Dear friends
1st of all we would like to say that we are sorry that it took such a long time to update this blog. Due to sickness, an overload of work and the fact that we had to move to our new place of residence coursed the delay. We hope you understand this and will still enjoy this blog.
We will update the other Blog also and will send you a message when that is done. If you know any one who would be interested to read our blog please give them the address.
Our new residence is the Metta – Asrama ( Metta = Loving-kindness and belongs together with Karuna = Compassion, Mudita = Sympathic Joy and Upekkha = equanimity to the Four Brahma Vihara’s the Divine Abodes of Buddhism).
Also this time we tried to make the whole thing more readable because there are more entries so you can read from the top down.
We hope that you will enjoy reading this blog and as soon as the other postings are ready we will inform you!!!!
Bhante Devamitta
Comming soon; Medical cases –People; storys of people around us – Children who need care; stories of children around us – Try-cycles continued – Ward 6 continued- Buddhist Teachings Yes or No ?
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Singhapura part 1
SINGHAPURA A VILAGE IN NEED! Part 1.
Last month we where asked to come to Singhapura, a small and very poor village near the town of Polunaruwa in the Eastern-Middle Province of Sri Lanka. The request came from one of our friends who have been working there for the Red Cross. “They urgently need help, Bhante! For years no one has paid any attention to them!” He told us further that even tough the Red Cross started some work there, they would not be able to finish it and those who needed it most would not be profiting much of it. He then started to tell us all kind of things which made us curious and we decided to go and have a look.
After a trip of more then 9 hours by car we finally arrived. Our friend Kapilla received us at the tank of Polunaruwa and guided us to the village. What we saw there exceeded the things we where told. About 60% of the population is living under such poor conditions as seldom seen, even in Sri Lanka. We where 1st brought to the address where we should spend the night. We received hospitality from a family who can be considered one of the “rich” families of the village. We where well received and after a wash up and thee, we where shown around the village. Here we will give you 1st a report about the good things which are happening there, and after that we will tell you about the other things we where confronted with.
There are in a big part of the village nice channels with vast streaming water, they are a part of the new irrigation system which was much needed here because it’s extremely dry here for a big part of the year.
Thanks to this system the farmers, that’s nearly everybody here, can now grow crops again like in ancient times. This ensures that the people here can earn a living, anyhow those who own land.
Even paddy and coconuts are growing here now! Also most people use those streams to take their bath and do their laundry. It’s a great progress since I’ve been last in this arrear about 24 years ago.
Unfortunately is the drinking water of such a bad quality that we can say that it is quite poisoned, and not suited for human consumption.
Lately the Red Cross has built a water purification centre, which is a great blessing, or could be so. The problem is that if you want to be connected to the water system to receive the purified water you have to pay an entry fee of SRS 5000.=.
There are 92 families who are so poor that it is impossible for them to pay that amount, so they will not be connected and have to do with the un purified water!!!!!!
The water contains among others heavy metals like; Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic and Fluoride which causes chronic kidney diseases.
This is a BIG PROBLEM and there is rice of 25 % of kidney failure, their teeth are rotting away, liver and milt are slowly giving up, and also intestinal problems are chronicle etc. etc.
There where 140 families which had no toilet facilities, the Spanish Red Cross would supply them with a decent toilet. The problem is that after they supplied 55 houses with a toilet the money was finished (or stopped) so there are another 85 families who have to do with a whole in the ground!!! Not only uncomfortable but what is more important very unhygienic and a source of infections and eventually epidemics.
Then we came to the “Mother and Child Healthcare Centre” if you might call the ruined building we saw there so! This 1st line health centre was not to be called a building even! Not even fitted for animals to be stalled in!!!!! Not surprising that during the last couple of years there has not been a midwife here and that even Dr. Indika who is in charge of it never went there anymore. He visited the place 3 years ago and never went back. I must say that this is really very understandable indeed!
This Centre is one of the 1st urgent things which should be renovated so the 1st line health care for pregnant woman and woman with their baby’s should be started again!
Then we went to the Montessori school where the smallest children of the village are supposed to start their education. Even tough the super structure of the building is not too bad and can be repaired quit easily the rest is in a terrible state. What we 1st thought to be a kind of stall for goats or so, turned out to be the place where the children supposed to take their meals. The playground is in fact dangerous for these small ones to play. The toilets are not worthy of the name the washing facility is a trough and the rest is in the same state. As said the walls and the roof can be repaired and should be newly plastered, but the rest …….? (see pictures at picasa)
After we visited those places in Singhapura we had enough of it really!
That evening we talked with a number of people mostly young householders with children and some people in their twenty’s who formed a committee and who where not willing to lie down and accept the state in which their village is in! Admirable, but where to start and how to get things going? They did not have an answer to that!
It was clear to them and us that they needed help urgently!
The next morning we went to visit the school which was also in a bad state, but Bhante saw also that the teachers there where not really doing their thing. (This was confirmed by the English teacher there and he told that the discipline among the staff was the biggest problem of the school). There are 6 teachers and 12 children and the level is below 0 ! therefore we think this has on the moment a low priority and we will contact 1st the inspector for education and schools in the district before we look in to the possibilities. Even tough repairs are really needed, better work by the teachers is a 1st condition.
We talked with a few villagers and asked what their big whish would be except from the things we mentioned, and we where highly surprised to hear that they wanted a good library with, if possible, 1 or 2 computers so the youth could read and study there! We where so surprised because people in Lanka are not exactly known to be readers, and in some place those who like to read books are made fun of!
On that moment Bhante’s phone rung and we received message that due to the heavy rains the town where we used to live for some time, and which is in the vicinity of Telwatta, Baddegama was flooded by the heavy rainfall. There where a number of people who drowned and thousands of people fled their houses and where in need of help. We decided to start back to Telwatta and organize the needed help.
We quickly said goodbye and started our return journey at once.
On the way back Bhante started to mobilize people so next day we would be able to start a help program for those in need. When we where near to Kalutara we where forced to go back and find another way because the water blocked the road. Finally late in the night we returned back to Telwatta and could get a few hours of sleep to start of next morning early hour to Baddegama. But that is another story which you will find elsewhere.
Last month we where asked to come to Singhapura, a small and very poor village near the town of Polunaruwa in the Eastern-Middle Province of Sri Lanka. The request came from one of our friends who have been working there for the Red Cross. “They urgently need help, Bhante! For years no one has paid any attention to them!” He told us further that even tough the Red Cross started some work there, they would not be able to finish it and those who needed it most would not be profiting much of it. He then started to tell us all kind of things which made us curious and we decided to go and have a look.
After a trip of more then 9 hours by car we finally arrived. Our friend Kapilla received us at the tank of Polunaruwa and guided us to the village. What we saw there exceeded the things we where told. About 60% of the population is living under such poor conditions as seldom seen, even in Sri Lanka. We where 1st brought to the address where we should spend the night. We received hospitality from a family who can be considered one of the “rich” families of the village. We where well received and after a wash up and thee, we where shown around the village. Here we will give you 1st a report about the good things which are happening there, and after that we will tell you about the other things we where confronted with.
There are in a big part of the village nice channels with vast streaming water, they are a part of the new irrigation system which was much needed here because it’s extremely dry here for a big part of the year.
Thanks to this system the farmers, that’s nearly everybody here, can now grow crops again like in ancient times. This ensures that the people here can earn a living, anyhow those who own land.
Even paddy and coconuts are growing here now! Also most people use those streams to take their bath and do their laundry. It’s a great progress since I’ve been last in this arrear about 24 years ago.
Unfortunately is the drinking water of such a bad quality that we can say that it is quite poisoned, and not suited for human consumption.
Lately the Red Cross has built a water purification centre, which is a great blessing, or could be so. The problem is that if you want to be connected to the water system to receive the purified water you have to pay an entry fee of SRS 5000.=.
There are 92 families who are so poor that it is impossible for them to pay that amount, so they will not be connected and have to do with the un purified water!!!!!!
The water contains among others heavy metals like; Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic and Fluoride which causes chronic kidney diseases.
This is a BIG PROBLEM and there is rice of 25 % of kidney failure, their teeth are rotting away, liver and milt are slowly giving up, and also intestinal problems are chronicle etc. etc.
There where 140 families which had no toilet facilities, the Spanish Red Cross would supply them with a decent toilet. The problem is that after they supplied 55 houses with a toilet the money was finished (or stopped) so there are another 85 families who have to do with a whole in the ground!!! Not only uncomfortable but what is more important very unhygienic and a source of infections and eventually epidemics.
Then we came to the “Mother and Child Healthcare Centre” if you might call the ruined building we saw there so! This 1st line health centre was not to be called a building even! Not even fitted for animals to be stalled in!!!!! Not surprising that during the last couple of years there has not been a midwife here and that even Dr. Indika who is in charge of it never went there anymore. He visited the place 3 years ago and never went back. I must say that this is really very understandable indeed!
This Centre is one of the 1st urgent things which should be renovated so the 1st line health care for pregnant woman and woman with their baby’s should be started again!
Then we went to the Montessori school where the smallest children of the village are supposed to start their education. Even tough the super structure of the building is not too bad and can be repaired quit easily the rest is in a terrible state. What we 1st thought to be a kind of stall for goats or so, turned out to be the place where the children supposed to take their meals. The playground is in fact dangerous for these small ones to play. The toilets are not worthy of the name the washing facility is a trough and the rest is in the same state. As said the walls and the roof can be repaired and should be newly plastered, but the rest …….? (see pictures at picasa)
After we visited those places in Singhapura we had enough of it really!
That evening we talked with a number of people mostly young householders with children and some people in their twenty’s who formed a committee and who where not willing to lie down and accept the state in which their village is in! Admirable, but where to start and how to get things going? They did not have an answer to that!
It was clear to them and us that they needed help urgently!
The next morning we went to visit the school which was also in a bad state, but Bhante saw also that the teachers there where not really doing their thing. (This was confirmed by the English teacher there and he told that the discipline among the staff was the biggest problem of the school). There are 6 teachers and 12 children and the level is below 0 ! therefore we think this has on the moment a low priority and we will contact 1st the inspector for education and schools in the district before we look in to the possibilities. Even tough repairs are really needed, better work by the teachers is a 1st condition.
We talked with a few villagers and asked what their big whish would be except from the things we mentioned, and we where highly surprised to hear that they wanted a good library with, if possible, 1 or 2 computers so the youth could read and study there! We where so surprised because people in Lanka are not exactly known to be readers, and in some place those who like to read books are made fun of!
On that moment Bhante’s phone rung and we received message that due to the heavy rains the town where we used to live for some time, and which is in the vicinity of Telwatta, Baddegama was flooded by the heavy rainfall. There where a number of people who drowned and thousands of people fled their houses and where in need of help. We decided to start back to Telwatta and organize the needed help.
We quickly said goodbye and started our return journey at once.
On the way back Bhante started to mobilize people so next day we would be able to start a help program for those in need. When we where near to Kalutara we where forced to go back and find another way because the water blocked the road. Finally late in the night we returned back to Telwatta and could get a few hours of sleep to start of next morning early hour to Baddegama. But that is another story which you will find elsewhere.
BADDEGAMA FLOODED!
While we where in Singhapura near Polunaruwa we got the message that Baddegama was flooded due to heavy rains, and we hurried back to organize some help for those affected. We arrived back in Telwatta late in the night and during the trip back Bhante started already to organize a few things needed.
The next morning we called to a number of people in Baddegama and tried to make an inventory of what was needed. Fortunately a lot was done already by the army and some government agencies. Bhante had the day before, during our trip back, mobilized our good friend Mrs. Joy Butler Markham of the Manacare foundation and she had gone already to Baddegama and distributed food, medicine etc.
That morning when we went to Baddegama and it turned out that the water was still very high but that the situation was quite under control, and that there was not much help needed anymore.
We found out that in Neluwa near Deniyaya there was urgent need for medical help. The nurse of the Manacare centre who was standby was send there to distribute medicine and help with the needed care to be given to those in need there. This was an initiative from our BLBF.
The next step was that on initiative of Bhante Devamitta there was a meeting held on the 6th of June at the house of Mrs. Joyce Butler Markham in Hikkaduwa. During that meeting the situation in Baddegama was evaluated and on initiative of Bhante Devamitta there was a Disaster Emergency Committee formed.
Invited where:
Mrs. Joy Butler Markham of the Manacare Foundation.
The Ven. B. Samitha Thero vice pres. o/ t Baddegama Pradesia Sabhava. He excused himself and asked Bhante to represent him.
The Rev. Father Niroshan of Christ Church Parish (Church of Ceylon) in Baddegama and
The Ven. H. S. Devamitta Thero.
A number of needs and wants and a work program where formulated.
We hope to have the second meeting soon.
While we where in Singhapura near Polunaruwa we got the message that Baddegama was flooded due to heavy rains, and we hurried back to organize some help for those affected. We arrived back in Telwatta late in the night and during the trip back Bhante started already to organize a few things needed.
The next morning we called to a number of people in Baddegama and tried to make an inventory of what was needed. Fortunately a lot was done already by the army and some government agencies. Bhante had the day before, during our trip back, mobilized our good friend Mrs. Joy Butler Markham of the Manacare foundation and she had gone already to Baddegama and distributed food, medicine etc.
That morning when we went to Baddegama and it turned out that the water was still very high but that the situation was quite under control, and that there was not much help needed anymore.
We found out that in Neluwa near Deniyaya there was urgent need for medical help. The nurse of the Manacare centre who was standby was send there to distribute medicine and help with the needed care to be given to those in need there. This was an initiative from our BLBF.
The next step was that on initiative of Bhante Devamitta there was a meeting held on the 6th of June at the house of Mrs. Joyce Butler Markham in Hikkaduwa. During that meeting the situation in Baddegama was evaluated and on initiative of Bhante Devamitta there was a Disaster Emergency Committee formed.
Invited where:
Mrs. Joy Butler Markham of the Manacare Foundation.
The Ven. B. Samitha Thero vice pres. o/ t Baddegama Pradesia Sabhava. He excused himself and asked Bhante to represent him.
The Rev. Father Niroshan of Christ Church Parish (Church of Ceylon) in Baddegama and
The Ven. H. S. Devamitta Thero.
A number of needs and wants and a work program where formulated.
We hope to have the second meeting soon.
WARD 6
AYURVEDA HOSPITAL GALLE.
During the work on our new place a young painter volunteered to paint the house for free his name is Chami. He’s a nice young man and has also been working hard when we where cleaning the grounds.
When he was finished with the 1st part of the painting, he did not come back and we found out that he was admitted in the Ayurveda hospital in Galle. We went there to find out if it was because of the work he did for us (we where feeling a bit guilty, because he worked very hard J). We where very happy to find that it was not so!
When we came at the hospital we found out that his wrist was kind of “locked” and that he had this before. He was happy with the things we brought for him, but asked if we would have a possibility to help another man who was admitted on his ward. Bhante told him that he would like to talk with the doctor to hear what the matter was.
Now we 1st have to explain that we where very surprised by the hospital and specially the ward Nr. 6. We are used to the Karapitiya Hospital (which we call Karapottiya –a Karapotta is a cockroach).
This hospital however is very clean, and surprise, surprise; the nurses (male and female) really nurse the patients!!!!!
The ward Nr. 6 is a Green ward. The doctor in charge is keen on that color because she says it gives the patients calm, it de-stresses and it’s the color of nature, and here in the Ayurveda Hospital they are cured be natural medicine. It makes sense!
Dr. Manjula Manatunga is a very good looking lady who is handling here patients with kindness, loving care and a high knowledge (she has studied among others in India). When we asked about the patient which was pointed out to us by Chami, she told that this man was one of the cases which where more mental then physical. We asked what was needed in here ward, she told that she needed some kind of medicines for here patients. She told that recently they where not supplied by the government anymore. The patients could not afford to buy them because they are mostly poor people.
We told here to give us a list of needs for here ward and we would see what we could do about it. We expected to get a list of which we would have to refuse 60% because it would be things wanted (or needed in here private clinic), unfortunately we have that kind of experience during the years. But ….. for the 2nd time we where pleasantly surprised; the list consisted only of medicine, pillows, pillowcases (green J), and bed sheets ….yes green lol.
The only “luxurious” item according to here was a fan for the consultation arrear of the ward! Well, I can assure you that its no luxurious item to have one there in 26 – 32 degrees C. We calculated that all this could be get for about SRS. 60.000.= (about €400.-), and we agreed to supply here ward with this needs. Also a brace for the leg of a young monk with MS is needed, he has one for 1 leg but needs another one for the other leg.
The ward has 30 beds so we need 30 pillows, 60 pillowcases, and 30 bed sheets. We bought already 30 pillowcases, 30 bed sheets and a part of the medicine and brought that to a happy and excited doctor.
This week we hope to get the rest of the items needed, bring them, and will put more pictures on picasa.
We hope that in the future we will receive some more donations so we will be able to help this doctor to get the needed medicine for here patients. Maybe there are even some people who like to “adopt” this ward financially? We surely hope to be able to do so, we not for nothing have formulated our policy to: “reward those who are functioning well, but need support” !!!!!!!! We surely think that this ward is doing so, and that we should help them!
Later more about this ward.
During the work on our new place a young painter volunteered to paint the house for free his name is Chami. He’s a nice young man and has also been working hard when we where cleaning the grounds.
When he was finished with the 1st part of the painting, he did not come back and we found out that he was admitted in the Ayurveda hospital in Galle. We went there to find out if it was because of the work he did for us (we where feeling a bit guilty, because he worked very hard J). We where very happy to find that it was not so!
When we came at the hospital we found out that his wrist was kind of “locked” and that he had this before. He was happy with the things we brought for him, but asked if we would have a possibility to help another man who was admitted on his ward. Bhante told him that he would like to talk with the doctor to hear what the matter was.
Now we 1st have to explain that we where very surprised by the hospital and specially the ward Nr. 6. We are used to the Karapitiya Hospital (which we call Karapottiya –a Karapotta is a cockroach).
This hospital however is very clean, and surprise, surprise; the nurses (male and female) really nurse the patients!!!!!
The ward Nr. 6 is a Green ward. The doctor in charge is keen on that color because she says it gives the patients calm, it de-stresses and it’s the color of nature, and here in the Ayurveda Hospital they are cured be natural medicine. It makes sense!
Dr. Manjula Manatunga is a very good looking lady who is handling here patients with kindness, loving care and a high knowledge (she has studied among others in India). When we asked about the patient which was pointed out to us by Chami, she told that this man was one of the cases which where more mental then physical. We asked what was needed in here ward, she told that she needed some kind of medicines for here patients. She told that recently they where not supplied by the government anymore. The patients could not afford to buy them because they are mostly poor people.
We told here to give us a list of needs for here ward and we would see what we could do about it. We expected to get a list of which we would have to refuse 60% because it would be things wanted (or needed in here private clinic), unfortunately we have that kind of experience during the years. But ….. for the 2nd time we where pleasantly surprised; the list consisted only of medicine, pillows, pillowcases (green J), and bed sheets ….yes green lol.
The only “luxurious” item according to here was a fan for the consultation arrear of the ward! Well, I can assure you that its no luxurious item to have one there in 26 – 32 degrees C. We calculated that all this could be get for about SRS. 60.000.= (about €400.-), and we agreed to supply here ward with this needs. Also a brace for the leg of a young monk with MS is needed, he has one for 1 leg but needs another one for the other leg.
The ward has 30 beds so we need 30 pillows, 60 pillowcases, and 30 bed sheets. We bought already 30 pillowcases, 30 bed sheets and a part of the medicine and brought that to a happy and excited doctor.
This week we hope to get the rest of the items needed, bring them, and will put more pictures on picasa.
We hope that in the future we will receive some more donations so we will be able to help this doctor to get the needed medicine for here patients. Maybe there are even some people who like to “adopt” this ward financially? We surely hope to be able to do so, we not for nothing have formulated our policy to: “reward those who are functioning well, but need support” !!!!!!!! We surely think that this ward is doing so, and that we should help them!
Later more about this ward.
SINGHAPURA A VILLAGE IN NEED! Part 2.
If you have been reading prt.1 about Singhapura you know what we found there when we 1st came on the invitation of the villagers send to us by our friend Kapila who worked there for the Red Cross.
Maybe you understand then that it was difficult to decide where to start. We made requests to a chapter of the Rotary in Colombo true our friend Mrs. Joy Markham Butler, but up till now there is no result yet. Also Alexander tried to get some help from the German Red Cross, but also from them there is no result yet.
The 29th of June a small group of volunteer workers arrived from the Netherlands: Saman Vinke and his 4 friends of the SrilanCare Foundation there. They are a wonderful kind of volunteers; every year when they come to do volunteer work they are not only working very hard, they also collect the funds to do some programs in Sri Lanka!
We might wish that there where more young people who take an example of this!!!!
Before they came Saman phoned me and asked if I knew any program they could do while they where here this time. Well, we have so many people and groups in need that we can choose! This time they wanted to do some thing in the Eastern part of the country, and not again in the coastal arrear where they have been doing a lot of great things in the past few years. The recently liberated part of the East and the arrear around Wellawaya where a no no, because of the security situation there, (Even tough we would like to have some urgently needed programs done there). So we offered them the program to renovate the Mother and Child Healthcare Centre in Singhapura.
We where very happy when they went there and told us that they would run the program there, and renovate the centre!!!
Our past experience with them assured us that it would be done perfectly, and in a durable fashion. They contacted Kapila who functioned as our coordinator there and started the work.
To keep it cheap they also worked as their own contractor!!!!!
After 15 days we where invited to come for the re-opening of the health centre and 3 days later we where astonished with the result!
In 18 days they worked out a small miracle, and proved that our trust in them was right! The ruined building had changed in a newly looking Health Centre, the people of the village where enormously happy, and so are we!!! The villagers had worked as free labourers
and they hired only some professionals which where needed. They had worked themselves very hard and because of this combination the costs where far below the estimate! When we arrived there we did not even recognized the place!!!
At the opening Bhante made the doctor promise not only to come and work there regularly, but also to keep an eye on the maintenance of the building from now on. Further more he stressed that the village population should take care of their responsibility and not let things go to waste again. For a detailed photo report we are referring to the picasa picture side there you will find the “before and after” pictures of the care centre.
We hope to find others to sponsor also the rest of the needs of the Singhapura village program, and maybe even people like Saman and his friends of the SrilanCare Foundation who would gather funds and come and run a program for our Blue Lotus Buddhist Fellowship.
In the mean time we would like to express our gratitude to the wonderful youngsters who did this one, Saman and his friends, and to their donators! Thank you! You gained great Merit!
Sadhu, Sadhu, Sa !!!!!
If you have been reading prt.1 about Singhapura you know what we found there when we 1st came on the invitation of the villagers send to us by our friend Kapila who worked there for the Red Cross.
Maybe you understand then that it was difficult to decide where to start. We made requests to a chapter of the Rotary in Colombo true our friend Mrs. Joy Markham Butler, but up till now there is no result yet. Also Alexander tried to get some help from the German Red Cross, but also from them there is no result yet.
The 29th of June a small group of volunteer workers arrived from the Netherlands: Saman Vinke and his 4 friends of the SrilanCare Foundation there. They are a wonderful kind of volunteers; every year when they come to do volunteer work they are not only working very hard, they also collect the funds to do some programs in Sri Lanka!
We might wish that there where more young people who take an example of this!!!!
Before they came Saman phoned me and asked if I knew any program they could do while they where here this time. Well, we have so many people and groups in need that we can choose! This time they wanted to do some thing in the Eastern part of the country, and not again in the coastal arrear where they have been doing a lot of great things in the past few years. The recently liberated part of the East and the arrear around Wellawaya where a no no, because of the security situation there, (Even tough we would like to have some urgently needed programs done there). So we offered them the program to renovate the Mother and Child Healthcare Centre in Singhapura.
We where very happy when they went there and told us that they would run the program there, and renovate the centre!!!
Our past experience with them assured us that it would be done perfectly, and in a durable fashion. They contacted Kapila who functioned as our coordinator there and started the work.
To keep it cheap they also worked as their own contractor!!!!!
After 15 days we where invited to come for the re-opening of the health centre and 3 days later we where astonished with the result!
In 18 days they worked out a small miracle, and proved that our trust in them was right! The ruined building had changed in a newly looking Health Centre, the people of the village where enormously happy, and so are we!!! The villagers had worked as free labourers
and they hired only some professionals which where needed. They had worked themselves very hard and because of this combination the costs where far below the estimate! When we arrived there we did not even recognized the place!!!
At the opening Bhante made the doctor promise not only to come and work there regularly, but also to keep an eye on the maintenance of the building from now on. Further more he stressed that the village population should take care of their responsibility and not let things go to waste again. For a detailed photo report we are referring to the picasa picture side there you will find the “before and after” pictures of the care centre.
We hope to find others to sponsor also the rest of the needs of the Singhapura village program, and maybe even people like Saman and his friends of the SrilanCare Foundation who would gather funds and come and run a program for our Blue Lotus Buddhist Fellowship.
In the mean time we would like to express our gratitude to the wonderful youngsters who did this one, Saman and his friends, and to their donators! Thank you! You gained great Merit!
Sadhu, Sadhu, Sa !!!!!
THANK YOU !
THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!
Thank you all for your interest in our live and work.
Thanks to those of you who stay in touch with us; we appreciate your phone calls, e-mails, sms messages and your visits!!
Thanks to all who supported our work in the past, support us in the present and hopefully in the future J .
Thanks to all those people over here who give us the Dana of labor!
Thanks to those who donated the clay, plants and other items in support of our building the “Metta-Asrama”!!!!!
Thanks in a special way to Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Marjan Sandkuyl who took care that we received a special donation of € 2500.=.
This couple took a wonderful initiative; at the occasion of Marjan’s XX birthday (I will not name the age of any lady without here personal permission because I don’t like to be hit at any future personal Meeting J), they asked their friends and relations not to bring any gifts but to donate some money to the Randolph Fellowship.
This resulted in the fact that after his return Alexander brought us a donation of €2500.= !!!!!!!!!! A initiative which might inspire others? We surely hope so!
THANKS A LOT MARJAN AND PETER !!!!!!
Thanks to Saman and his friends of the SrilanCare foundation and their donors!!!!!
Thanks to Mrs. Joy Butler Markham for corporation in some programs,
She also borrowed us equipment needed at the “Metta – Asrama”, she’s going to borrow us a tent for the Asrama (Curious? Then read the blog we will send you message as it is posted!), and last but not least thanks Joy for being who you are!
THANKS TO "OUR SAN" ; ALEXANDER WHO IS SUCH A SUPPORT AND GIVES US COURAGE TO GO ON, AND SUPPORTS OUR WORK TOGETHER WITH ARDJE HIS WIFE!!!
Thank you all from us, and thank you from all those people (and that are already hundreds and hundreds now !!!!!!), who profit from your DANA (gift offered without intention to get anything back), and who will profit from it for a longer time!!!!!
Sadhu, Sadhu, Saaa!
Ven. H. S. Devamitta Maha Thera,
Rev. B. Ariyadhamma Thero,
Rev. R. Devarakkhita Thero,
Rev. W. Narada Thero.
The people of Singhapura,
The people of Neluwa,
The doctor, nurses and patients of ward 6 of:
the Ayurveda Hospital Galle.
Thank you all for your interest in our live and work.
Thanks to those of you who stay in touch with us; we appreciate your phone calls, e-mails, sms messages and your visits!!
Thanks to all who supported our work in the past, support us in the present and hopefully in the future J .
Thanks to all those people over here who give us the Dana of labor!
Thanks to those who donated the clay, plants and other items in support of our building the “Metta-Asrama”!!!!!
Thanks in a special way to Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Marjan Sandkuyl who took care that we received a special donation of € 2500.=.
This couple took a wonderful initiative; at the occasion of Marjan’s XX birthday (I will not name the age of any lady without here personal permission because I don’t like to be hit at any future personal Meeting J), they asked their friends and relations not to bring any gifts but to donate some money to the Randolph Fellowship.
This resulted in the fact that after his return Alexander brought us a donation of €2500.= !!!!!!!!!! A initiative which might inspire others? We surely hope so!
THANKS A LOT MARJAN AND PETER !!!!!!
Thanks to Saman and his friends of the SrilanCare foundation and their donors!!!!!
Thanks to Mrs. Joy Butler Markham for corporation in some programs,
She also borrowed us equipment needed at the “Metta – Asrama”, she’s going to borrow us a tent for the Asrama (Curious? Then read the blog we will send you message as it is posted!), and last but not least thanks Joy for being who you are!
THANKS TO "OUR SAN" ; ALEXANDER WHO IS SUCH A SUPPORT AND GIVES US COURAGE TO GO ON, AND SUPPORTS OUR WORK TOGETHER WITH ARDJE HIS WIFE!!!
Thank you all from us, and thank you from all those people (and that are already hundreds and hundreds now !!!!!!), who profit from your DANA (gift offered without intention to get anything back), and who will profit from it for a longer time!!!!!
Sadhu, Sadhu, Saaa!
Ven. H. S. Devamitta Maha Thera,
Rev. B. Ariyadhamma Thero,
Rev. R. Devarakkhita Thero,
Rev. W. Narada Thero.
The people of Singhapura,
The people of Neluwa,
The doctor, nurses and patients of ward 6 of:
the Ayurveda Hospital Galle.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
BLUE LOTUS BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP
INTERNATIONAL WELFARE FOUNDATION
&
BLUE LOTUS SANGHA SABHAVA
INTERNATIONAL MONASTIC FOUNDATION
“GO FORTH, O BHIKKHUS*,
FOR THE GOOD OF THE MANY,
FOR THE HAPPINESS OF THE MANY,
OUT OF COMPASSION FOR THE WORLD,
FOR THE GOOD, THE BENEFIT AND HAPPINESS
OF GODS AND MEN!”
*bhikkhus is normally translated as monk.
POST ADRESS:
SRI RAHULA CULTURAL LIBRARY
TOTAGAMU RATHPATH RAJA MAHA VIHARAYA
TEMPLE ROAD
TELWATTA 80242
SRI LANKA
TEL. (0094) 091-4922772
(0094) 077-6958796 (mobile)
WHAT ARE WE DOING AND WHO IS WHO?
What Are We Doing in the BLUE LOTUS BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP and the BLUE LOTUS SANGHA SABHAVA?
We would like to introduce to you the members of our foundations in Sri Lanka, we are all people who have been working, very hard, together for the last year to help and support the poor, the handicapped and those persons and institutions in need. Some of us like the Ven. Holland Sri Devamitta Maha Thera (Bhante Devamitta), and ”Fidu” have been doing this kind of work since January 2005 after the Tsunami disaster hit this beautiful country of Sri Lanka , the Rev. Baddegama Ariyadhamma Thero, a young Buddhist monk and pupil of Bhante Devamitta, joint us during the last 11/2 year. Recently we where joined by Kumara (our new treasurer), he's the district officer for Baddegama in charge with sport activities and Anura (in charge of logistics and buying the materials needed).
First though we would like to inform you about the purpose and functioning of the foundations.
Because of the complexity and the shear amount of help needed we decided to establish the above mentioned Foundations. The Blue Lotus Buddhist Fellowship is there to organize the social and medical welfare part of our work, a part of the educational work and some of the self-employment projects we hope to develop. We work for the benefit and the uplifting of the poorest of the poor, and the purpose of providing to those who are now chanceless an opportunity to get the chance and change their future and that of their children.
WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEMS LAYS IN OUR DOUBLE APPROACHE OF CARE AND EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!!
We specially want to focus on the children, woman and handicapped in our society. They are the most vulnerable group and in need of direct care and the opportunity’s to get a chance to create a better life. Many of them are in need of medical support and facility‘s (medicine, artificial limbs, wheelchairs, eyeglasses, hearing devices etc. etc.), they need professional training and education.
WE URGENTLY NEED HEARING DEVICES AND WHEELCHAIRS ETC. ETC. !!!!!!!!!
ABOUTH 1/3 OF OUR CHILDREN NEED FOOD! THEY ARE MALNUTRICIONED!!!!!!!!!!
Lately we have been asked by the Medical Inspector of the Schools to try and help some 19 children to get eyeglasses, they needed these eyeglasses already for a long time (some of them for 2-3 years!!!!!). When they where being tested in the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital it turned out that tough 6 of them needed eyeglasses their real problem was malnutrition!!! Before this we had already a cry for help of a school principal that one of his students, a 10 year old boy, was badly malnutritioned. A few days after we started to feed these children and give food supplements there came a request from a local doctor for 5 more children!!!!! We could get food supplements from Unesco and bought them , and gave those kids also meals. This we could do because of a donation given to us from a German family; the family Holger. But now after more then 6 months the money is finished. We would like to organize an ongoing program in which we accept a small group of kids to be given meals and /or food supplements during a period of 3-6 months (in consultation with the doctor). We would like to take the opportunity here to thank this family for there great help to us!!!!!. We got (true the assistance of Mr. Alexander Sandkuyl; “our Sander“) also a donation from Mr. Jaap Plugge from the Netherlands which enabled us to supply the needed eyeglasses, thank you Jaap!!!! And by the way: The PC on which we are working now is a laptop donated by Mr. and Mrs. John and Claudette Velenturf from the Netherlands, friends of Sander, our sincere thanks is also going to them for this great donation!!!! This people are wonderful!!! They give being sure not to get anything back for it except our gratitude and the knowledge that they support our work for the poor and needy. This is what the Buddhist concept of Dana (generosity) is all about, and they are not Buddhist but real compassionate people touched by Human Suffering, a big Sadhu Sadhu Saaa for all of them!
A TRAUMA WHICH IS NOT HEALED, IS GROWING AND GROWING!!!!!!!!!
There is a great need for trauma healing, not only because of the Tsunami, also because of the war against terrorism which has made many victims! Also many are traumatized because of violence in schools and their home‘s.
We have to work on programs to stop the violence; the physical, focal as well as mental violence in our society! Violence in schools, at home, in all kind of other institutions and in the workplace. We would like to propagate Non Violent Communication in general. For this we need professional training programs. We further need to give people information about the dangers of marriage’s in the family (often practiced in our arrear), HIV/Aids prevention, drug addiction, alcohol abuse (the use of home brew liquor is a big problem here) and so on. Mr. Peter Sandkuyl donated us a "beamer"for our groupswork.
THANK YOU PETER!!!!!!
Because of this: WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!
WE URGENTLY NEED TRAUMA WORKERS!!!!!!!!
We need funds, that is sure, but not only funds!
We need professional volunteers!
We need volunteers: Students, Nurses, Therapists, Teachers, but also people who just want to work and do manual work etc.!!!!!
We need schooling material! We need training for our workers!!!!!
We need a place where we independently can live and work and train our new welfare workers and monks!!!!!
(DON’T FORGET WE MONKS ARE THE CHEAPEST WORK FORCE).
We need young people who want to come and help us as volunteers!
WE NEED YOUR MATERIAL AND IMATERIAL SUPPORT!
The Blue Lotus Sangha Sabhava has the purpose of organizing the monastic upkeep, educational, religious and social part of our work. (Mediation Centre, Study and Research Centre and a Special Care Home for boys and hopefully later for girls).
On request of the doctors of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital we are starting a program for Care for the Dieing (counseling those who are dieing, specially children, and their family members); to our knowledge this is the 1st group starting this work in this country!!!!! We are now in a preparing stage and those who are going to join Bhante Devamitta in this work are contemplating the needs and how to reward them.
FOR THIS WORK WE ALSO NEED TRAINING!!!!!!!!!
IS THERE ANYBODDY OUT THERE WHO CAN HELP US TO GET TRAINING AND / OR TRAINING MATERIAL?????
PEACE AND RECONCILIATION, SO MUCH NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!
Since January last year (on an initiative of Bhante Devamitta), we run a quite successful Inter-religious Dialogue and Reconciliation program. True this program we are trying to bring the different groups of the population together, and up till now we have quite a successful group of male and female participants of the four main religions here in the country present and our participants are coming closer and closer together. We would like to expand our activities but…. there is a lack of funds. Up till now we where able to run this program because of the great help we got from the Trauma Resource (Comp.Ltd) organization from Britain. For this we are VERRY GREATFULL TO THEM !!!!!!!!!!!!! But we need to create a fund for this so we can continue this much needed program!!!!! Maybe we can get support from the churches and/or other inter-religious groups around the world, but we need people to organize this we are short of manpower.
True this Sangha Sabhava we also want to provide training possibility’s for young monks and lay people alike in not only Buddhist Teachings and Practices, but also in inter-religious education, modern science, social work, languishes, art, welfare work and computer technology. This way we will be able to train our own people and “outside” workers to support our work and to stimulate them to start working in the same field. Some of the self-employment projects will have to be done by the Sangha Sabhava and the Sangha Sabhava will also control the maintenance of the land and the buildings on it (Sangha property cant be sold, this will secure the safety and continuance of the projects). This way there will be no private interest in “owning” the place with al the dangers of that and we can take care that private financial interests will be kept out. The members of our Foundations will have no financial income from their work. Sometimes we will have to employ workers but this will be noticed in the Program Information of each program.
CONCLUSION:
To conclude the aims and programs oversight we will give you below a short point to point resume of the PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES of the Foundations. Behind each separate item there is a short indication of which Foundation is in charge of it; Fellowship or Sabhava or both.
GENERAL REMARK:
In all cases the two Foundations will have to work closely together, one cant exist without the other, we specially planned it that way to insure the continuance of both because we clearly see that if we want to be successful and not become a pray to corruption or financial malfersations we have to be interconnected and depending. This way both will be obliged to check on each other to ensure their own existence.
This on top on our Constitution in which we have build in as much as possible those rules which will serve this purpose also.
MEDICAL CARE;
- Organizing free distribution of medical accessories like eyeglasses, hearing devices, wheelchairs, artificial limbs, implants and other items to the poor. (Fellowship)
- Establishing a fund for those in need of medication and other long term medical care. (Fellowship)
- Organizing support for doctors, medical institutions and a program true which volunteer professionals are able to share knowledge and experiences with local professionals in the medical field .(Both)
- Organizing a volunteer program for students in the medical field to do the same. (Both)
- Organizing an exchange program for this purpose so local medical workers and students can refresh their knowledge and foreign professionals and students can experience the way of working out here. (Both)
- Establishing a program and training workers for it to comfort and counsel those who are dieing and their relatives. (Sabhava)
SOCIAL WELFARE and CARE:
- Organizing any Social Welfare activities which might serve our purpose to uplift our society. (Both)
- Organizing a project to feed underfed children in our society. (Sabhava)
- HIV/Aids prevention program. (Sabhava)
- Anti Hard drug and alcohol abuse campaign and rehabilitation program. ((Sabhava)
- Organizing a campaign against inbreed (marriage in the family). (Sabhava)
- Introducing a campaign against domestic violence. (Sabhava)
- Introducing a NVC (Non Violent Communication) program on schools and other educational and commercial institutions. (Both)
- Introducing a campaign to uplift the status of woman and handicapped in our society (Fellowship)
- Organizing an Employment and Self - employment program for woman and handicapped. (Both)
- Establishing a test garden where foreign herbs, vegetables and medical plants will be grown so we can teach the local woman how to do this in a home garden project. This plants can be sold to tourist hotels and restaurants and there can be produced side products as pesto, balms etc.
(Both)
- Establishing a workshop where rice paper can be produced, a printing shop and a workshop where glass fiber statues can be produced and hand painted. (Both)
- Establishing and running of a special care home for children (boys and later hopefully another centre for girls) who are in need will have a place to live and receive the care and all other facilities needed to develop them in to respectable and valuable members of our society. (Both)
EDUCATION:
- Organizing exchange programs for students of different disciplines. (Both)
- Organizing free and/or low-cost courses on different subjects. (Both)
- Organizing volunteer teaching programs on languages, traditional arts, science, music, etc. (Both)
- Organizing volunteer programs true which professionals are able to stay for a short or long term period in Sri Lanka to teach and work here for the uplifting and benefit of our society in general. (Both)
- Organizing vocational training programs on the field of agriculture, techniques and other professional disciplines. (Both)
- Some of our youth are very talented but can’t continue their education because of a lack of funds; we would like to establish a Scholarship Program for their benefit. (Fellowship)
CULTURE:
- Propagating and preserving different Sri Lankan and Buddhist traditional and cultural aspects which are under treat to disappear. (Sabhava)
- Propagating and stimulating the different arts, traditional and modern. (Sabhava)
- Forming an Art Collective. Painters, sculpturers, musicians and other artist who might be served by participating in it. (Sabhava) – (production and sales; Fellowship)
- Organizing Cultural Manifestations, exhibitions and any other activities which might serve our purpose. (Both)
RELIGIOUS *:
- Organizing the Ordination of a number of new monks.
- Building a Dhamma Study and Research Centre and a Meditation Centre with monastic accommodation for our Sangha in Telwatta and eventually other places, also there should be accommodation for visiting Sangha and Laity who are coming to study and practice Buddhism and Meditation there .
- Establishing a Sangha Fund for the upkeep, education, medical costs, transport cost and training costs of our monks so they will be able to
fully concentrate on their religious duties and do the work for the benefit of our society in general.
- Organizing Dhamma Study, Meditation Courses and retreats for Sangha members and Lay visitors alike.
- Organizing Buddhist Research Programs for example: Use of meditation in the medical field, the use of Buddhist Psychology (Abhidhamma) in Mental Health Care. Buddhist Meditation and Healing. Buddhist Economics. What is the value of Buddhist Politics? (Ashokan period – Milenda Panha). The value of Happiness in a society and its economical consequences. (Worldwide study of the Government of Buthan) Etc.
- Organizing Buddhist Manifestations, Rally’s (propagating Buddhist ethics etc.)which might serve our purpose.
- Stimulating, expanding and continuing the Inter- and Intra- Religious Dialogue with the Aim to come to a Reconciliation Movement.
- Starting an Inter-religious program in the prisons to minister the inmates and get them to practice Buddhist Ethics and Meditation and to counsel those who need that.
As you can see this activities will be mainly organized and runned by the Sangha Sabhava but many of these and the other activities are connected and can sometimes be called under the same heading. Anyhow as stated before the two Foundations are bound to work together, they are inter-dependent and connected.
Anybody who has a special interest in it can make a request for a copy of the Constitution of the Foundation, this is depending on the purpose for which it will be used, the motivation and the decision of the board if a full printed copy will be send to the applicant (costs on account of the applicant). The Constitutions will be always available for viewing at the secretary. Donators can, on request, receive a free copy by email.
Every year there will be a public financial report given, every three months the Newsletter will contain a financial oversight and donators will receive regularly a special report of the spending of their funds given for specific projects. (This will start on April next according to local law the bookyear of any foundation starts on the 1st of April).
FURTHER ACTIVITIES:
Bhante Devamitta had a long term dream to establish in this arrear a children Rehabilitation and Care Centre, and now in corporation with the SRILANCARE FOUNDATION in The Netherlands we are working hard to establish such a Centre. We are founding in corporation with the doctors from Karapitiya General Hospital the SRILANCARE FOUNDATION - SRI LANKA with the purpose to build a Centre where children who are Physically and /or Mentally Traumatized and who need after care and rehabilitation will have the possibility to stay for a period of time to be treated and accommodated so they can rehabilitate under the guidance and in corporation with the Karapitiya General Hospital in Galle.
INTERNATIONAL WELFARE FOUNDATION
&
BLUE LOTUS SANGHA SABHAVA
INTERNATIONAL MONASTIC FOUNDATION
“GO FORTH, O BHIKKHUS*,
FOR THE GOOD OF THE MANY,
FOR THE HAPPINESS OF THE MANY,
OUT OF COMPASSION FOR THE WORLD,
FOR THE GOOD, THE BENEFIT AND HAPPINESS
OF GODS AND MEN!”
*bhikkhus is normally translated as monk.
POST ADRESS:
SRI RAHULA CULTURAL LIBRARY
TOTAGAMU RATHPATH RAJA MAHA VIHARAYA
TEMPLE ROAD
TELWATTA 80242
SRI LANKA
TEL. (0094) 091-4922772
(0094) 077-6958796 (mobile)
WHAT ARE WE DOING AND WHO IS WHO?
What Are We Doing in the BLUE LOTUS BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP and the BLUE LOTUS SANGHA SABHAVA?
We would like to introduce to you the members of our foundations in Sri Lanka, we are all people who have been working, very hard, together for the last year to help and support the poor, the handicapped and those persons and institutions in need. Some of us like the Ven. Holland Sri Devamitta Maha Thera (Bhante Devamitta), and ”Fidu” have been doing this kind of work since January 2005 after the Tsunami disaster hit this beautiful country of Sri Lanka , the Rev. Baddegama Ariyadhamma Thero, a young Buddhist monk and pupil of Bhante Devamitta, joint us during the last 11/2 year. Recently we where joined by Kumara (our new treasurer), he's the district officer for Baddegama in charge with sport activities and Anura (in charge of logistics and buying the materials needed).
First though we would like to inform you about the purpose and functioning of the foundations.
Because of the complexity and the shear amount of help needed we decided to establish the above mentioned Foundations. The Blue Lotus Buddhist Fellowship is there to organize the social and medical welfare part of our work, a part of the educational work and some of the self-employment projects we hope to develop. We work for the benefit and the uplifting of the poorest of the poor, and the purpose of providing to those who are now chanceless an opportunity to get the chance and change their future and that of their children.
WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEMS LAYS IN OUR DOUBLE APPROACHE OF CARE AND EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!!
We specially want to focus on the children, woman and handicapped in our society. They are the most vulnerable group and in need of direct care and the opportunity’s to get a chance to create a better life. Many of them are in need of medical support and facility‘s (medicine, artificial limbs, wheelchairs, eyeglasses, hearing devices etc. etc.), they need professional training and education.
WE URGENTLY NEED HEARING DEVICES AND WHEELCHAIRS ETC. ETC. !!!!!!!!!
ABOUTH 1/3 OF OUR CHILDREN NEED FOOD! THEY ARE MALNUTRICIONED!!!!!!!!!!
Lately we have been asked by the Medical Inspector of the Schools to try and help some 19 children to get eyeglasses, they needed these eyeglasses already for a long time (some of them for 2-3 years!!!!!). When they where being tested in the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital it turned out that tough 6 of them needed eyeglasses their real problem was malnutrition!!! Before this we had already a cry for help of a school principal that one of his students, a 10 year old boy, was badly malnutritioned. A few days after we started to feed these children and give food supplements there came a request from a local doctor for 5 more children!!!!! We could get food supplements from Unesco and bought them , and gave those kids also meals. This we could do because of a donation given to us from a German family; the family Holger. But now after more then 6 months the money is finished. We would like to organize an ongoing program in which we accept a small group of kids to be given meals and /or food supplements during a period of 3-6 months (in consultation with the doctor). We would like to take the opportunity here to thank this family for there great help to us!!!!!. We got (true the assistance of Mr. Alexander Sandkuyl; “our Sander“) also a donation from Mr. Jaap Plugge from the Netherlands which enabled us to supply the needed eyeglasses, thank you Jaap!!!! And by the way: The PC on which we are working now is a laptop donated by Mr. and Mrs. John and Claudette Velenturf from the Netherlands, friends of Sander, our sincere thanks is also going to them for this great donation!!!! This people are wonderful!!! They give being sure not to get anything back for it except our gratitude and the knowledge that they support our work for the poor and needy. This is what the Buddhist concept of Dana (generosity) is all about, and they are not Buddhist but real compassionate people touched by Human Suffering, a big Sadhu Sadhu Saaa for all of them!
A TRAUMA WHICH IS NOT HEALED, IS GROWING AND GROWING!!!!!!!!!
There is a great need for trauma healing, not only because of the Tsunami, also because of the war against terrorism which has made many victims! Also many are traumatized because of violence in schools and their home‘s.
We have to work on programs to stop the violence; the physical, focal as well as mental violence in our society! Violence in schools, at home, in all kind of other institutions and in the workplace. We would like to propagate Non Violent Communication in general. For this we need professional training programs. We further need to give people information about the dangers of marriage’s in the family (often practiced in our arrear), HIV/Aids prevention, drug addiction, alcohol abuse (the use of home brew liquor is a big problem here) and so on. Mr. Peter Sandkuyl donated us a "beamer"for our groupswork.
THANK YOU PETER!!!!!!
Because of this: WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!
WE URGENTLY NEED TRAUMA WORKERS!!!!!!!!
We need funds, that is sure, but not only funds!
We need professional volunteers!
We need volunteers: Students, Nurses, Therapists, Teachers, but also people who just want to work and do manual work etc.!!!!!
We need schooling material! We need training for our workers!!!!!
We need a place where we independently can live and work and train our new welfare workers and monks!!!!!
(DON’T FORGET WE MONKS ARE THE CHEAPEST WORK FORCE).
We need young people who want to come and help us as volunteers!
WE NEED YOUR MATERIAL AND IMATERIAL SUPPORT!
The Blue Lotus Sangha Sabhava has the purpose of organizing the monastic upkeep, educational, religious and social part of our work. (Mediation Centre, Study and Research Centre and a Special Care Home for boys and hopefully later for girls).
On request of the doctors of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital we are starting a program for Care for the Dieing (counseling those who are dieing, specially children, and their family members); to our knowledge this is the 1st group starting this work in this country!!!!! We are now in a preparing stage and those who are going to join Bhante Devamitta in this work are contemplating the needs and how to reward them.
FOR THIS WORK WE ALSO NEED TRAINING!!!!!!!!!
IS THERE ANYBODDY OUT THERE WHO CAN HELP US TO GET TRAINING AND / OR TRAINING MATERIAL?????
PEACE AND RECONCILIATION, SO MUCH NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!
Since January last year (on an initiative of Bhante Devamitta), we run a quite successful Inter-religious Dialogue and Reconciliation program. True this program we are trying to bring the different groups of the population together, and up till now we have quite a successful group of male and female participants of the four main religions here in the country present and our participants are coming closer and closer together. We would like to expand our activities but…. there is a lack of funds. Up till now we where able to run this program because of the great help we got from the Trauma Resource (Comp.Ltd) organization from Britain. For this we are VERRY GREATFULL TO THEM !!!!!!!!!!!!! But we need to create a fund for this so we can continue this much needed program!!!!! Maybe we can get support from the churches and/or other inter-religious groups around the world, but we need people to organize this we are short of manpower.
True this Sangha Sabhava we also want to provide training possibility’s for young monks and lay people alike in not only Buddhist Teachings and Practices, but also in inter-religious education, modern science, social work, languishes, art, welfare work and computer technology. This way we will be able to train our own people and “outside” workers to support our work and to stimulate them to start working in the same field. Some of the self-employment projects will have to be done by the Sangha Sabhava and the Sangha Sabhava will also control the maintenance of the land and the buildings on it (Sangha property cant be sold, this will secure the safety and continuance of the projects). This way there will be no private interest in “owning” the place with al the dangers of that and we can take care that private financial interests will be kept out. The members of our Foundations will have no financial income from their work. Sometimes we will have to employ workers but this will be noticed in the Program Information of each program.
CONCLUSION:
To conclude the aims and programs oversight we will give you below a short point to point resume of the PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES of the Foundations. Behind each separate item there is a short indication of which Foundation is in charge of it; Fellowship or Sabhava or both.
GENERAL REMARK:
In all cases the two Foundations will have to work closely together, one cant exist without the other, we specially planned it that way to insure the continuance of both because we clearly see that if we want to be successful and not become a pray to corruption or financial malfersations we have to be interconnected and depending. This way both will be obliged to check on each other to ensure their own existence.
This on top on our Constitution in which we have build in as much as possible those rules which will serve this purpose also.
MEDICAL CARE;
- Organizing free distribution of medical accessories like eyeglasses, hearing devices, wheelchairs, artificial limbs, implants and other items to the poor. (Fellowship)
- Establishing a fund for those in need of medication and other long term medical care. (Fellowship)
- Organizing support for doctors, medical institutions and a program true which volunteer professionals are able to share knowledge and experiences with local professionals in the medical field .(Both)
- Organizing a volunteer program for students in the medical field to do the same. (Both)
- Organizing an exchange program for this purpose so local medical workers and students can refresh their knowledge and foreign professionals and students can experience the way of working out here. (Both)
- Establishing a program and training workers for it to comfort and counsel those who are dieing and their relatives. (Sabhava)
SOCIAL WELFARE and CARE:
- Organizing any Social Welfare activities which might serve our purpose to uplift our society. (Both)
- Organizing a project to feed underfed children in our society. (Sabhava)
- HIV/Aids prevention program. (Sabhava)
- Anti Hard drug and alcohol abuse campaign and rehabilitation program. ((Sabhava)
- Organizing a campaign against inbreed (marriage in the family). (Sabhava)
- Introducing a campaign against domestic violence. (Sabhava)
- Introducing a NVC (Non Violent Communication) program on schools and other educational and commercial institutions. (Both)
- Introducing a campaign to uplift the status of woman and handicapped in our society (Fellowship)
- Organizing an Employment and Self - employment program for woman and handicapped. (Both)
- Establishing a test garden where foreign herbs, vegetables and medical plants will be grown so we can teach the local woman how to do this in a home garden project. This plants can be sold to tourist hotels and restaurants and there can be produced side products as pesto, balms etc.
(Both)
- Establishing a workshop where rice paper can be produced, a printing shop and a workshop where glass fiber statues can be produced and hand painted. (Both)
- Establishing and running of a special care home for children (boys and later hopefully another centre for girls) who are in need will have a place to live and receive the care and all other facilities needed to develop them in to respectable and valuable members of our society. (Both)
EDUCATION:
- Organizing exchange programs for students of different disciplines. (Both)
- Organizing free and/or low-cost courses on different subjects. (Both)
- Organizing volunteer teaching programs on languages, traditional arts, science, music, etc. (Both)
- Organizing volunteer programs true which professionals are able to stay for a short or long term period in Sri Lanka to teach and work here for the uplifting and benefit of our society in general. (Both)
- Organizing vocational training programs on the field of agriculture, techniques and other professional disciplines. (Both)
- Some of our youth are very talented but can’t continue their education because of a lack of funds; we would like to establish a Scholarship Program for their benefit. (Fellowship)
CULTURE:
- Propagating and preserving different Sri Lankan and Buddhist traditional and cultural aspects which are under treat to disappear. (Sabhava)
- Propagating and stimulating the different arts, traditional and modern. (Sabhava)
- Forming an Art Collective. Painters, sculpturers, musicians and other artist who might be served by participating in it. (Sabhava) – (production and sales; Fellowship)
- Organizing Cultural Manifestations, exhibitions and any other activities which might serve our purpose. (Both)
RELIGIOUS *:
- Organizing the Ordination of a number of new monks.
- Building a Dhamma Study and Research Centre and a Meditation Centre with monastic accommodation for our Sangha in Telwatta and eventually other places, also there should be accommodation for visiting Sangha and Laity who are coming to study and practice Buddhism and Meditation there .
- Establishing a Sangha Fund for the upkeep, education, medical costs, transport cost and training costs of our monks so they will be able to
fully concentrate on their religious duties and do the work for the benefit of our society in general.
- Organizing Dhamma Study, Meditation Courses and retreats for Sangha members and Lay visitors alike.
- Organizing Buddhist Research Programs for example: Use of meditation in the medical field, the use of Buddhist Psychology (Abhidhamma) in Mental Health Care. Buddhist Meditation and Healing. Buddhist Economics. What is the value of Buddhist Politics? (Ashokan period – Milenda Panha). The value of Happiness in a society and its economical consequences. (Worldwide study of the Government of Buthan) Etc.
- Organizing Buddhist Manifestations, Rally’s (propagating Buddhist ethics etc.)which might serve our purpose.
- Stimulating, expanding and continuing the Inter- and Intra- Religious Dialogue with the Aim to come to a Reconciliation Movement.
- Starting an Inter-religious program in the prisons to minister the inmates and get them to practice Buddhist Ethics and Meditation and to counsel those who need that.
As you can see this activities will be mainly organized and runned by the Sangha Sabhava but many of these and the other activities are connected and can sometimes be called under the same heading. Anyhow as stated before the two Foundations are bound to work together, they are inter-dependent and connected.
Anybody who has a special interest in it can make a request for a copy of the Constitution of the Foundation, this is depending on the purpose for which it will be used, the motivation and the decision of the board if a full printed copy will be send to the applicant (costs on account of the applicant). The Constitutions will be always available for viewing at the secretary. Donators can, on request, receive a free copy by email.
Every year there will be a public financial report given, every three months the Newsletter will contain a financial oversight and donators will receive regularly a special report of the spending of their funds given for specific projects. (This will start on April next according to local law the bookyear of any foundation starts on the 1st of April).
FURTHER ACTIVITIES:
Bhante Devamitta had a long term dream to establish in this arrear a children Rehabilitation and Care Centre, and now in corporation with the SRILANCARE FOUNDATION in The Netherlands we are working hard to establish such a Centre. We are founding in corporation with the doctors from Karapitiya General Hospital the SRILANCARE FOUNDATION - SRI LANKA with the purpose to build a Centre where children who are Physically and /or Mentally Traumatized and who need after care and rehabilitation will have the possibility to stay for a period of time to be treated and accommodated so they can rehabilitate under the guidance and in corporation with the Karapitiya General Hospital in Galle.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Buddhika needs a artificial legg
Buddhika needs a artificial leg and a start to a new face of his live!!!!
During one of the last days of here visit we went to meet K.K. Buddhika a now 18 years old boy in Narigama (Hikkaduwa) with Nicole and here friend Remco.
When he was 17 years old (in 2006) he had a bad accident; on his way back from school he was hit by a bus of which the driver was drunk. (He was the THIRD victim of this criminal that afternoon). His arm was torn of and his right leg was smashed. Due to the good sense of a fish salesman near to where the accident happened his arm was rescued and could be put on again. (The fish salesman had the good sense to put the arm on ice he used to cool his fish and give it to the people of the ambulance so it could be saved). His leg was totally smashed and had to be amputated above the knee. He now “walks” with the help of 2 crutches but is mostly confined to his home and the near surrounding.
Buddhika turned out to be a very handsome and clever young man, who could speak some English and had an optimistic attitude. He dreamed of a new leg which he hoped to be a movable one so he would be able to put away his crutches and move around freely again. (Tough he knows that such a movable leg would be more expensive then a “stiff one” and he would never be able to pay for that, he still hopes that dream would come true).
When Bhante asked him if he ever thought about how he would take his future in his own hands, it was clear that though he had maybe dreamed about that to, in fact he more or less had given up the dream of a future in which he could establish a living for himself or maybe even merry and start a family. Because of the accident he was unable to finish his last year of school and go true his O level exams.
When we asked a bit more he answered that he thought that having a shop was the most realistic ideal for him considering his handicap. Bhante told him that he should think about it and that after about a week he would come back and talk with him about it some more.
We think this case should be handled in two fold:
Buddhika should be helped by giving him a chance at first true supplying him with a “movable” or better “bendable” artificial leg.
Further more we should be looking in to the possibilities of helping him to start a small shop so he can help himself to create a future.
Therefore we need to find out what kind of shop would be good for him to run, we have to get him training so he will get the necessary know how to do this.
Their should be made a simple business plan and we will have to try and get the financing for this. (Maybe a non - or low - interest loan, of which after he paid back a part the rest could be written of as a gift or some solution like this.)
We hope that there will be people interested to help this promising young man.
We think it would be a good investment in his future and a very worthwhile thing to do!
We therefore ask your help for Buddhika!!!
During one of the last days of here visit we went to meet K.K. Buddhika a now 18 years old boy in Narigama (Hikkaduwa) with Nicole and here friend Remco.
When he was 17 years old (in 2006) he had a bad accident; on his way back from school he was hit by a bus of which the driver was drunk. (He was the THIRD victim of this criminal that afternoon). His arm was torn of and his right leg was smashed. Due to the good sense of a fish salesman near to where the accident happened his arm was rescued and could be put on again. (The fish salesman had the good sense to put the arm on ice he used to cool his fish and give it to the people of the ambulance so it could be saved). His leg was totally smashed and had to be amputated above the knee. He now “walks” with the help of 2 crutches but is mostly confined to his home and the near surrounding.
Buddhika turned out to be a very handsome and clever young man, who could speak some English and had an optimistic attitude. He dreamed of a new leg which he hoped to be a movable one so he would be able to put away his crutches and move around freely again. (Tough he knows that such a movable leg would be more expensive then a “stiff one” and he would never be able to pay for that, he still hopes that dream would come true).
When Bhante asked him if he ever thought about how he would take his future in his own hands, it was clear that though he had maybe dreamed about that to, in fact he more or less had given up the dream of a future in which he could establish a living for himself or maybe even merry and start a family. Because of the accident he was unable to finish his last year of school and go true his O level exams.
When we asked a bit more he answered that he thought that having a shop was the most realistic ideal for him considering his handicap. Bhante told him that he should think about it and that after about a week he would come back and talk with him about it some more.
We think this case should be handled in two fold:
Buddhika should be helped by giving him a chance at first true supplying him with a “movable” or better “bendable” artificial leg.
Further more we should be looking in to the possibilities of helping him to start a small shop so he can help himself to create a future.
Therefore we need to find out what kind of shop would be good for him to run, we have to get him training so he will get the necessary know how to do this.
Their should be made a simple business plan and we will have to try and get the financing for this. (Maybe a non - or low - interest loan, of which after he paid back a part the rest could be written of as a gift or some solution like this.)
We hope that there will be people interested to help this promising young man.
We think it would be a good investment in his future and a very worthwhile thing to do!
We therefore ask your help for Buddhika!!!
The Old Man and the Tri-Cycle
During January we where so lucky to get 3 tri-cycles from the boss of Alexander.
Here follows a short report of what we did with them:
The first one we handed over to an old man who had a very old tri-cycle to begin with.
One the pictures you can see him in the old one and moving over to the “new” tri-cycle.
He gave his old tri-cycle to a friend who had none but needed one.
His story is a nice example; with the old one he has been going around every where to sale “bulat” the betel leaves people like to chew over here, producing the red juice they spit out sometimes ( one of our volunteers got afraid of that thinking it was blood and the person chewing it had cancer or tbc). This way he earned his living and also the mobility he gained from having the tri-cycle gave him the chance to go on pilgrimage to Kataragama. The long distance to Kataragama (180 km one way) took him 29 days to go and come back. During this trip he was selling his “Bulat” on the way and earned his money. He was very excited with his new transport because he wanted to make this trip again. We heard later that he was seen at Matara going to Kataragama! The man is 70+ so it’s quite an undertaking.
The second man we gave a tri-cycle can now start to sale lottery tickets again to earn his living, on the pictures you can see that he had a wheelchair but after he lost his tri-cycle during the tsunami he has been unable to earn his living. Now he is selling tickets again and has an income.
The third tri-cycle went to a Tamil boy of 17 years old. The boy is mentally and physically handicapped and on request of our good friend Father Nihal Fernando of the Christ Church Parish in Baddegama (a Anglican Church), we where earlier able to supply him with a wheelchair and now with the Tri-cycle he is able to go around on the thee estate where his parents are working and the whole family lives. You can see on the pictures how happy he is!
We are very grateful for this donation of tri-cycles and hope to receive some more because we received a few more requests of people who need one.
Here follows a short report of what we did with them:
The first one we handed over to an old man who had a very old tri-cycle to begin with.
One the pictures you can see him in the old one and moving over to the “new” tri-cycle.
He gave his old tri-cycle to a friend who had none but needed one.
His story is a nice example; with the old one he has been going around every where to sale “bulat” the betel leaves people like to chew over here, producing the red juice they spit out sometimes ( one of our volunteers got afraid of that thinking it was blood and the person chewing it had cancer or tbc). This way he earned his living and also the mobility he gained from having the tri-cycle gave him the chance to go on pilgrimage to Kataragama. The long distance to Kataragama (180 km one way) took him 29 days to go and come back. During this trip he was selling his “Bulat” on the way and earned his money. He was very excited with his new transport because he wanted to make this trip again. We heard later that he was seen at Matara going to Kataragama! The man is 70+ so it’s quite an undertaking.
The second man we gave a tri-cycle can now start to sale lottery tickets again to earn his living, on the pictures you can see that he had a wheelchair but after he lost his tri-cycle during the tsunami he has been unable to earn his living. Now he is selling tickets again and has an income.
The third tri-cycle went to a Tamil boy of 17 years old. The boy is mentally and physically handicapped and on request of our good friend Father Nihal Fernando of the Christ Church Parish in Baddegama (a Anglican Church), we where earlier able to supply him with a wheelchair and now with the Tri-cycle he is able to go around on the thee estate where his parents are working and the whole family lives. You can see on the pictures how happy he is!
We are very grateful for this donation of tri-cycles and hope to receive some more because we received a few more requests of people who need one.
Begging at a medicants Temple
You must be really quite desperate if you, in Sri Lanka, go begging at a Temple of Buddhist mendicants or “begging monks”.
Still …. It happens. About two weeks ago while I was working at my desk our dog “Rex” ran outside and started to bark and our other dog “Ariel” joint him with full energy. (Sometimes they like to show of, to make sure we appreciate their skills as watchdogs.)
When I looked what was happening I saw a boy standing there and signing that he wanted to come in to the compound, I called back the dogs and told him he could come, I thought he wanted to go to “Panditta Hamuduruwa”. But he came straight up to me and asked for some money to buy food for his family. Because this is quite strange, and thinking I did not understand him right, I asked Rev. Ariyadhamma to come and help me a bit with this talk.
People come to us daily with requests for support but they rarely ask straight forward for money. This boy did, and explained that at home they where with 5 brothers and sisters, and his mother had no money left, so they could not buy any food and went hungry.
When we asked him why he came to Temple and did not go for the tourists to beg, he answered that his mother found that was to dangerous and we agreed. There are unfortunately sometimes people who would try to take advantage of a boy like this begging. Also he told that even tough some monks send him away with some harsh words, many of them let him tell his story and gave him a few rupee. This helped his family to survive when they ran out of food. We gave him some money and I told him that this begging was no solution to their problem. I further told that I wanted to talk with his mother to see if we could help to find a better way to solve their problems. He said that he would come back with here.
Two days later the boy, called Akila, came back with his mother Priyanka and a little brother. The mother thanked us for the money and that we treated here son so kindly. I asked here what the problems where which she was facing. The story is the following: They live at the side of the railroad, they are a very poor family, and a few years ago here first husband, a drinker, died there when he was hit by a train and left here with here two oldest sons (Akila of 14 years old and Eranda of ten ). After a few years staying alone she could not handle it anymore and she found a new “husband” and after some time he lost his job. Since that time he does not supply for the family anymore, except that he “supplied” here with three more children. Unfortunately this is a story often heard over here. Anyhow we made an appointment to visit here in the next days to see what was needed and what we could (try to) do about it.
Together with Anura and Ariyadhamma we went there a few days later and got quite a shock.
Though the house looked reasonably ok, on the outside but it turned out to be a horror inside. I’m sure that a pigs farmer in the Netherlands will get a big fine if he houses his animals in a place like this. There is nothing! No furniture, (two broken plastic chairs and a table who is ready to give up any minute cant be called furniture), no beds, mattresses or even mats!.
They have a piece of a mat, more hole then mat, on which Kawishka of 1 ½ years old, the boy with Asthma sleeps. I don’t know if this “mat” will protect him from the cold floor, but I think it is the idée which counts under this circumstances. Some plastic bags in which they store their cloths, and that’s it. The roof ”stands” loose on the house, the doors and windows are broken there is no kitchen etc. etc.. During the Tsunami the house was filled to the top with water, which is still visible, but because the house still stands they did not receive any Tsunami Aid. I can tell you; when I was living in my mud kuti (hut) in jungle that it was more “luxury” then this place. We told them we would come back again and we left; deeply impressed and sad, that sometimes in this time people still have to live this way.
Well, what to do in a case like this? I don’t know what others do, but I called Alexander.
We discussed the case and he told me to make a inventorie of the situation and inform him about the necessary and the costs. He said: “Don’t worry Bhante, this is exactly why we are going to start the foundation, we do our best and go for it!” We agreed that we would go back with Vidu and make a plan, also we would see what could be done to take care that the family in near future would be able to take care of themselves again. The roof shakes when a train passes and can be blown of by a storm anyday.
We went back there again the next day, now with Fidu, and we made a plan to “repair” the house. The roof has to be taken of , repaired, and be put back. Everything has to be cleaned, impregnated and painted. We have to build a small kitchen shed, a wall around the tab so they have some privacy when taking a bath, a discharge for the water should be made. The garden should be cleaned, and made useful to grow some vegetables and there should be made a fence to protect the children from running on to the rail track. Most of the work will be done by volunteers for free, but in this case we will need the help of two carpenters. Some things we cant do and we will need to hire in professional help to accomplish the job.
We had a serious talk with the “husband” who was just back from a involuntary stay in the police station for two days. Priyanka had made a complaint because he had badly beaten the second oldest son. We made clear to him that if that would happen again we would send some friends to teach him how it feels to be beaten up. Also we told him that we where willing to help a mother with children but that we where not willing to supply anything for a healthy man who was to lazy to work and take care of his wife and children. Our choice of words ( which I wont repeat here J), made a deep impression as it seams because when we saw him again a few days later he told us that he would surely never hit any of the children anymore and if we could help him to find a job he would work.
We learned that Priyanka can make coir ropes of coconut hair, and that she sometimes works a few days for some people, but the payment is below level. We decided that we should give here a wheel and a first portion of coconut hair so she can produce the rope herself. This work she can do at home so she can also take care of the kids. We found a buyer who would buy the ropes for a good price and are now waiting for funds to start this family project. Also we are looking for a job for the husband so he can also take care for the family. The first coming time they will need some extra support, the children are all mal-nutritioned, but we have good hope that after some time they will be able to support themselves on their own.
In the mean time we arranged that they all are getting some new clothes before new year (it’s a tradition here that one where’s new cloths on new years day), the school uniforms for the children will be also supplied before the schools start.
For a report on the present situation see our other blog: Blue Lotus Sangha Sabhava
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