This trip to Sri Lanka has made me realize and remember that one person, one company can start a movement. Anything you set out to do, you can achieve. I did it when starting Select Travel during a depression. I started with scratch and today Select Collection is not only a travel agency for luxury travel, it's a business empire in five countries that's growing all the time and adding new services and products. The same goes for an idea with just visiting an orphanage in Negombo and now being part of building a whole new orphanage in Jaffna. Below is the out-line for the project Serendipity Orphanage, written by my friend Sonja who introduced me to the Sisters in Sri Lanka. Sonjas daughter is adopted from one of the orphanages and she has a long term connection with the Sisters. We can therefore be sure that this is a project where all the funds will go directly to the children in need. There are no over head costs, no middle hands, only us to them. A great idea that will bring a future for at least 50 children. Think about that. How often do we get the chance to do something like that? Help and have fun at the same time.
Let's get started!
Serendipity Orphanage
Bakground: Northern Sri Lanka has suffered a terrible civil war for 25 years. The war ended only in May spring 2009 and has left most parts in the northern most area of Sri Lanka as a total war zone. Casualties in the war adds up to almost 100.000, out of which tens of thousands were civilians. At the moment over 300.000 people have been put in refugee camps after the war. By October 2009 only 10% (27.000) has been “set free”. There are multiple reasons for this and it involves of course both politics and religion. In the “no fire zone” around Jaffna, there was heavy fighting just before the war ended in May, The Times and sources within UN claims that over 20.000 civilians were killed during that time. This has left the area totally devastated and destroyed, with land mines scattered all over.
I have personally had the possibility to meet with two Sisters from a Catholic Sisterhood who had travelled to one of the refugee camps in mid October 2009. They told me about the terrible conditions and the misery of the people. The problem is that they don’t even know how to handle life when they get out of the refugee camp. They get 5000 rupees (30 Euro) and a plastic bag of rations. Not so much as a tent even. There’re hardly any sanitary possibilities, the water is dirty and there are still land mines all over the place. The conditions these people are sent out to build up their life in, is total misery. There are thousands and thousands of children who don’t have either parent alive, there are children who have only one parent, but who might not be able to support them. There are handicapped children as a result of land mines when they were escaping the bombings in the “no fire zone” and had to venture into mine filled fields.
I met the High Commissioner of the Childcare and Probation Office, Mr Sarath Abaygowan. He has personally visited many of the government run children’s homes and he assured me that they are in dire need of more help everywhere.No here’s a problem. The government homes, however well they’re trying, are still very hard for us to support. There are many middle hands and there is, like in most countries, always some kind of corruption. I have very good relationship with the people at the Childcare and Probation Office and they can help in this private endeavour. In a sence it does help them as well. They are very positive towards the Sisters and their work.
These Sisters have run their first orphanage in Gampola since 1953 when it was founded by Mother Costanza from Italy, Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Sisterhood. My daughter comes from this orphanage and I have maintained a strong bond with them and also had the possibility to revisit them. These are Sisters who have dedicated their life to one single thing; to help children. They don’t own anything, they have no gain in getting anything for themselves, they only think about the children and how to help them.To form a direct bond with them gives us a chance to see our help go directly from a foundation in Sweden to the children. No middle hands, no costly administration, no spending money on excess, no spill or loss.
The Sisters are now sending three Sisters, one from Gampola, one from Nuwara Elyia and one from Negombo to this one house outside Jaffna that the bishop has given them. The house is totally blown-out so it’s not really correct to call it a house even. Still, another Sister from another Sisterhood has lived there before. The Tamil people in the area knows this and therefore orphan and displaced children has started to find their way to this “house” in search of help. Because no one is there to run it, the children are left totally to their destiny. Now the Sisters have decided to go there and start an orphanage and help these children.
First thing that has to happen is to build the house so that they can start somewhere.
Second goal is to build a dormitory for about 50 children
Third goal is to maintain the place.The first goal is less expensive than the second. The third goal will be the easiest part because these wonderful Sisters don’t take any salary, they are used to manage on their own, they are survivors and make miracles happen every day.
