Fulfilled mission

Keeping in mind the motto ‘Beauty for a Cause’ the team from Technique International drove all the way to the Elders Home for the Blind at Ambalantota, taking with them a lorry load of items which were needed for the Home.

There were 32 visually handicapped elders (20 women, 12 men), who

greeted us with smile on their faces and gave us a warm welcome.

We felt humbled by their cheerful attitude, getting about their daily routine, washing their own plates and cups, going down to the Walawe river to bathe, wash their own clothes, make their beds, tie up the mosquito nets and when the bell rings they walk up the dinner room and sit at their set places.

We were treated to a truly Sri Lankan lunch cooked by Latha, the matron in-charge of the Home.

Most of the elders in the Home, had a story to tell of their lives, especially three of them, Ms. Muthumenike, who had been the organist at St. Philips Church, Kurana, Mr. Austin who holds a certificate from the Trinity College of Music and at one time organist at St. Stephen’s Church, Negombo. He played the organ and entertained us.

Mr. Sudharma who had been in Church choir, proposed the vote of thanks and we all felt blessed to bring some sort of joy in their lives, perhaps in a small way. Gwendoline Kuhatheva, organiser of Ms. Lanka 2008 says the support for the event was due to the publicity and awareness created by the excellent media coverage by the Sunday Observer.

The residents of the Elders Home for the blind and the team from Technique International, Asoka Casichetti, Geetha Kanakaratne, Nirmala Dissanayake, Mary Peiris, Bala Vithya, Komathi Vasuhi, Gayani Nadeesha, Melani Jayaweera and Gwendoline Kuhatheva.