Altruism at its best

by Aditha Dissanayake

"My father died when I was very small" writes fourteen year old Sampath (*names changed). "I lived with my mother in a house very close to the beach. Our house was completely washed away by the sea. Unfortunately the tsunami waves took my mother's life too. Now we are staying with my mother's only sister (Loku Amma). I like to be a teacher but I don't know if I will be able to achieve it. Anyway, I intend to try my level best to be a teacher".

"There are five members in my family" says seventeen year old Shan*. Due to the tsunami the whole of our house was lost with all the household items. Even our clothes..." while Singithi* says "I live in a small village near Matara.

The tsunami which hit my house on December 26th destroyed the house and took five members of my family, among them was my little sister who was two and a half years old. She was my only sister and that makes me feel very sad. We also lost everything in our house. I don't even have a table to do my school work. Since the tsunami, my father has been struggling to find a job...in the last term I was 8th best out of forty-eight..."

Here is what a father has to say "As the father of Nalaka*, I am grateful for your help and support. My son is in Grade 2. He is doing his school work and external activities well. We were a happy family, my wife and I living in our own house with our two children ...I lost my wife and little daughter aged 9 to the tsunami together with the house and all the other belongings. Today, I live in a rented house with my son. I try to suppress my grief by thinking of my son's future. I'm, trying to give him a good education."

Each letter has one common sentence. "I am grateful for your help and support".

Whose help? Whose support? One simple answer. The foster parents of the Shramashakthi Organization. Having mediated with British Citizens of Kent County, under this scheme the Shramashakthi Organization has selected 100 children who are provided not only clothing, school requirements, allowances and life insurances, but also with love and care.

Lakshman Kahawatta and his wife Jenifer who were the first Foster Parents under the scheme say "It was with tremendous shock and disbelief that we watched the terrible event unfold on our television screen on Boxing day 2004. When we were asked by Mrs. Shanthini Kongahage to support a few tsunami affected children, we agreed to commit ourselves to supporting ten children. Fortunately with the help of many generous and kind people in Great Britain, this has now grown to 100 children."

The majority of the supporters, living in the country of Kent have agreed to buy school uniforms, books and other educational essentials every year for the foreseeable future while others, from school children to senior citizens of Kent have worked hard to raise extra funds to provide the children with savings accounts and health insurance policies.

In addition, the children are given Birthday presents and gifts on festive occasions like Christmas and the New Year. They are also provided with an identity card with the contact details of the Shramashakthi Organization so that, should they need help they or their guardians could contact the Organization for assistance.

Acknowledging the generosity of many individuals, groups and organizations in Kent and the UK who are dedicated and committed to supporting the tsunami affected children, the Kahawattes say they could achieve these results through the tremendous assistance and support of the Shramashakthi Organization and its President, Shanthini Kongahage.

Explaining the activities of the Organization Shanthini Kongahage says "We are constantly engaged in solving the problems of the women and children of Sri Lanka who are constantly subjected to harassment.

Since the onslaught of the tsunami we have reached out to the children who were severely affected and tried to develop their mental and physical growth through foster parents who have volunteered to give parental affection to a certain extent to the children who have lost the love and affection of their own parents".

The Organization acts as the coordinator between the children and the foster parents through monitoring programmes under- taken by the Divisional Secretaries on the basis of merit. As a special plea she says she hopes the authorities will look into the school admissions of children who had lost their houses in the tsunami, and whose parents have lost the official documents which could prove they lived in such and such a place before the tsunami.

The last words belong to Upuli* who wrote to her foster parents...

"While I am trying to venture into the long journey of life, I am grateful for the support you give me for this journey. I am a twelve year old schoolgirl and I am sure you are aware of this.

I was on my way home with my parents and my sister after visiting my grandparents. The tsunami took my parents and my elder sister away from me. I feel very angry with the sea because it took my sister away from me.

I also remember the days I went to the beach for a walk with my parents and sister. Today I live with my father's sister, she is very nice and kind to me. I work very hard at school and the teachers are very kind to me too...

The 31st January 2006 - the day we were given our books, uniforms and health insurance policy was my father's birthday. I thought my father was looking down at me from heaven..."

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