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Ceylon Christian Care |
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News |
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At this moment we stay at the project of Ceylon Christian Care in Periyaneelavanai on the east coast of Sri Lanka. Last Saturday we arrived. Today, Tuesday Aug 8th, our last day on the project, we like to visit the village Murokkodanchenai. In this village Ceylon Christian Care has a community development project to help 450 families who are living under extreme poverty conditions. At 6:30 in the morning we (Bert, Paul and Arjo) first go for a swim to the ocean. At 7:30 we have our breakfast and at 8:00 we leave to Murokkodanchenai, a trip of approx. 2 hours. In the villages we pass there is nobody on the street and all shops are closed. The tension is touchable. We meet many big cars of NGO’s with white flags like U.N., Terres des Hommes, Unicef and ZOA. In Batticaloa pastor Salomon joins our bus. He directs us to the village. Close to the village our bus starts bumping. We stop and inspection learns that one of the shock absorbers is damaged. This does not wonder us because the road conditions are very bad. We decide to continue our journey driving more carefully. Along small sandy roads we arrive at Murokkodanchenai a village were most people earn their income with fishing. The people welcome us with fireworks and a big banner with the text “Welcome friends from the Netherlands”. As visitors we get a garland of flowers. Some months ago a local marketplace was opened. Here the villagers can sell there fish, vegetables and fruit. Before, these people had to walk for 5 km through dangerous areas to buy these goods. At the marketplace we also see the rickshaw sponsored by De Jong International Transport from Leerbroek, the Netherlands. While walking on the sandy roads through the village we see two bullock cars. Many wimen and girls have dots between their eyes. Depending on the colour of the dot, you can see if they is commited to someone or not. Maried wimen also have a big red dot on their forehead.
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The people in this village live in huts made of palm leaves. The people are very poor. Part of the program of the community development project is to build water pits and toilets for every family. The first pits and toilets are ready now. A pit is 6 meters deep. The risk when digging deeper is that the water will be brackish. For hygiene and contamination reasons the distance between a pit and a toilet has to be at least 20 meters. If everything goes according plan, all families will have their own toilet and water pit by next year. Each toilet costs 33.000 Rupees, what is approximately 250 euro. |
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A women beside a new water pit |
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Toilet and septic tank |
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The people of this village can also get micro credits (small loans) for setting up small businesses. One of the villagers has received a micro credit and bought some chickens. Goal is to sell the eggs. Every week a part of the loan can be paid back. If they do this well, only 80% needs to be paid back. This is to stimulate them. The costs of a chicken bird is 75 Rupees. 10 eggs can be sold for 70 Rupees. After three years the chicken can be sold or slaughtered. With the money these people can start an own business. If they do well, their income will raise, and they will be able to take care for their families. Another lady in this village bought with her micro credit a sewing machine. Now she can make clothes for her family and other people in the village. Her husband is a fisherman. A fisherman’s life is hard. Some days he does not catch any fish; this means no income for that day. The hut wherein they live is made of palm three leaves. Inside this hut you see light coming through the leaves. They don’t sleep like us in a bed, but on a mat in the sand. How should it go when it is raining? Can they keep it dry with such a roof ? The kitchen is a wooden board on pales. On this board there are some pots and pans where they cook on open fire. They also don’t have a living room and no cupboards. The things they have lie on a shelf that must serve as an attic. We feel sorry about the people who have to walk bare feet on sand which is very heat. They don’t have enough money to buy slippers. In spite of their poverty you see these people smiling; to our shame we have to admit that, with all our luxury, we often have a surly face.
We also see a family which started a small shop where they sell pots. Ceylon Christian Care offered them a loan of 5.000 Rupees. With this money they bought materials to make pots. These are made of cement. After drying, they get painted in different colors. A pot costs 40 Rupees. Each month they have to pay some money back. This depends on what they sold during this month. |
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The market in Murokkodanchenai |
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One time in a week a doctor comes to this village (mobile clinic) to have surgery in front of the church. This doctor comes from Batticaloa. Before, many people in this village did not have the opportunity to go to a doctor because of the far distance and because they don’t have money to hire a three-wheeler (rickshaw). If the doctor comes, half of the villagers sit on the ground near the church to see who is going to the doctor and what will happen. All the data from the patients is written down in paper files. The medicines are kept in an iron cupboard. Bert is also examined by the doctor and the villagers look at it curiously. Everything is well, the doctor says.
Near the church the children of the village are waiting for us. They have the same clothes and stand in neat rows. Also here we get beautiful chains made from very nice flowers. One side of the roof of the church is extended. Below this roof the very young children go to nursery class. Behind the church is a kitchen. In this kitchen rice meals are being prepared for the children which they eat during lunchtime. In front of the church, CCC placed a telephone cabin. In this village, nobody has a telephone. During the week, the older girls in the village get sewing classes and they learn how to decorate textile. The sewing machine has to be operated with your foot. Not all girls are Christian. Some of the girls are Hindu, but they often come to church on Sunday. The girls here make clothes for many children in this village and are very creative in sewing and decorating the clothes. While visiting them, we get some thee and a kind of cake which is very hot. As a present, we also get a cloth or curtain. One of the girls decorated and painted it with nice colors. Paul also received one which he has to give to Evert de Blok. After we have seen everything we go to another building where we get a meal. This building is also used to teach the young children of the village. Some of them start to cry when they see so much white people. We decided to go home after lunch. During the way back, we are checked several times by soldiers. At 4 o’clock we are back in Periyaneelavanai to discuss all impressions once again.
In the evening we change our clothes for the typical Sri Lankan clothes. The women in sarees and the men in sarams. One of the girls from Herman’s Girls Home helps the women with the sarees. After that, we all go to the girls hostel where we will have dinner with all the children and the staff. After dinner Vathany and some of the children thanked us for visiting them after which Paul thanked the staff, children, Pastor Solomen and Vathany for everything they have done for us. We all shake hands and we give the children GBS stickers, a pen, a balloon and some sweeties.
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The chicken-shed |
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Pot shop |
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Bullock Car |
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Dear friends,
From July 29th till Aug 12th Paul van de Waal with his wife and friends visited Sri Lanka. Paul has a special relation with Sri Lanka. His two children were born on this island. During their stay they also visited the projects of Ceylon Christian Care and were staying some days on the project in Periyaneelavanai.
Bert van Voorden wrote a report of their visit to the project in Murokkodanchenai.
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Back Row: Bert van Voorden, our driver Mihlar, Arjo van der Boom and Paul van de Waal Front Row: Denise van Voorden, Anne Freeke and Jannie van de Waal |
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September 14th, 2006 Visit Report - Paul van de Waal and friends
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Today we have seen many things. How poor people are helped. We were all very impressed. Also the fare well with the children and staff was heart warming and unforgettable. We hope and pray that God will bless the work of Ceylon Christian Care. That it may be to praise His Name.
Kind regards,
Bert van Voorden |
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The chicken-shed |