Roy met our request and introduced us to five children.  Three of them lost both parents;  two siblings, their father;  and because of Riyas’ experience of getting photographed from all sides without hearing anything further from the photographer, we did keep the number small.

We hoped to find (it was first published on the intranet of the bank) Sponsors for the children.  We were looking for those who were willing to make a payment of 50 Swiss francs a month for a longer period of time.  Of course without commitment as we know that personal environment can change at any time.  To take over a sponsorship for at least one year made the most sense to us.

05.02.1995

She lost both parents and lives at the house of her grandmother:  

M.T.G. Zarina, 148/3 Bedawala, Hambantota

Fatima Safra

17.03.1991

She lost both of her parents and lives at the house of her brother:  

Ahammad Arshad, 17 Gelstreet, Hambantota

Maduka Hassautha

05.03.1994

He lost both parents and lives with his older sister at their aunt’s house:  

Puspa Wisesinghe, 202 C4 Tangalle Road, Hambantota.

Nasrena Banu

05.08.2000 and

Nihas Ahamamad

20.06.2002

They lost their father and live with their Mother:

J.A. Sithimani, 68/A1 Sippikulama, Hambantota.

In case someone would like to take over a sponsorship, we will contact Roy and he will open an account for the child.  On our next visit, we will visit the child in his/her home and give reports about our visit to the Sponsor. 

In November, we met Genie Ruhi Paveen Jurangpathy.  Max Mesmer and his wife, Christine (friends of Michel) had offered a sponsorship for her. 

The girl is as pretty as her name long and she was not very pleased about our visit that we had made without prior notification.  She hardly looked at the pictures and the present of her sponsors (I’m sure she did that laterJ) and did not move from her Grandfather’s lap.

It took quite a while to convince her, that we were not the same people, that already took her Mom and Dad away and that we were only there to look after her well being – nothing else.  I must say, we had been feeling better before! 

She lives with her grandparents and especially, her grandfather has had a lot of problems in dealing with the loss of his daughter and his son-in-law.  They also have a son that lives with them who tries to add to their income, a retirement payment of Rs. 6000.

It was a friendly modest house and we had a very warm welcome.  In a year after our visit with some more confidence, Ruhi would be entering Kindergarten.  Hopefully, we would get a warm welcome from her on the next visit.