The Rafikian

එක් ජනතාව, එක් පොළොව (ek janatāva, ek poḷova)

ONE PEOPLE, ONE EARTH

There is so much I would like to write about, but so little time, but I am sure as things come to me I will take the time to report. This trip has been amazing and has afforded us a unique insight to the people of Sri Lanka. There have been times when I have felt reluctant intruding on the families we have met. I can't help but think what must be going through these people's minds as a bunch of white people descend upon them, effectively changing their lives...of course none of this would be possible without the help of Anoma Kallman, whom I cannot praise enough....extremely humble, she appears to have an unending supply of energy. Not only does she help her husband Helge operate the Nor Lanka, she is active in the community doing other things, a staunch supporter of those in need, in addition to the time she gives us. 
Most of us arise fairly early and go for a walk, and without fail, Anoma is with us. Families along our route greet us every morning as they prepare their children to go to school, all dressed in their astonishingly white uniforms (If I wore white here, it wouldn't be long before it was the colour of my surroundings), or prepare to go to work for the day. 

School Children all set to head off to school (How do they keep their clothes so white?)

As tough as it is to see how some people live, their simple life is unburdened by western wants and needs. Always smiling, their demeanour belies any preconceived notions that many of us have about people living in desperation. They know nothing else, with many people just surviving from day to day, not knowing what tomorrow may bring, yet they possess so much happiness. Part of me is envious of this particular characteristic....

We came here not to be better than anyone else, not to earn kudos nor praise of any kind. We came because we could, and we wanted to. The fact that we are able to help change the lives of so many people, with so little is a humbling experience. Some people need food, where $40 will supply a family of four for a month or more, others needed help to purchase much needed medication, again, perhaps $20/month depending on the medication. Some members of the group have committed themselves to supporting families for this financial need for the next year, or two, or who knows how long. If each and everyone of us gave up on buying a Americano from Starbucks a couple of times a week, and put that money to use on a family here, it would literally be life altering.

On a facebook post, I wrote about a family that we walked by every morning and on a whim, Anoma started talking to them....could we help? The would love a door the man replied. We asked him to provide a price on purchasing one, and the following day he met us with a couple of quotes. Honesty is huge here, although one must be wary that too much aid may lead to certain individuals constantly asking for more, and while I have not witnessed this myself, others in the group have confirmed it. It is a delicate balance, with many Sri Lankans probably believing that we, as westerners, have an unlimited supply of money.....

 
 The "doorman" (his name escapes me at this point in time) showing us the results of his "star chart consultation". Many Sri Lankans are very superstitious, and will not do anything without consulting the stars. I am not too sure if is a result of a particular religion, or more of a personal choice, but it is commonplace. That way if things are done with the support of the stars, then any ill-will that may befall them in the future is probably their own fault, and therefore controllable. This man worked nights as a security guard and insisted on carrying on a conversation with me in Sinhalese...and took the time to teach me one or two words a day. He, in my mind, is a true citizen of the earth.




As most of the group has been here before, they know more of the "ins" and "outs" than we do, but it is easy to catch on. It is amazing how little can go so far....we purchased two sewing machines in Galle, with one of them going to a single mother who works in a garment factory far from her home, and while I will not go into specifics here, this sewing machine and fabric we purchased for her (a total of less than $350) will allow her to work at home, and therefore be closer to her children. She met us, with her father, and the shop in Galle, and it was if she had won the lottery. She honestly could not believe her luck....
 
 













At the Singer Store in downtown Galle...


 
one of two sewing machines we purchased. You may well think to yourselves, this is what my mother, or even grandmother used (depending on your age) but these are the preferred machines and are operated by a foot pedal (although easily adaptable to electric, but few do that). These machines are extremely reliable, and should they need repairing, parts are readily available....On a side note, we had these machines delivered...one to the girl pictured above, and the other to the Nor Lanka where "Coach" (whose real name is Lal, but they call him Coach for some reason) who is one of Anoma's brothers, and again, I would trust him with my life. In any event, when Coach saw one of the machines upon delivery, he recognized it as not being "new", perhaps a floor model he thought, but not acceptable, so he contacted the shop, who initially refuted his claim, but ultimately Coach won the arguement and a new machine was sent to the house, and the other returned....Coach, another true citizen.......


Another group of people we encounter was an elderly family(lets call them the trio), two sisters and one brother, all in their late 60's or 70's, with the brother suffering from a broken mind. They had nothing. They had been sleeping on a hard concrete floor for years, eked by on very little food, so it was decided that we outfit their home...probably $500-$600....that bought each one of them a bed, complete with mattress and sheets, some household items and food....but no meat, as they were all vegetarians....when we showed up, they were overcome, and words cannot adequately the scene...   

 
 Dining area of the "trios" house

 
The brother was overcome...he needed time to collect his thoughts.....a poignant picture 

 
I believe these were the delivery drivers, and while we did not expect, they dove right in, putting together the beds and other pieces of furniture....true citizens...

  



Assembling a bed..... 

 
Proudly sitting on her new bed....

Asanka, a worker at the Nor Lanka, lives nearby these elderly people, and he mentioned to his father what we had done for them, so he checked in on them the next day....they were ecstatic...there house had been in somewhat of a disarray, but they had organized it, and with the help of Asanka's father, cleaned it up, washing floors and walls...and moving some furniture....I can only imagine what it must have been like to sleep in a bed after so many years on the concrete floor.....

Of course there are others that have benefited from the generosity of those that donated funds to our group. I cannot stress enough the fact that none of us is seeking praise. We do it because we want to. I am sure there are people that are saying "why travel across the world to help, when there are so many in need at home?" To me, the answer is simple, most of those in need back home have the option. We live in a country that affords us many luxuries, we just have to work for them. Certainly there are some that are unable to fend for themselves back home, but in my view, they do have a choice. The people here do not. $500 back home does nothing...$500 here is life changing. Whether you agree with my view or not is besides the point...however, as Doug aptly put it, if anyone one of us says that we did not come here for a holiday is lying, and he is truthful. It just so happens, that on this holiday we choose to make a difference in some people's lives...right or wrong, we are doing it, and to be honest I feel somewhat uneasy barging into people's lives that don't even know me, unable to effectively communicate with each other, but at the end of the day, are we not all citizens????