I had left Switzerland on March 10th with mixed feelings.  On February 22^nd Sri Lanka had celebrated the fifth anniversary of the ceasefire (4,000 killed during the last 14 months) and both sides had made massive threats.

I was not able to visit the kindergarten at the Zahira School as all schools had been closed because of the war threat.

The A-Level exams for Sameela had already started.  It equals our graduation and would enable her to go to university.  I met her mother who told me that she had sent the records from Sameela’s school to Switzerland.

Like always the bad news first:  the goats had been stolen…………

A widow, mother of four children, that had received in September a credit of 40`000 rupees to buy goats was sitting completely devastated at Zariya`s house.  She told me that all the goats had been stolen, only six weeks after the purchase. 

I especially liked the visits with Fatima and Maduka, as both speak a little English, so that I was able to have direct talks with them.  Fatima was still quite shy but Maduka became a very open and friendly boy.