www.srilankahelp.ch

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You will find on this webpage all the information about our charity work we started after the 2004 Tsunami. Our heartiest thanks go out to the individuals, institutions and firms that supported us and still do. We would also like to thank our Sri Lankan friends as we could not have realized the projects without their help.

We met many tremendously helpful, great people and also, many with unimaginable hardship to bear.  All of them without exception have been very open to us and made these reports possible

march 2005

This was Michel’s 7^th and my 12^th trip to Sri Lanka since January 2000, a testament to our affinity and passion for this country and its people.  From the gorgeous beaches to the highlands with the 2,500 meter high Mt Pidurutalugala, from the rain forest to the dry zone, Sri Lanka has an inexhaustible variety of flora and fauna.  More than 2,000 years of eventful history has given this country a deep cultural heritage with colorful traditions. Sri Lanka is 1.5 times the size of Switzerland.  (Sri Lanka – 65,610 sq.kms;  Switzerland –  41,290 sq. kms.)

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka is also a country of extreme poverty, with unimaginable corruption and bureaucracy.  Following a long lasting conflict after gaining independence in 1948, a civil war broke out in 1983, lasting through to May, 2009.  Open fighting was only in the northern part of the country, the homeland to the Sri Lankan Tamil people.

Nearly 70% of the people live without running water and most of the 100,000 houses destroyed by the tsunami would not deserve this name by our standards.

We tried to help in the past.  Unfortunately, a couple of times we fell for tourist traps like many other well-meaning people.

In 2002, I met a Sri Lankan lady, Faye through the internet.  The friendship which she and her family offered to us opened many doors to their country and its people; doors which would have remained closed to us as tourists.

After the tsunami of December 26^th, 2004, we wanted to intensify our help, and soon were overwhelmed by the support of relatives, acquaintances and friends that knew of our relationship to Sri Lanka.  We were also very proud of the trust they put in us and a little bit scared of the responsibility that came with it.

We have spent every rupee to the best of our knowledge and belief, and have paid all travel costs and expenses out of our own pockets.

It’s not so easy to help!!