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Murokkodanchenai

On Tuesday Nov 28 we visited the community development project in Murokkodanchenai. The goal is to help about 450 families in 5 years time out of extreme poverty. The first phase of this project was finished some weeks ago and the results are good.

The first thing we did in this village was to open a house for the widow and two sons of the killed rickshaw driver. We decided to donate this house because it is not save for a widow to live in a hut without a door. Rev Jeyanesan told us that it happens regularly that drunken men rape these widows. After all misery this lady went through we like to protect her for these problems.

When we arrived the lady was standing before her new house with one of the children on her arms. Her son hang a chain of flowers around my neck and the lady started heavily crying. That moment I felt the pain and distress she was in. Again here we promised that we help her and her children in any way possible in future.

We looked at the new water wells and toilets. We also visited the market place. This initiative helps the villages a lot. They can sell or buy goods locally in stead of to walk 5 kilometers to the nearest shopping place.

We got an enthusiastic welcome in the church by the villagers. They explained how happy they were with the help they received. Rev Jeyanesan asked us to issue the certificates to the first batch of 20 girls who finished the sewing training. At the end one of the girls thanked us for the help given and asked if we could help with a sewing machine. This machine she could use to stitch the clothes for her family and the neighborhood and generate income. We discussed this and decided that all girls will get the opportunity to receive a micro credit to purchase a sewing machine and that they have to pay the loan back in 2-3 years time. All of them reacted very enthusiastic and they were really happy. The price of a sewing machine is approximately 130 Euro’s.     

Dear friends,

 

I had the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka from Friday Nov 24 till Thursday Nov 30. On this trip my old friend Henri Dokter, and the father of volunteer Antonnet Dokter, joined me.

The last board visit to the projects on Sri Lanka took place in March this year. Due to the tension between the Government and the Tamil Tigers we postponed the scheduled trip for August. Contact with Rev Jeyanesan learned that it was save to visit this time.

The goal for this trip was:

-  To check the progress of the projects

-  To start a new translation project

-  To start a new project for an IT lab for the new Christian English Medium school

-  To talk with the people involved in the projects and show them our support

December 6th, 2006

Visit Report

 

Sad start of the visit

Rev Jeyanesan collected us Friday morning at the airport in Ampara. We were happy to see each other again. On the way to the projects he told us that in the night before the husband of a church member of the Periyaneelavanai project was killed by unidentified gunmen. This was a shock. I knew both persons. The lady is a Christian and the Christianity teacher on the public school in that village. Some years ago she had arranged with this school to perform Christianity education to the Christian children during the time the children normally got Hinduism classes. Her husband was still a Hindu. However, on Sundays he brought with his rickshaw the elderly people and young children to the church. That night two men knocked on the door of their house. When he opened they asked for his name and shot him dead. The reason for this action is not known. People think that he must have had contacts with, or shown sympathy to the Tamil Tigers or another group. That same day the man was buried. He left behind a wife and two children (2 months and 4 years). We have visited the lady several times. Only on the last day of our stay she was able to speak some words. Before we left we had a prayer with her and promised her that we will do everything possible to help her and her children in future.

This is the second time that someone involved in our projects was killed. The first time it happens 4 months ago to the rickshaw driver of the project in Murokkodanchenai. This year already over 100 people died by attacks of these unidentified gunmen. People are afraid. Especially to walk in the evening on the street. One evening we were late and could not found the address of the person we liked to visit. When we stopped our car people started immediately running away…

 

Periyaneelavanai Projects

During this visit we had our stay in the guestrooms of Periyaneelavanai. We inspected the projects in this village and we were happy with the performance. The girls and boys orphan homes run well. The same is the case for the day care center for small children.

It was the first time I had the possibility to see the handicapped day care center functioning. At this moment care is taken for 15 physically and mentally handicapped children. The staff has a lot of work with them. However, we are very happy that we have started this program to help these children and their parents. We have discussed with Rev Jeyanesan to let the number of children grow to 20 and to split the group. There are children with minor handicap who are able to play or to make a drawing. There are also heavy physical and mental handicapped children. They are not able to play and need other attention.

The widow’s project is also running well. All widows have paid back their first loans and some have asked if they could get a second loan. 

Henrie Dokter, Vathany and Antonnet in the rickshaw

Christian English Medium School

On Monday Nov 27^th we visited the new Christian English Medium school, called John’s Academy. This school is currently running on a temporary location. We joined the Bible reading and opening of the new week. Shanta, the wife of Rev Jeyanesan who is the principal, did the opening and spoke about the need of receiving a new heart.

We joined the children in the classrooms and we must say that everything was organized and performed in a professional manner.

After this we had a look at the building activities for the new school. Here also good progress was made. It is expected that the building will be delivered and opened in March next year.

 

IT Lab for the Christian English Medium School

A donation was received to add to the school an IT lab. We have discussed the layout of the lab and we took the decisions were the lab will be located on the compound. That same day we have laid the first stone …. Goal is to have the lab ready with the opening of the school in March 2007.

 

This IT lab will have 3 classrooms with totally 50 PC’s. Education will be given on three levels:

 

New translation project and Bible distribution

Monday afternoon we discussed with Mrs. Shanta the next translation project. This is the translation of the four books of the set “Come Children” of Mrs Hartingsveldt-Moree into Tamil. These books are written in Dutch. The translation into English is done by Mrs. Grisnich in Lethbridge in Canada. Her husband does the final reading. During my business visit to India the week before I received by email the last chapters of the first book.

Rev Jeyanesan and his wife Mrs. Shanta are very positive about these books. They like to use these books in future in the homes, the school, Sunday school and more. We are also open to distribute these books to other churches (as we do with the children’s bible).

We also got a request for 500 more Bibles and 2.000 children’s bibles. Rev Jeyanesan receives still  regularly requests from churches and other instances for these bibles. We have approved the third edition of the children’s Bible.

Family visits

During this trip we have also visited several of the families of the children of the homes. Traveling was not easy. Every 5 kilometers there was a checkpoint. In many cases we and the staff had to identify ourselves to the Singhalese military police. This could take upto 30 minutes per stop place. At these checkpoints the roads are blocked and each vehicle has to follow an off-road route on a bad and bumpy road. Sometimes it took 10 minutes to pass a roadblock with a length of just 50 meters. These roadblocks are a frustration to the Tamil people. Normal traveling is almost impossible.

At the home of each child we analyzed the situation and looked how we could help.

In one family the mother was a widow with 5 children. One was in our home. She got her income by carrying stones for roadwork's. This is a heavy job. After a day working, she was broken and not able to work the next one to two days. We discussed alternatives and found that if she starts baking cookies she can get a better income in a more easy way. The only thing lacking for this new initiative was the money to start. We decided to help her with a micro credit and advice how to start such a business.

For another child we visited the mother. She was living alone in the rice fields a very small clay hut. She told that she was 12 years when she delivered her first child. Now she was 23 years old and had three children. Her husband had left her and had married another lady. For her income she works as a day laborer on the rice fields.

There are so many similar stories and people who need help.

Sunday

When we arrived Rev Jeyanesan asked me to speak a word to his congregation on Sunday. Looking at the misery the people are in, the poverty, relatives killed by unidentified gunmen, children abducted to fight as child soldiers, thousands of people living without food and shelter in the forest after aerial bombing actions, etc., I made the choice to speak about Psalm 37. This is a Psalm of David. In this Psalm he strengthens the righteous and warns the evil doers. Special focus was paid to verse 5 were is written “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass”. With all our problems we can go to the Lord and in this verse there is also a strong promise.

On Thursday Nov 30 we left the projects for our trip home. Looking back we had the feeling that it was good visit. However, also one with mixed feelings. Yes the projects are running well, very well. This is making us thankful. However, the misery people do live in every day gave also a sad element.

For us Psalm 37 verse 5 is true too. Beside the problems and sorrows in our families, our work, the study of the children on school we can also bring the situation of the people of Sri Lanka to the attention of the Lord.

 

 

Kind regards,

Herman van der Weerd

Ceylon Christian Care

Two of the mental and physical disabled children joining the day care centre

Rev Jeyanesan, the widow of the killed rickshaw driver with her two sons and Herman van der Weerd

The Staff of John’s Academy, at right side at the front principal Mrs. Shanta

Teachers and children at work

Checking the building progress of the new school

Herman discusses with Mrs. Shanta the new translation project

The 23 years old lady with two of her 3 children - Her husband left her and married another lady

Antonnet Dokter issuing the certificates to the ladies who finished the sewing training

Today only a few companies use PC’s on Sri Lanka. However the usage is growing rapidly. PC knowledge is one of the best guarantees to get a job. Another benefit of working with computers is that it will help/stimulate the children in their understanding of the English language.

Laying the first stone for the new IT-Lab