An update from David and Suzie in Sri-Lanka....
We are just back from a very bumpy car journey from Trincomalee. Left 06.00 Friday, and returned 18.00 Monday. A six hour trip each way. The area is very dismal and forlorn after being a major part of the war area for around 15 years, and now since 2002 has been under a sketchy cease fire arrangement which now and again starts up with sporadic incidents. When such incidents occur some of the local people just get up and flee north, scared for their safety. Others remain and try to get on with their lifes. On top of this the people also experienced the tsunami just over a year ago. So try to imagine the scenario in your life !!
We visited Sister Arul who with 2 other nuns have dedicated their work to helping these people in any way that they can. When we arrived we were greeted rather like royalty by the nuns. We took with us foods, fruits and milk powder, some of the things that are just not obtainable up there. We also took writing books, pens, pencils, crayons and erasers, enough for 300 children, and are grateful to the people in UK and Spain who contributed towards these items. Shortly after arrival we were taken to a building at the side of the convent which the sisters now use as a classroom for the orphaned children whom we support under the Young Hope banner. The children come every afternoon in the week for 2 hours of extra curriculum activities. We were greeted with garlands and then were shown what the children had been doing over the last few weeks. They all had come in their best clothes and were excitedly queuing to show us their English work. Up there the main language is Tamil, as most of the people are Tamils, but there is also a mix of Singhalese, and a very few know English. We then were able to give them some of the items that we had brought with us.
Suzie with the Young Hope Children
The next day we again visited with the children, looking at their work and talking to them. They gave us a concert with poems, songs and dancing. Wonderful. One of the poems was in Tamil about the tsunami. Suzie quickly asked the young girl to write it down and we are trying to get it translated into Singhalese (eventually into English) so that we can put it on our blogspot.
Such a sad and tearful occasion for both of us as we heard about the individual backgrounds of the children, BUT such a joyous time for the children as they crowded around us. Such beautiful smiles that we will always remember.
We also visited some of the homes from where the children come. In this particular case the scantily erected tent-like houses were built from coconut palm leaved and mud mainly and where possible a few sheets of corrugated iron had also been added. The site had been there since 1995, due to the refugee situation and now those affected by the tsunami were also being housed there. So all of the people really had nothing but a few pots and pans and other basic equipment which had been donated, yet at each home we received a lovely warm smile from everyone.
We also visited the Vanni area to the north of Nilvale with 3/4 villages from where the children travel, sometimes over 5/6 miles to the convent. We took our driver and van, but at a very strategic river crossing, our driver was very wary of taking his van over in case any of the LTTE tried to hijack the van. We took to a tuk tuk (three wheeled trishaw) and continued. The driver, a Muslim, said that the main road was in a very bad state, so he proposed another route. OK As we crossed the bridge we saw the signs along this roadway for mines!!
Our last visit was to a home where there were two ladies and 3 children. The fourteen year old boy, we were told, had lost both of his parents when the sea came and was suffering intensely, he wasn't able to concentrate on schooling or anything else. He was being cared for in this home by the 2 ladies. We were then told of the misfortunes that had been suffered by the mother of one of the girls where she had been raped and then took poison to kill herself. So many soul wretching stories in this one home alone.
Sounds like a heart wrenching time, David and Suzie will be back for the Curry Nite on 24th Feb to share more stories and photos.
