Young Hope

Young Hope Curry Night - 18/11/07

2007-10-19T09:19:00.001Z

YES I hear you cry - yet another amazing night filled with curry, curry and curry!

If you've not been before, then you really must come this time - these are always well attended events partially due to the excellant curry provided by Namaste Kerala and also due to the fabulous company and the fact that as you eat you are raising money for Young Hope!

Tickets cost £15, it is a curry buffet, so all you cna eat and last time it beat us, there was fat too much food!
Venue - Namaste Kerala, Civic Centre Road, Southampton (above STA Travel)
Time - 7.30pm

Please email Priya at - priya@younghope.org to book a ticket.

Photos and tales from the trip!

2007-09-09T19:18:00.001Z

Hello!

On 28th September we will be hosting an evening to let you all know about our recent trip to Sri-Lanka, we will be sharing tales from the trip and showing photos of our children as well as letting you know what we got up to out there, working with the Young Hope projects!

We will also be selling a range of assorted goodies brought back from Sri-Lanka, some made by some of the communities supported by Young Hope. All money raised will go straight back into Young Hope. So please come and stock up on early Christmas pressies!

We plan to hold future trips out to Sri-Lanka and will be sharing some of our ideas for future projects. So we look forward to seeing you there.

Date - 28th September 2007
Venue - Central Baptist Church, Devonshire Road, Southampton.
Time - 7.30pm
Cost - suggested donation of £2.50 to cover costs.

Priya

Some picture of the Young Hope Children..more to follow!

2007-08-17T20:27:00.000Z

The children with Priya

Toys were given out to all the children - after praying over the bags of toys they multiplied so every child received a suitable toy.

The Children saying their prayers

Welcome dance

Playing cricket at the refugee camp

Some of the blessings from the trip...

2007-08-08T16:05:00.000Z

After a busy week in Trincomalee working with the Young Hope children the team have had such much needed time relaxing and seeing some of Sri-Lanka.

It has been a fantastic trip where we have really seen God provide and bless us in many ways. In the Bible there are numerous passages where the people list the ways that God has blessed them, so it feels only right to mention these blessings here...

Our journey to Trinco was amazing. We ended up having a nun travel with us which was like having a guardian angel in the van, we sailed through all the check points and made good time.
We had a wonderful van driver who stayed with us the whole week and became part of the team, he took part in all the work we did and without him we would not have completed all of the projects.
Health - considering the scope for sickness the team was blessed with good health, there were a few dodgy stomachs on a couple of days but nothing that kept us from doing the work.
Everyone within the team bonded really well and we all found our roles. It really was a team and everyone was a vital part of it. I felt very privileged to have all members of the team there. We had just the right people for the projects we were given!
During our time in Trinco we saw many army soldiers, heard shelling and gunfire, but we were kept safe from it all.
The children were amazingly open to us and this gave us the chance to really spend time with them, hug them and love them.
We had chances to pray with a number of different people including some of the childrens parents in their homes, teachers, the children, our driver and the nuns themselves.
The weather - although hot and humid it was not as hot as it had been in Trinco and it was cloudy for much of the time so we were able to get on and build walls, paint outside and garden.
A good relaxation time afterwards!

There are so many stories and photos to share, we look forward to meeting with individuals and sharing at a future curry night!

Priya

2007-08-02T13:56:00.000Z

Dear Friends,

Just a quick update on our time in Sri-Lanka for you. We have just spent a busy week up in Nilaveli, Trincomalee working on the Young Hope projects. We have been so aware of everyone’s prayers so thanks to all of you. The journey up here was so much better than expected! My great-aunt, Sister Marie De Lorette asked if she could accompany us as she wanted to visit the sisters up here, which made life a lot easier for us as having a nun with you is like travelling with an angel! Every check point we passed went smoothly and the roads which used to be full of potholes and not really roads, had been resurfaced, so we were truly blessed. Upon our arrival the team were treated as honoured guests, garlanded with flowers, a spot of honour placed on each of our foreheads and we were each asked to light a ceremonial candle. The children performed a cultural show for us with poems, songs and dances, which were brilliant.

The team has pent the week living, eating and sleeping at the convent, which is quite unusual, as men are not allowed to sleep in convents, but the nuns have been so very accommodating towards us (and there is nowhere else to stay!) We have undertaken several projects – painting 2 murals on outside walls, which look fantastic thanks to Donna and Naomi’s artistic skills and directions. The men have spent a lot of time in the garden, digging trenches around the fruit trees and clearing out the rubbish as well as building a fruit bower that Sister was very pleased with. She has only been able to get hold of one an to come 2 days a week to do odd jobs for her so was very pleased to have 4 of them for a week! The inside of the main school hall has also been freshened up with some paint.

The team have been shopping and bought each child (200 in total) new school shoes, socks, stationery and exercise books. This means that the children now all have all the equipment they need for school – without this they get sent home. We also bought dried foods so all the children could be cooked a meal on the Saturday. On Saturdays all the children come for extra classes and dancing. 3-4 times a year they receive a cooked meal, unfortunately there is not enough monwy for this to happen more often, so the rest of the year they just receive a porridge-like drink known as Kolakamda, for many this is their only food all day. This Saturday, because the Young Hope team were here, lessons were cancelled and the children did a show for us. The team then had to do a show for the children! Alun led some worship; we had a drumming workshop, face painting, stories, games and more! All finished off with a nutritious meal of rice, chicken, vegetables, lentils and poppadoms.

The team have also visited several of the areas where the 50 Young Hope sponsored children live. This has been eye opening, but good to see. Photos to follow!

25 children are now living in a residential unit attached to the convent, so the team have been able to spend a lot of time with this group – playing, singing songs and just loving them. We also had the immense privilege of praying with the nuns, after a time of worship we were able to ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill them and they were incredibly touched by this.

We now head down South for a bit of a break and are looking forward to catching up with you all soon and sharing more of our experiences out here.

Priya xx

5 days to go!

2007-07-07T07:53:00.000Z

Priya and Suzie leave for Sri-Lanka in just 5 days, they go our ahead of the rest of the team to prepare and to attend a family wedding. The rest of the team join them on the 22nd July.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially regarding:

Safe journey
Safety whilst out there
That final preparations go well - life has been very hectic and certainly Priya is running around like a headless chicken trying to pack!
For time to rest, recover and prepare before the team arrive

Many, many thanks to all of you who have donated extra monies in the past few weeks, it has just been amazing. We have over £2000 to take out now which will make such a difference.

We also have some new sponsors which means for the first time we have the right number of sponors we need and can ask for some more children who need a sponsor!

I will be updating the blog as we are out in Sri-Lanka so please keep logging in or set up an email alert for when there are new posts.

Thanks for all your support

Priya xxxx

2007-06-20T07:39:00.000Z

Spicy Sri-Lankan curry on the Costa

Guess what? Yes another curry night. This time in Spain on the Costa del Sol.

60 guests and 9 workers were fed with yet another selection of curries that cannot be bought on this costa. Young Hope received an amazing profit of 1300 euro which will be taken out on the trip that Suzie, Priya and team have planned for July 2007. Sister Arul has requested some more bikes for the children and we will now able to purchase at least 10 bikes. Each bike costs around 100 pounds as they are imported into the Island.

We will also be looking into some self help projects to get some of these families into work. We have asked one family to make 300 coconut spoons with wooden handles. We plan to buy these items and sell them to you our supporters and create some employment.

Finally a huge thank you to everyone who helped to make this evening a success.

Suzie

Young Hope Trip to Sri-Lanka

2007-06-04T15:25:00.000Z

As some of you may know a team of us are going out to Sri-Lanka this summer to work with the Young Hope projects. We would really value your prayers and there are a couple of practical things you can also do to help.

The team going is Alun, Donna and Naomi, my mum, dad and sister and myself and James. The whole team will be out there from 21st July – 10th August however my mum, sister and myself will be there from 12th July. We plan to spend about a week in Trincomalee working with the Young Hope project and the children up there. The idea is to spend time with them, show them our love and have some fun! We aim to take equipment up with us so we can have a sports day with them (they love cricket out there), take them on picnics, do some art/craft activities etc… We also want to see what practical ways we can help both now and in the future, a new building for residential care has just been built and us likely to need a lot of decorating and furnishing. This is an initial trip and the hope is to build on it in the future, with other teams going out.

The nuns up there have also asked that we spend some time teaching them about the Holy Spirit – which is very exciting, so we shall be doing that. We have a copy of the Alpha DVDS donated from HTB to take with us.

We also plan to visit Galle, down the South of the country where we have previously supported 2 communities with cooking utensils, sewing machine projects, fishing nets and generally helping them get back on their feet. This area is now doing much better so it will be good to see how things have progressed.

We are taking out all the money we have raised from a number of fund raising events that have gone on over the past 6 months. We want to spend the money out there to help the economy and also money goes a lot further out there than over here!

So how can you help?

Practical Ways:
Donate any small cuddly toys you may no longer need.
Creative people – some ideas and plans of craft/art activities we can do with the children would be great.
Any ideas of fun things to do with a crowd of children who don’t speak much English would also be great.
If you have Christian CD’s or easy to read books that may be good to give away then we’d love to see them!
Donations of money are of course always brilliant as well.

Prayer Requests:
For safe travel and good health there, back and all around the country.
At present Trincomalee has slipped out of peace talks and some fighting has restarted. We would value prayer that when we go out we are able to safely get up to Trincomalee and have Gods protection on us.
For wisdom on the best ways to use the money donated.
For a successful trip!

Priya xx

A hot time in Totland!

2007-05-08T17:45:00.000Z

The Isle of Wight curry nite was a great success, a room full of people and plenty of curry - what can possibly go wrong?! The team made £700 for Young Hope, a fantastic result. We also have 3 new sponsors - so welcome to them.
Many thanks to all who went and supported this evening. Below is an extract of an article written by one of the organisers....
Priya

A curry evening was organised on Friday May 4th at the Holy Family Centre, adjacent to St. Saviour parish church in Totland. More than 50 guests and helpers sat down to a menu that included a choice of six different and delicious Sri Lankan curries.

Happy curry munchers queue up for their fill.....

The event was to raise money for ‘Young Hope’. Thanks to a triumph of logistical organisation and the generosity of supporters, almost £700 was raised.

‘Young Hope’ was established, initially, to provide refuge and food for children orphaned by the effects of the tsunami disaster. But the area in which the charity operates has become a war zone and so the work has developed to include young people affected by this bitter, civil war.

All money raised to support this project goes directly to the Sri-Lanka either in cash or as goods that are needed urgently. Suzie and Priya are scheduled to visit the area again in July to offer further support and to set up a summer camp for the children.

The workers in the kitchen...

Young Hope Cury Nite IOW

2007-04-04T15:03:00.000Z

There will be a Young Hope Curry Night on 4th May, 7.30pm at Holy Family Hall, St Saviours, Totland, Isle of Wight. Price £12.50.
Contact younghope2005@yahoo.com for more details.

Curry Success!

2007-02-27T22:21:00.000Z

Young Hope Curry Night - 11th Feb 2007

On 11th Feb we held another Young Hope curry night, although this time with a slight difference, Priya didn’t have to cook! Wow –what an amazing turnout we had, thankyou so much to all of you who came and to those of you who couldn’t come but donated some money. Over 50 people came in the end and it was amazing for me to look round the room and only recognise half the people! So a real tribute to all of you who invited friends and work colleagues. The Neamaste Kerala did a fantastic job and kept up a steady stream of superb curries that even my grandmother would have been happy to eat! Many people commented on how different he curry was compared to other curry houses - the South Indian influence!

In total we raised just over £600, which will go to buy goods for out trip to Sri-Lanka in the summer. A team of 8 of us are going out to work with the Young Hope projects. Several people also became new sponsors, which has been a real help to our monthly support for the children.

I can’t thank you enough for all your support; it really is making a difference. We plan to hold another curry night on our return from Sri-Lanka to update you on all the projects and show what we used the money for. We also hope to fit in another fundraising event before we go and IU know a few of you are also planning some events of your own – Thankyou!

Priya

Southampton Curry Night

2007-01-25T10:07:00.000Z

We are hosting another Curry Nite - hooray!

This time it is to raise money to take out on a mission trip to Sri-Lanka. A group of us are going on in July 2007 to work with the Young hope children and help in any way we can. We plan to take food out to them, run some fun sessions for the children, take up sports equipment, help in practical ways such as painting and more!

This curry nite will be slightly different. The Nemaste Kerala restaurant are providing a buffet for us - it is still very authentic as it is a South Indian restaurant and I can vouch the food is fantastic! We have a choice of 3 starters, then 2 meat curries and 2 vegetable curries with rice and naan bread. Drinks can be purchased from the bar. As we are not cooking ourselves the cost has increased, but don't forget that this is a charity event all profits go straight to Sri-Lanka. Please invite all friends, colleagues, neighbours etc... It is sure to be a fantastic evening.

Ticket prices are £17.50 a head.
Date Sunday 11th Feb 7.30pm
Venue - Namaste Kerala, Civic Centre Road, Southampton (above STA travel).

Please contact me to make a booking - younghope2005@yahoo.co.uk

Priya

Letter from Sister Arul in Trincomalee

2007-01-16T15:43:00.000Z

We have just received a letter of Thanks from sister Arul who looks after our children in Trincomalee. We have typed it in just as it was written. Please continue to pray for them as the war has become more intense and food is scarce. Get in touch with Priya or Suzie for more info.

" Dear Mr & Mrs David - Suzie - Priya
and all of the sponsors,

Loving greetings in the Lord !!!
During this special season may our Christ the Lord shower His choicest blessings on you all.
Thanks for the gift of rupees 20,000. I will spend it for the food of the children.
I am sure you must have received our wishes and photos. We hope to start the residential care in January - for the children who need urgently - we will start with 25 and add little by little.
Thanks a lot for all your prayers blessings, care and concern. Because of your prayers we have strength & courage to do His mission !
Once again our loving wishes. We are waiting for your kind visit.Our children will be thrilled to receive you. Hope all these disturbences will come to an end. May our good Lord bless you and keep you under His loving care.
God bless
yours lovingly
Sr Arul Mary "

Young Hope Newsletter

2006-12-10T11:47:00.000Z

Hello everyone, the updated Young Hope Newsletter is now out and if you have not received a copy please contact Priya in the UK or Suzie in Spain. On your behalf we have sent an extra donation of 100 pounds to enable the nuns to cook a simple meal for all the children during the Christmas period. So thank you for all the extra donations that you send our way.

To answer the most common question - YES we are taking a team out to Sri-Lanka in the summer of 2007. Again if you would like more details of our trip please get in touch with us.

We would like to wish all our supporters a very Happy and Joyful Christmas, as you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. He is the reason for the season!

Just heard that the Isle of Wight, Totland are planning a cake sale in the New year. Will let you know more details so you can support it. Do get in touch with us in the New Year and let us know of your fund raising ideas. We will try to help you in anyway we can. We wish you all God's abundant Blessing for the New Year.

Priya and Suzie

Impending War

2006-08-02T09:36:00.000Z

Our children in Trincomalee live under the threat of war daily and as a result the daily necessities such as basic food become scarce. Please pray for the children and those who have given their lives to look after them. The nuns ask us to pray for a way forward to have a lasting peace in the land. Suzie has spoken with Sister Arul today. Below are some bullet points to give a glimpse of thier situation. Those with access to internet can see the full story on www.lankanewspapers.com

It seems like the Norwegians are about to pull out of their involvement with the peace talks as they are now concerned about their own safety.

There are the usual landmines and bombs still causing disruption to roads, water supplies, and everyday living, causing over 800 deaths this year.
The president, Mahinda, has been talking to India about the current situation and security measures within S.L
An army bus was ambushed by the tigers in Trincomalee and 18 army personel are feared dead. This the area our children are in.
August 1st the terrorists attacked a Naval vessel carrying 850 unarmed navel passengers as they were entering Trincomalee. Although 3 boats were destroyed no one was killed.
August 2nd - fierce shelling was reported early morning in the Trincomalee district where the Tamil Tigers are stated to have overrun 4 of the Sri Lankan army´s outposts.

The nuns continually thank all those who make it possible for them to feed and educate the children that manage to get to them. There is the constant fear of death. The new school room building begun last year is still unfinished as the workers are afraid to come to work and materials needed cannot be bought. There is also a problem with water being scarce. The sisters are trying to dig a well in order to provide for the children. Many families live under such high levels of fear that shelling, curfew and death bring. However the sisters say that knowing you care brings them hope in a hopeless situation. Suzie is in regular contact with Galle and Trincomalee.

Spainish Curry Nite!

2006-06-20T18:36:00.000Z

What is probably the very first Sri Lankan Curry Night was held on the Costa del Sol last Saturday. The event was held at the Mijas Bowls Club and Young Hope, hosted 65 people to an evening of taste bud excitement discovering the delights of Sri Lankan cooking. The evening was complemented by the barbershop singing of the Costa Chordbusters. Between courses Suzie updated the gathering with the latest news from Sister Arul in Trincomalee, who looks after the needs of the children. She stated that because of the uncertainty of the situation in the north of the island due to the broken cease fire food is becoming scarcer. There are an extra 100 children to look after at present due to the war, many travel 6 miles a day to school on an empty stomach.

The event raised over 900 euros for the project. Some of this money will be spent in Galle, furthering the cottage industry projects that Young Hope have supported in the past such as the purchase of sewing machines. Some of the money will also go to provide some musical instruments for the Children in Trincomalee as well as provide the extra food needed during this difficult war.

Sewing Project

2006-05-23T17:31:00.000Z

Sister Alex in Galle has been supporting the ladies in the community by setting up a sewing project. Young Hope has been helping her buy sewing machines and materials. With a machine and the right skills the ladies can earn a living. thjis is especially helpful for ladies who have children to support and no husband due to the Tsunami.

Through Sister Alex, Young Hope has helped several families buy sewing machines. There is also now a tailoring calss where the ladies can improve their sewing skills. Here are some photos os the sewing machines we have been able to buy and the tailoring classes in action!

Sewing machines cost about £50 to set up. If you would like to get involved with this project please let us know.

Priya

CURRY ALERT!!!

2006-05-23T17:26:00.000Z

June 3rd is the date of the next Young Hope Curry Nite. This time the venue is Spain! So if you are in Spain get you tickets now from Suzie, if not sorry!

If you are interested in hosting a Curry Nite or a fundraising event please let us know.

Priya

Prayer Requests

2006-04-28T08:07:00.000Z

Dear All - please read the blurb below and pray - for those who don't know this Sister Arul is the nun looking after the Young Hope project with all the orphans and children in Sri-Lanka. The area is in civil war once again and things are not good for the children living there.

Thanks for your prayer, Priya xxx

My mum has just spoken with Sister Arul in Sri-Lanka. They are in a very difficult situation of war footing. For the past month it has felt like being in a prison said sister, as they are not allowed to travel and so are running out of food. Even the banks are not open for more than one hour a day, that’s if you can get to one. Daily the area is under attack with much shelling and many deaths. The children come to them in fear asking the sisters for advice and the sisters are unable to give any. Many families are fleeing in fear and are being displaced.

PLEASE PRAY
For a lasting peace in this land.
For the safety of the Sisters and the children
For the prevention of the older children being forced into joining in the fighting
For the families that have no choice but to flee as their huts are being shelled.
For the continued courage of Sister Arul and the two other nuns who are bravely standing firm offering Love and support to all around them.
The sisters are very certain of God’s hand on their lives and that God has sustained them and will carry on to meet their needs. They are grateful to all those who join us in praying for them regularly and feel that God will bring about His mighty miracle in answer to all our prayers. These women are mighty warriors of FAITH. We praise God for them.

Problems with peace talks

2006-04-25T08:37:00.000Z

The following is taken form lanaknewspapers and shows the sitiuation in Sri-Lanka at present. Many people are being killed just whilst going around their daily lives. Please pray for the safety of the nuns and children in Trincomalle where a lot of this fighting is occurring.

Sri Lanka`s Tamil Tiger rebels pulled out of peace talks indefinitely on Thursday, saying the island was heading for war and dashing hopes that a Norwegian peace mission could stem rising violence. About 80 people have been killed in the past two weeks in a series of suspected Tiger attacks, ethnic riots and unsolved murders which the two sides blame on each other. Talks due to take place in Switzerland next week had been seen as the best chance to reduce tension, but the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said on Thursday they would not attend until `normality` returned. `We are not in a position to attend the Geneva talks on the currently decided dates under the present environment,` head of the LTTE political wing S.P. Thamilselvan told reporters. `It is the government that is creating a war-like situation and pushing us towards war.`

Priya

News... Bombs near Trinco

2006-04-11T20:13:00.000Z

Below is an excerpt from the BBC news website...

Two Britons are thought to have been injured after a bus hit a mine in north-eastern Sri Lanka.
The British tourists had been travelling in another vehicle. The bus was carrying troops from Trincomalee. The Foreign Office said the Britons did not have life-threatening injuries and the bus had veered into their minibus. Officials in Sri Lanka have blamed the blast on Tamil rebels.
The bus attack took place as the vehicle travelled from the port town of Trincomalee to Colombo, according to a military spokesman. According to the Foreign Office, the injured Britons had been travelling with a Sri Lankan and another Briton in a minibus when the bus veered into them.

Scary reading as this is the way we would normally travel to Trinco - this shows how unsafe things really are out there at the moment.

Priya

Update on the situation near Trinco

2006-03-25T14:32:00.000Z

Below is an update on the situation in Sri-Lanka, very near Tricomalee where our Young Hope children are. This shows how desperate things are out there are how much they need our help. Priya

Abductions worry Sri-Lankan students
Taken from the BBC news Website (http://news.bbc.co.uk)

Four years ago the Tamil Tigers agreed a ceasefire with the Sri Lankan government, but talks aimed at ending the violence forever and solving the island's political problems have yet to make a breakthrough. In eastern Sri Lanka there is an uneasy peace.

In the town of Valaichchenai swarms of children in immaculate white uniforms are on their way to school. The students are afraid - the parents are also afraid to send their pupils to school.
Glimpses of Sri Lanka's uneasy peace are everywhere, from the neon tea shops next door to military checkpoints that bristle with guns, to the Buddhist shrines hemmed in by razor wire at the side of the road.

But here in the east of the country, tension is higher than usual. A number of abductions, some involving children, have been reported in recent weeks.
"Someone came in a white van and took them," one of the teachers at the Valaichchenai Hindu College tells me.
In this case, the two 15-year-old pupils were returned to their families the next day. But people are nervous.
"In this situation the students are afraid. The parents are also afraid to send their pupils to school," the teacher says.
'We are scared'
In the playground a group of boys admits to being worried.
"Yes, we are scared of being kidnapped," one tells me. "As long as we're in the school premises we're OK, but it's going out that frightens us."
The 2002 ceasefire was meant to have put a stop to all child abductions.

The Tamil Tiger rebels say they no longer abduct children to fight
The Tamil Tigers have used abducted child soldiers in their fight for an independent homeland, but say they have ended the practice. However, the UN children's agency, Unicef, estimates more than a thousand children are still in the rebels' ranks. The Tigers deny involvement and say the abductions are being carried out by a rival paramilitary group being sheltered by the Sri Lankan army. Christina de Bruin runs the Unicef mission in Batticaloa which aims to monitor the recruitment of child soldiers, and facilitate the return to their families.
"Unicef is very concerned, especially over the last two weeks when we can see an increase of reports of abductions taking place in government controlled areas," she says.
Welcoming the quick return of the two pupils from Valaichchenai she adds: "Recently two children were fortunately released, but the practice is definitely on the increase and I think we can see an increase of fear."

In the paddy fields on the outskirts of Batticaloa, six workers, including children aged 14 and 16, were recently reported to have been abducted. It is clear that those still working here are terrified they might be next. One man, busy preparing the soil on an area recently declared free of mines, has lost many relatives over the years. "When people go into the jungle to bring some wood or sticks to burn, they disappear," he says.

Curry Nite

2006-02-25T14:25:00.000Z

The curry nite was a great success - thanks to all who came and supported Young Hope. We even had three people who braved the seas and came all the way from the Isle of Wight.

There were a selection of curries - chicken, pork, parripu, vegetetable, pakoras, roti.... and the list goes on, what more could you ask for!

Suzie gave a brief talk on her trip to Sri-Lanka (unfortunately David was ill and had to stay at home). Suzie updated us on the situtaion in trincomallee -fighting has restarted out there which has affected the Young Hope project. Many families have fled the area in fear therefore some of the children being sponsored have changed. Therefore some people may be updated with a new child's photo soon. All the children will still continue to have their own bank accounts and are likely to return to the area in a few months.

The Young Hope project in Trinco currently sponsors 40 children, however this money actually supports 300 children! The 40 sponsored have the added benefit of a bank account, which Sister Arul will help them manage when they turn 18. So please think about sponsoring another child - it can change their futures.

There were also a variety of items for sale brought back from Sri-Lanka, many items handmade by people in projects supported by Young hope and Asha Trust. We sold a number of cards, bags, spice packets, coconut spoons and even a t-shirt! See picture below

All in all a great evening, raising over £400 for Young Hope.

Return from Sri-Lanka

2006-02-25T14:17:00.000Z

David and Suzie have returned from Sri-Lanka, tired but happy.

Upate on David's health..... the gout appeared to be a result of dehydration and has now cleared up. Unforunately he also sufferered an allergic reaction to the washing powder and was very itchy for a bit! On arrival in England he also got a tummy bug, so is now looking forward to going home.

The trip was difficult but very exciting, we saw and learnt alot. The highlight had to be meeting all the children and visiting all their homes. Suzie had a desire to eat rambutang and althought it was out of season, we found a huge barrel load and feasted on it! Suzie also wanted to see waterfalls - and in our three day holiday in Ella, we saw 2 beautiful waterfalls. So God was good!

Looking forward to showing you all the photos.

Suzie.

The Tsunami Song

2006-02-03T15:08:00.000Z

The Tsunami Song - written by one of the Young Hope children, translated by a family friend.

My heart will tell a story.
It is a true story which showed God's wrath on this world.

In the month of December,
A month which is sacred and pure,
Which we only symbolise externally by clothing & also show obedience by abstinence.
There was a large noise and I heard it.
The noise of tsunami at this time, which destroyed us totally in a few seconds.

God save me, God please save all of us.
Save us from the giant waves.

Our bodies were destroyed snd we felt the sorrow.

What is the meaning of tsunami ?
It finished all of us eternally.

Our land, weather, houses and even our gardens were destroyed.
That salty water swallowed our nation.
Our nation changed totally.
Those waves hit us eternally.
We were all destroyed.

Our neighbours, cousins, relatives were taken from us.
That moment eternally destroyed us and went off.
My heart wiul tell a story.
It is a true story which showed God's wrath on this world.

The marvels of technology!

2006-01-31T13:10:00.000Z

Spoke to Dad today across the internet using Skype. Fortunately I have some marvellous cousins out there who are all up to date with technology and so I was able to go through their set up and talk to Dad.

They are both very tired from the trip to Trinco, but felt it very worthwhile. Dad has been suffering from some gout recently, so prayer would be great for that. Apart from that they are both well. Their time seems to be flying by.

They are also enjoying spending time with family and have been to several family parties etc...

Their next plans are to go to Dambulla at the weekend for Independance Day and they may spend some time in Colombo for the Perehera (a Sri-Lankan festival, a bit like a street parade or carnival with drums, dancing and elephants!).

Priya

The Trinco Trip

2006-01-31T13:05:00.000Z

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.

Update of Trinco trip

2006-01-23T11:21:00.000Z

Update from David and Suzie....

We will be leaving for Trinco on the 27th. We have found a tamil driver and a van, however the peace talks have not gone as well and there have been many shootings etc... We still have perfect peace but realise that we cannot be complacent and need to keep asking God for His protection and Guidence. We hope to stay in Trinco as long as we are needed. Again we need wisdom and discernment. Have been to Galle and delivered food parcels to 100 in a temporary camp. Nearly brought a Baby home with me.........

Things seem to be going well for them, they have been staying with some family in Colombo and building relationships with them and have been to visit the Young Hope community in Galle. Lets hope mum doesn't bring another baby home with her!

Priya

David and Suzie leave for Sri-Lanka!

2006-01-23T11:11:00.000Z

15th January - David and Suzie have just left for a 1 month trip to Sri-Lanka. I have just dropped them off at the airport. They have bags and bags of luggage and a long flight ahead of them. Although Suzie is Sri-Lankan, they have nto been back to the country for 17 years!! So this will be a momentous journey - to catch up with relatives, see how the country has changed, try to remember how to speak the language and to see the impact of the Tsunami.

Fighting has been happening once again in Trincomallee, so we still have to wait and see if they can visit the project up there. They also plan to visit the community in Galle and see how things are progressing and how Young Hope can best help.

Please think and pray for them:

for their safe journey
that they manage to visit Trinco
that they will deal with all the emotions of the visit
that they will fall in love once again with a beautiful country

I will post updates as I receive them. but technology out there is not great, and my parents grasp of e-mail is also not great!

Blessings,

Priya

About Young Hope

2006-01-23T10:56:00.000Z

The Tsunami on 26th December 2004 had a major impact on Sri-Lanka leaving many homeless, without any way of earning money and many children without parents. Young Hope was set up to reach out to these people, raising awareness of their situation and money to help them.

In March 2005 Priya went out to Sri-Lanka to see the devastation caused by the Tsunami. Through this trip 2 communities were placed on her heart and Young Hope aims to support these people and more who may need help. Suzie Malt has helped Priya develop this project and they now run it between the 2 of them.

The first community is in Galle where a group of nuns are providing food, clothing and supplies to those who have lost everything. The sisters are trying to help these people rebuild their lives and start earning money again. Young Hope has helped them buy food, sewing machines, bicycles and fishing nets.

Delivering aid to the community in Galle

The second community is is Trincomalle - an area ravanged by war and fighting and then further devastated by the Tsunami. Here Sister Arul works with a group of over 300 children, many of whom are orphaned. She ensures they can get to school, help provide extra tuition for them, has built a building for them to do their homework in, provides a hot meal at the weekends and looks after their well-being. Young Hope provides sponsorship for 40 of these children at the moment. Additional money raised has been used to buy a C.D player for the building, some toys, desks and for Sister Arul to take the children on picnics.
So this is our blog spot, a chance to learn about Young Hope and how to help Sri-Lanka!

Welcome.

Priya and Suzie

Young Hope

Young Hope Curry Night - 18/11/07

Sponsored Walk - completed!

Photos and tales from the trip!

Sponsored Walk!

Some picture of the Young Hope Children..more to follow!

Some of the blessings from the trip...

5 days to go!

Young Hope Trip to Sri-Lanka

A hot time in Totland!

Young Hope Cury Nite IOW

Curry Success!

Southampton Curry Night

Letter from Sister Arul in Trincomalee

Young Hope Newsletter

Impending War

Spainish Curry Nite!

Sewing Project

CURRY ALERT!!!

Prayer Requests

Problems with peace talks

News... Bombs near Trinco

Update on the situation near Trinco

Curry Nite

Return from Sri-Lanka

The Tsunami Song

The marvels of technology!

The Trinco Trip

Update of Trinco trip

David and Suzie leave for Sri-Lanka!

About Young Hope