The suggestion to start an appeal on the intranet came from the highest rank of the Bank CIC.  “Five Swiss francs for a playground” was a big success and in a short period of time there was CHF 1,000 in the account.  Our thanks goes to all who contributed and to the Bank for providing the platform

Chammi`s monthly installments to the Micro Credit Program had been paid during the last year and she is back working with two assistants.

We visited Chammi and her family with a big purchase of groceries.  Since we had brought sweets for her little daughter, there was a slight approach from her for the first time. J Chammi’s Father was well and chatty, like never before.  Last but not least her husband was back home. 

During the time we spent in Hambantota, a widow came to the house of Roy’s Uncle Roni.   With her came the nine year old Azra and her three year old brother.

The deep sea harbor was surprisingly sanded and had been closed for six months.  The big refinery was still not working but the new International Airport was opened.

Resla sent a letter last November to her sponsor, Monika, leaving us quite puzzled.  She wrote that her Grandmother had returned to Abu Dhabi and had sent Resla to live with her sister.  Her Grandmother had left her there without money;  and with no money, there was trouble with the school. 

We had sent Sifaya the LKR 15,000 for a new window in the girls’ room as promised right after our return to Switzerland last spring.

Like always, we visited her and the children with a big box of groceries.  While Chammi is very fluent in English, we sadly don’t share a language with Sifaya.  Roy translated questions and answers back and forth.

That girl is so pretty!  At the age of ten and on the edge of being a young lady, she is clearly the apple of her Grandfather’s eye.  They obviously have a very close relationship and the plans to send Ruhi to a school in Colombo has been postponed for a year,

Maduka was in Hambantota for his final year project.  He was going to school seven days a week and working hard for the A-Level test (graduation) in August.

Inaya, the Mother of the boys, has a beautiful smile!  It was such a great feeling to meet a different woman.  

Right after returning from our last visit my sister Margrit took on the sponsorship for Asjath. Roy helped his Mother to open an account in her name. 

With a generous donation of CHF 5,000 from the Bank CIC, we were able to hand out 20 credits to women in Kirinda, a fisher town east of Hambantota.  The Principal of the school with 500 students, a good friend of Roy, had selected the women for the program.

With unusually hot temperatures for that time of the year, there was also a lot of leisure.  Despite all the comfort of the hotel, we missed our friends, their hospitality and last but not least their home cooked meals.

Our stay in Sri Lanka during March/April 2013 made us once more aware of the fact, that we live in a very privileged part of the world. On top of that we are also very privileged in the way we can spend our holidays.