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.

Of course, we had been looking forward to inspect the new window but a peek around the house revealed the old window which was fully covered with all sorts of towels from the inside! After telling Roy to ask her about the window,  Sifaya started a long monologue.  After a few minutes, tears were running down her cheeks and later on she started to sob.  To watch her, became more and more heartbreaking.  When she finally disappeared into the house, we urged Roy to translate what she had said.

We were aghast after a long silence when he took his glasses off to wipe the tears from his face.  After a while he gave us a brief summary of Sifaya’s speech.

They were not able to replace the window as ripping out of the old one and the repair of the window opening would have added up to another LKR 3 to 4,000

and she would have been unable to raise that money.  Our LKR 15,000 was still in her account as it had not even crossed her mind to use that money for anything else.  She would never forget the first time we met in the goat shack where she and the girls had found shelter after the Tsunami.  And she would also never forget our support all these years.  Nobody else would have cared for her and the girls. Even her second husband’s family would not care about them.  Since 2005, we had come back year after year to look after her and with the fixed deposits for both girls we had removed her worst fears regarding their future from her.  

I tried hard not to get swept away with all those emotions and asked Roy in a joking tone:  “You don’t really believe that the money is still there?”  Then Sifaya came back with her bank account booklet.  The full amount was there………….

Roy asked us whether we could remember how hard he had to fight for that booklet?  As Sifaya had been in mourning back then, she was not allowed and was refused for religious reasons to leave the goat shack.  And yet, the bank had insisted on her personal appearance. 

Of course, we remembered.  But Roy must have been recovering a lot of other memories also.  His and his wife’s families lost 17 members in the Tsunami out of whom they were only able to bury two.  He was one of the first persons coming to Hambantota and he must have had to accomplish inhumane tasks.  

We wait for Sifaya’s estimate of the additional costs and will send her the money.   

We would like to thank Roy for all he does for us.  Without his help and support it would be impossible for us to do anything in Hambantota.