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Ceylon Christian Care |
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News |
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Dear friends,
The last news update was published two months ago. The situation on Sri Lanka is still very tense. In December on the east coast the army captured back from the LTTE the area around Vaharai. Due to the fighting about 70.000 Tamils people left their homes and ran away from this area. Today they live in schools and temporary shelter in Batticaloa and villages around. Because of this the children are not able to go to school. There is lack of food and other needs. Until today no help from the government is given to these people. Getting funds for relief support is not easy. As Ceylon Christian Care we have made funds available to help these refugees.
Below a report from David, the right hand of Rev. Jeyanesan, is given: |
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February 9th, 2007 News Update
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Johns Academy Here too good progress is made with the building activities of the new school. Expected is that the new building can be taken into use by March 2007. Wybren Jongsma and Ellie Kroon discussed with Rev Jeyanesan the training program for the children. Attention was paid to the English content in the lessons and the materials and methods used for Christianity teaching. Rev Jeyanesan reported too that several parents from Batticaloa have asked if their children can join the education at Johns Academy and that they are willing to pay a commercial price for the education of their children. These parents see the benefit of the bi-lingual and quality education at this school.
Community Development project Murokkodanchenai Although the tension problems in this area, here good progress is made too. We discussed the steps to be taken for 2007. Some of decisions taken are: · Construction of extra water wells · Construction of extra toilets · All families will get access to a Micro Credit · To start a promotion and bonus campaign to stimulate all children of the village to go to school · To start the study for a low cost housing program for all villagers · To start of a hygiene and nutrition campaign · To setup of a village counsel · To start the development of a village development fund for: - Infrastructure - Health - Education - Income - Welfare
Sri Lanka is again a nation in civil war. The victims are the civilians who are squeezed by the fighting parties and lost their properties and jobs and are forced to leave their homes and live as refugees in schools and the jungle. As Ceylon Christian Care we are happy that we are able to provide support to these people. May we ask you again to remember this nation in your prayers and pray for peace between for the people. And above all peace through the blood of Jesus in the hearts of these people.
Kind regards, Herman van der Weerd Ceylon Christian Care |
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Refugees from Vaharai living in a school |
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Joost Krijgsman (left) sold buns for 200 Euro Action for Sri Lanka performed by the students |
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One of the serious disabled children |
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Rev. Solomon at the waterside with the children who lost their father, mother and brother |
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Distribution of food to the refugees |
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Dear Brothers,
Greetings from St. Johns Center.
I was asked by Rev. Dr. S. Jeyanesan to inform the present condition, situation and the needs to be taken care of the IDP’s (Internal Displaced People). I am giving the details below.
For the last few months Government seized all the transportation of A9 road which leads to Jaffna and A15 road leads to Vaharai. Since then there was no medication or food items transported to the Vaharai area.
All the refugees who came from Mutur, Sampoor, Kathiraveli, Vaharai, Verukal and the other areas were sheltered in the outskirt of Vaharai. Later all the transportation were seized and the people were starving without food and the injured people did not get any medication or care from anyone. But daily both warning parties’ exchange shelling, aerial bombing and many people got injured and were not cared. They were kept in the same condition for more than 6 months. Now the LTTE has realized that food stocks are over and the people are going to die by starvation and by chicken guinea and dengue fever which is spreading widely all over. Also daily heavy multi barrel shelling from the Government forces to the uncleared areas are killing and wounding many civilians and they are also left alone without any medication. To safe guard these people from this shelling and starvation LTTE allowed the people out of their area to cross in to the Government control areas.
On the 15th of this month we were invited by the Government Agent of Batticaloa to discuss about the IDP’s. Rev. Jeyanesan, Rev. Solomons, David and Ranjan met with the Government Agent and the higher officials. We were asked to take care of the IDP’s who are coming out of Vaharai area. Following day Rev. Jeyanesan left to Colombo to discuss with the higher officials in Colombo regarding the IDP’s and we were asked by Rev. Jeyanesan to cater the IDP’s who are coming to Batticaloa.
Out of the 43,800 refugees until today more than 22,500 refugees have come to our area. To come out of the Vaharai area refugees have walked around 28 km through jungles and came to Welikantha area. People were stopped few km away from Welikantha area by Government security forces and they were kept there for almost 24 hours and allowed to pass the checkpoint after checking them thoroughly
As instructed by Rev. Jeyanesan we hired 5 buses and went to Welikantha which is 50km away and brought the people to Batticaloa. All these refugees have been temporarily sheltered in schools in and around Batticaloa. We have been asked to take care of the refugees who are sheltered in the close by schools to St. John’s. So we are taking care of Sri Murukan Vidyalayam, Thiruppenrunthurai with 230 families, Kokuvil School with 62 families, Sathurukondan School with 215 families and Kalliyankadu with 95 families.
On the 16th night we distributed cooked food to all these families. Yesterday and today also we are giving cooked food to the refugees. We have bought all the provisions and hired few cooks to cook the food. We are planning to give them cooked food for 30 days and then onwards dry-ration to each family so they can prepare the food as they like.
So far we have distributed water bottles, hygiene pack (Dettol, 2 towels, few underwear’s, toothpaste and brush, soaps, washing powder, a pair of slippers, medicine and sanitary napkins), mat, mosquito net, bed sheets, lantern, kerosene oil, dresses and infant milk powder. The needs are very much more. We are doing everything possible to take care of their needs.
Also we are planning to put up some temporary toilets and tents to protect them from rain. We have temporarily hired some peoples to stay in the schools and to take care of their needs. A team from St. John’s has been appointed to reunite the parents and children who are separated and sheltered in different camps.
I would like to share one more incident happened while some refugees try to cross to army control area by sea.
Some elderly and sickly people were brought by sea with their families and children in 10 boats to the army control area. On the way 2 boats with 16 refugees sunk in the sea. All the 16 people died in that incident. Among the refugees who came by sea there is a family with 6 children (4 girls and 2 boys). Out of the 6 children 3 girls and a boy travel by a boat survived their father, mother and a brother travel by other boat drowned along with the other refugees. The 5 children who escaped were sitting on the seashore and were crying whole day. Because of fear no one didn’t take care of those children and left them alone. Rev. Solomon and his team who went to collect the refugees got this information and went to the scene and brought these children to St. John’s. Following day Rev. Solomon and the children and our team went and searched for the bodies but not succeed. Again 3rd day they went they found the bodies of the parents and the others. We have taken care of burying the bodies. Now we are keeping those children at St. John’s and taking care of them and also we are looking for their relatives to handover them. Survived children names are Sivaranjani (20 years), Jeyatharani (18 years and having a 3 months baby), Thayanithy (14 years), Nishanthan (13 years), and Nishanthini (11 years)
I am attaching some photographs of refugees, children whose parents died in the sea and relief activities for your information and we appeal to you for your support and assistance in taking care of these war affected refugees.
With kind regards, L. R. David. |
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Progress of the projects on Sri Lanka
Translation Project of the books of Mrs. Hartingsveldt-Moree In November 2006 the translation project of the books of Mrs. Hartingsveldt-Moree did start. Good progress is made till today: · First book: Learn from Me - The English translation by Mrs. Grisnich from Canada was finished in Nov 2006 - The Tamil translation by Mrs. Shanta was finished in Jan 2007. At this moment check readers check the result · Second book: Pray to Me - The English translation by Mrs. Grisnich from Canada is finished. Her husband checks at this moment the result. - Translation into Tamil can start soon We are very happy with the progress. If everything goes well, publishing of the books can start in the second half of this year.
The Disabled Children Project in Periyaneelavanai This project does run very well. With Rev Jeyanesan we decided to extent the number of children from 10 to 25. We will also divide the children over two groups. A group with serious and a group with “light” mental and physical disabled children. The reason to do so is that both kinds of children need different help and support. “Light” disabled children are still able to listen to a story, to sing a song or to make a drawing. This is not possible with the serious disabled children. |
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Visit Rev Jeyanesan to the Netherlands From Jan 22nd till 25th Rev Jeyanesan did visit the Netherlands again. Main goal of the visit was to discuss the situation on Sri Lanka. Another reason was an incident on the Periyaneelavanai projects were one of the staff members was threatened to death by unidentified people. Because of this we had questions about the safety of the children and staff workers. We analyzed the situation and came to the conclusion that the projects still can continue. These kinds of incidents do happen in the current situation frequently. We pray that the help we are able to give to many people will not stop due to these kind of incidents.
During his visit Rev Jeyanesan did visit the Hoornbeeck College. That week the students performed several activities for Sri Lanka. We were happy that Rev Jeyanesan was able to join one of them. |