Support Sri Lanka Foundation

We are very pleased to support Ms. Manel Anandan of WE CARE SRI LANKA with the equipment for the medical centre which has been built with the generosity of the:

DUBAI ROUND TABLE, HAWKER PACIFIC, DUBAI ST.GEORGES SOCIETY AND THE IMAGE WORKS. THE PERSON INSTRUMENTAL IN OBTAINING THE FUNDS IS ALAN ROOKE FROM DUBAI 41 CLUB.

The building has been beautifully designed and we are very proud to be part of this project. We are delighted to be able to assist with some of the other projects the Dubai 41 Club have supported in the past and hope we can continue to work together in the future. Our grateful thanks are sent to all who have made this project such a success.

The opening ceremony took place on 19th December 2008 and was attended by over 200 guests, many of which were patients. Mothers of very young children and pregnant women were sent home with a gift pack from us which contained a large mosquito net, soap and a baby gift box. Some of the items we provided were: waiting room chairs, reception desks and chairs, laptop computer, desk fan, examination table, lamp, two types of scales and kitchen equipment. The Doctor and nurses will be provided by the government and they have already started work there.

(Please note this project has not been funded by the Whale Foundation as previously stated)

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW SHORTLY - please watch this space

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2007 has been particularly hard with fund raising. We have had to pay back the loan for the container costs which was a big chunk. Thankfully that has been done and we can now focus on our current projects. The weather has been dreadful this year here in the UK, so many of our planned events have been cancelled and then it was the foot and mouth outbreak which also affected our show schedule! We desperately need funds to help with the following:

Helping sick and injured animals. Whether they are owned or homeless. Helping preserve the endangered Turtles. Encouraging and educating responsible ownership. Making a difference to an animals quality of life.
Education is so important, for £18 a month we can ensure a child has a uniform and essentials to enable him/her to go to school.
Healthy eating projects. A healthy child/adult is a happy one so lets make a difference and provide a decent hot meal. £1.00 will feed a family of four and give them the nourishment they all need.
Promoting Sri Lanka as a wonderful holiday destination. Tourism has really slumped over recent years and we need to encourage you to go on your holidays to 'the pearl of the Indian Ocean'.
Funding education and training centres to ensure children have a better chance in life.

We need funds to continue supporting charities based in Sri Lanka. We have just provided a ramp similar to the one above to help with the loading and unloading of animals. Before animals were forced to jump out of lorries often breaking their legs! Elephants need your help also. We all love these gentle giants. What do you do with an elephant when it is too old to work? They need our help to ensure their twilight years are happy times.

Dogs suffer greatly in Sri Lanka with mange. A simple injection cures this awful suffering and we help fund organisations in Sri Lanka who help these poor creatures. £25 buys 50 vaccinations!

We want to see more happy and healthy dogs like these ones. We are keen to help with Turtle conservation and funds raised will help towards this also.

We need you to support Sri Lanka and holiday there. It's called the pearl in the Indian ocean. It's a beautiful country - and an island like no other. You will not be disappointed. There are some excellent offers around at the moment so go on treat yourselves and help rebuild Sri Lanka's tourism/economy. See here for a link to a wonderful 10 minute film show of Sri Lanka.

Some of our past Projects

2007 - Aid container

In summer of 2006 we had an appeal running to send over school equipment including computers. We have to say a huge thank you to St Christopher Primary School and Kersley Grange Primary School in Coventry for donating their old tables, chairs, computers and printers. We also must thank everybody including BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio Station for promoting and donating to our appeal. On a cold and wet January morning we loaded over 500 boxes of aid bound for Sri Lanka's needy children and people. We sent over books, toys, clothes, bicycles, sewing machines, food, blankets, T.V.'s, telephones, radios as well as the computer items. Little did we know we were beginning a dreadful time in our charity's diary. To cut a long story very short. The appeal was done on the strength of a free container and shipping from a government run organisation based in Hampshire. Through very poor communication we were given just 48 hours to get our donations to Hampshire. It was an impossible task as our donations (500 boxes) were stored all over the midlands and it was logistically impossible to fulfil the request. They would not wait for us so the container left half empty!

We then had to raise the money to ship a container ourselves. We used a company who specialised in shipping to Sri Lanka - Protea (Europe) Ltd also trading as Global Trade 1Stop Ltd) who advised us about the shipping and charged us £1075 for a door to door delivery including taxes. Tragically we were conned out of this money with the shipping company abandoning the container at Southampton Docks. It is incredible to believe a company would steal from a charity!

We had to find another agent who would deal with the container and thanks to Aruna David of Regal Shipping helped us get the container to Sri Lanka. We must also say a huge thank you to him and also MOL shipping line for their assistance. Even more unbelievable was the Sri Lankan government who charged us £2000 to import aid!! They wanted to charge us more but our contacts in Sri Lanka were able to negotiate a cheaper charge! We feel very let down by the Sri Lankan Government and the Sri Lankan Prime Minister who also would not waive the tax. These circumstances mean we will not be sending over any more containers. On a good note I am happy to confirm that the aid has been delivered and distributed to needy people and even the homeless dog shelter in Kandy received blankets and towels.

Above are some of the 500 boxes of aid all labeled up and ready to go.

Boxes of computers being loaded as well as other items

It all fitted in just about! Photo on left is with Jonathan Frost (in container) and Nicki Farthing holding box (both Founders and Trustees). The man in the baseball cap is our local Mayor of Whitnash Mr. David Clough who came along to help us fill the container which took us 2 hours!

The above six photos are of the aid being distributed on the East Coast of Sri Lanka by Hon Mr. Hizbullah (yellow shirt and also our green charity t shirt on bottom right) The tables, chairs and computer equipment was donated by two schools in Coventry. We are still waiting for more photos which will come in due course. Mr. Hizbullah has opened up a small computer training centre with 11 of the donated computers.

2007 - Nursery equipment in Matara

We are so proud to share these pictures with you. Through a lot of hard work fund raising we were able to provide a rebuilt nursery with all its equipment. From tables to chairs, books and pens, climbing frames and slides and even teachers and toilets all provided by our charity. With the grateful help from Ms Manal Anandan of Wecare Sri Lanka we were able to help nursery aged children get back to their nursery which was destroyed by the tsunami waters. The nursery was opened in March this year and although we were unable to attend the official opening we were sent through these beautiful photos. Please Enjoy!

Aren't they just adorable? Don't they make you smile? The three ladies standing together have received training sponsorships from us to enable them to become Nursery Teachers at this nursery. Well done to everyone for their support. Do you want to help make a difference to more children? Please help us to do just that.

2006/7 - School sponsorship

We have helped school children with sponsorships to ensure they are fed well and have a good education. For £180 a year we can sponsor needy to children. Meet Sanuri she is 13 years old and is a victim of not only the tsunami but the civil war. Her father was abducted by the rebels a few years ago and the tsunami destroyed her home and all her and her mothers possessions. We have sponsored Sanuri and provided a sewing machine for her mother to help her get back to work.

Pictures taken May 2006 on our second aid visit

BUY A BOAT Lucy

Water tank Beruwela School

New house in Hikkaduwa

Turtle Hatchery Kosgoda

New house for Hemachandra family

House rebuilding program

The Hemachandra family. Tragically Mr. Hemachandra lost his wife the mother to his three sons and her mother, the sons grandmother in the Tsunami along with their house. Leaving Mr. Hemachandra to bring up the elderly disabled grandfather and his three sons alone. They currently live in a wooden shed about 10' square with all their belongings hanging up on the walls in bags to prevent the rats from eating them. We are helping with funding the rebuilding of their house and in the furnishing of the house once completed.

Read their story and see the pictures here.

School link program

We are in the process of linking School children in the Midlands with Sri Lankan school children. Also if your school is interested in linking with a Sri Lankan school please send us details, we can put you in touch with adoptsrilanka. . It is hoped you will provide sponsorship and support to these children.

Water tank delivered to Kaburugamuwa School near Matara.

750 litre tank arrives to provide fresh water for drinking, washing & flushing toilets at Kaburugamuwa school. Previously pupils had toilets with no water. 500 pupils were killed at this school by the tsunami.

750lt watertank proudly handed over on 27th September 2005. left to right Mrs. Manel Anandan , Mr Wazeer senior and the principal of Kaburugamuwa school.

Water tank delivered to Al-Fasiyathul Nasriya Mbm Vidyalaya School Beruwela

Nicki & Jonathan with the water tank and some children of the school (May 2006)

What stories they can tell. You wouldn't believe such smiling faces have been through so much.

Buy a boat scheme boats delivered

Abracardabra.

September 2005 – Our first boats are delivered ! We have built 10 Sea Canoes. Constructed on site in Sri Lanka by Chandi Marine, photo shows Mr Wazeer senior on the right with Mrs Manel Anandan proudly handing over “Abracardabra” to the fishing village of Kaburugamuwa in the south of Sri Lanka on behalf of Support Sri Lanka Foundation on the 27th September 2005

See more pictures below.

Many people have lost not only their possessions, homes and loved ones, but also their source of income. We have a project to replace badly damaged fishing boats (Sea Canoes), restoring the trade of 135 families and have so far delivered 20 boats for the village of Kaburagamuwa in the south of Sri Lanka. All proudly bear the name of their sponsor.

Over a million fishing nets and 17,000 boats were completely destroyed in Sri Lanka by the tsunami, but aid for replacing them has been slow. Of the 31,000 people killed in the tsunami, 27,000 were members of fishing communities, according to official figures.

“We have been forgotten by the rest of the world,” says fisherman Joseph Udayan, 34, who is desperate for a boat so he can get back to work to earn enough to build a new home.

Fisherman S Ratnaseelan, 42, says "the flood of foreign aid workers has vanished and it appears the we are off the radar of aid agencies."

“How many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) came here just after the tsunami? But today you don’t see them,” Ratnaseelan said at the refugee camp. Villagers say they can build their own homes, provided they can get back to work. Placida Arulananthan, 24, who is studying to be a Catholic nun, says the "villagers simply want to go back to what they love the most and do the best - fishing. These people say they are not waiting for the government to build houses for them,” she added: “What they desperately need are boats.”

TO DONATE, PLEASE CONTACT US NOW.

Suki

The Pop Tarts

Lucy

Lucy at handover 2005

Lucy now in use May 2006. We found her whilst looking for our donated boats. We were most excited to actually see the efforts of all our hard work. The pontoon is added on to give balance to the boat.

Handing over Best Wishes & Endevour II 5th December 2005

Best Wishes

Endevour II

Handing over Aqua Princess and Compass Rose to fishing families in Weligama, Matara, Sri Lanka on the 11^th of April 2006

Aqua Princess

Compass Rose

HANDING OUT FOOD AND AID IN HIKKADUWA

Buying the fresh vegetables at local stores. The quality was excellent. Most of the production is organic. As well as vegetables spices, salt, tea, milk powder and sugar were added to the food bags.

Some of the food aid bags handed out. Some of the Toilet bags and Pencil cases handed out. Note the tent in the back ground. This family of five lived here.

The joy of a new teddy. A new dress, just look at her delight.

The children with Nicki and all their new toys after Nicki & Jonathans visit to hand out toys and school equipment. This refugee camp homed families how had lost either a mother, father or both parents.

Nicki meets a Tsunami survivor with her baby born 1 week afterwards.

Excited children wait their turn.

Will I have enough toys for them all?

Children everywhere!

Handing out much loved teddies to children recovering from their ordeals. Stopping outside poor areas and handing out tourist donated clothes.

The lull before the storm! Once news is out that we are delivering aid we get mobbed!

Happy families with their donations. Note the tin sheds they are forced to live in!

Child walking home with her bag of goodies

KACPAW - KANDY

Nicki with some of the well looked after rescue dogs at Kandy. Despite a temperature in the 40's there was no smell. The facilities were also spotless. A credit to the volunteers who work there.

Nicki handing over funds to Dr Champa Fenandez . These funds enabled all the 100 resident dogs and one cat! to be fed and looked after for 20 days.

Our Grateful Thanks to WINALOT for their support in this fundraising.

KABURUGAMUWA SCHOOL , MATARA

Nicki with a year 3 class. The building has no glass just wire mesh in the window apertures.

Some of the aid waiting to be handed out. The children in immaculate white uniforms wait for the aid to be handed out.

A rare glimpse of Jonathan in front instead of behind the camera!

Nicki and Jonathan traveled to Matara on the 19^th of May 2005 where they personally handed out 100 school uniforms, schoolbags, shoes and socks to children of Kaburupitiya Maha Vidyalaya School.

AMBALANGODA - KOSGODA TURTLE HATCHERY

www.turtlehatcherykosgoda.com

Support Sri Lanka Foundation paid to have this part of the beach cleared of rubbish and debris. This is the turtle conservation hatchery beach. Clearing the beach will enable the turtles to come ashore to lay their eggs unhindered by debris. We have also arranged for the shoreline will be replanted with palm trees to replace those destroyed by the Tsunami.

One day old turtles at the hatchery.

There are 5 species of sea turtle in Sri Lanka all are on the conservation list. Killing a sea turtle in Sri Lanka carries the death penalty. The adult turtles come ashore and lay their eggs each night. The hatchery staff collect the eggs and re-bury the eggs in a protected fenced area and mark them with a date sign. 45 days later they hatch and come out of the sand. They are then collected and placed in a hatchery tank. They stay there for 3 days to grow and strengthen up. After the 3 days they are released into the sea. There survival rate is massively improved.

For every 100 hatched on the beach only around 5 percent survive to adulthood, they are not strong enough at one day old to fend for themselves and just become part of the food chain.

Those hatched in the hatchery around 80 percent survive to adult hood. A huge success.

The hatchery collects turtle eggs and keeps them safe from predators. These 3-inch turtles are only two days old.

May 2006 Nicki releasing 3 day old turtles Jonathan with the owner outside the new into the sea shop and offices May 2006

RE-BUILDING HOUSES IN HIKKADUWA

Nicki handing over funds to rebuild family house near Hikkaduwa. Picture on right shows family with Nicki and Jonathan.

The land for one house costs approximately $2,000-$2,500 (USD), depending on the location. Nearly $4,000-$4,500 is needed to build the house. This cost depends upon the size of the land, the size of the proposed home, and the size of the family. The total cost of the land and the newly build home would be approximately $6,000-$6,500. The tsunami also swept away most of the household necessities of these families. Therefore, some money will need to go towards the purchase of kitchenware, furniture, clothes, books, and other needs of the families.

House building pictures 2005

House almost complete May 2006

ORPHANAGE ROOF REBUILT

We have arranged for the roof on Galle Childrens Home to be rebuilt as it was leaking inside and damaging the walls and interior. Now with our help it is dry inside providing better standards for the children..

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