the ones we gave were needed badly. Besides we took a bed with us and gave that away. And 15 boxes with kitchen utensils, pans, cutlery etc.etc. This we finally divided over 5 boxes. After some questioning the people informed us about the 5 poorest hotels and there we left the articles. Regularly I visited the kitchens and am impressed what people can do with little means. What impressed me most is that the people of Sri Lanka do not think about their needs in the first place, but who is the most needy, whilst I think they all are poor or poorer than poor. The people of Sri Lanka have stolen my heart. Furthermore we have helped a family whose man and father is in jail(in justly). People in the village asked us to help the wife. We did so. Toys for the kids, pans, clothes and money for a roof. So she can receive guests - she has a very primitive little hotel- and cook without having to deal with a leaking roof. This means more income. In this way you help people to start again. On the day of our departure one of the errand-boys from the little hotel asked us where all the duds and togs went to. After our answer he asked why he did not get anything. He said the following: it looks maybe that I am doing well, however I have only one sweater and one pair of trousers, the rest was lost and with the little money I earn I cannot buy anything. Unfortunately we did not have much left however we gave him a big towel and the kitchen a big pan. I thought at that moment' we have to carry on'. Be it just for the common people who need small things, clothing, school items or something else. The commoner, man, woman and child in the street.

On the way to 2007.