Photos from Sri Lanka

22-23 April 2019: Visiting hospitals in Colombo to donate urgently needed clean water, sanitary products and rations.

24 April 2019: Lending a helping hand to the unsung heroes manning the security checkpoints in the searing sun and the dark of night to keep us safe.

25-26 April 2019: Our team of volunteers were busy collecting and packing all the donated goods to be sent to Batticaloa. Being on the east coast and far away from the main city of Colombo they need as much support as we can give them.

27-28 April 2019: Due to security concerns we have been asked to delay our trip to Batticaloa. But we can currently coordinating with officials to identify families affected.

29-30 April 2019: Our estimated departure date is now Wednesday 1st May. Security concerns remain elevated for travelling by road to Batticaloa.

1 May 2019: Our truck with rations and supplies have left for Batticaloa in the evening to reach there by the morning of the 2nd. We will keep you updated on our progress in Batticaloa where we are due to meet with Dr. K. Ganeshalingam (Director of Teaching Hospital Batticaloa).

2 May 2019: Our team visited Batticaloa today assisted by the Special Task Force of Sri Lanka Police. Some pictures of the wounded still receiving care at the Teachers Hospital Batticaloa.

9 May 2019: Our team had visited the Negombo are to meet with some of the families affected. We are getting to know them and finding the best way to help them with what they need. More to come on the families as we kick start our initiative in Negombo.

11 May 2019: Little Sayuru Sathsara who is just 9 years old suffered a serious head injury during the blast at St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo and was found by his father 2 days later at the intensive care unit at the National Hospital in Colombo. Due to his proximity to the explosion his skull sustained critical injuries and a part of his brain had to be surgically removed. Sayuru is currently waiting to have more surgical procedures on his skull and we are making sure his medical expenses are taken care of as well as their monthly rent for 6 months. We are also hoping to support him and his family in the long term as he recovers.

16 May 2019: Little Ashayal (below) was one of the patients transferred from the Teachers Hospital Batticaloa to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo. He has now undergone an initial skin graft surgery and is recovering from the procedure (behind the green netting). We are helping the Ashayal and his family with things such as transport, accommodation and medication.

20 May 2019: Shiran Anton lost his wife and only daughter at St Sebatian’s Church in Negombo. He was in need of psychological support which we arranged with a counsellor and psychiatrist at District General Hospital Negombo. He used to work at a garment factory in the packaging department earning around LKR22,000 per month. After the tragedy he was unable to return to work and he was wanting to make a career change and to help with that we are currently looking at ways to get him a small vehicle (tuk) to enter the tourism industry.

25 May 2019: Ashayal is progressing well after this skin graft operation that was performed at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo. His family’s house in Batticaloa is not well suited to his recovery and we are working on helping them extend the house so that his room more permanent with an additional toilet.

2 June 2019: Lahiru was a dedicated family man building a home with his bare hands when he was tragically killed at St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo. We are delighted to have helped fulfill his dream and complete the house which he began building. His mother, sister as well as her children can now call this their home.

3 June 2019: Mrs Sherine Abeysinghe lost her husband at St Sebastian’s Church on the 21 April 2019. She was living with her husband in a small house and was sewing floor mats and pillow cases to earn a living. Her sewing machine was very old with her toilet badly in need of repair. We are delighted to have help her build a new toilet and we are also planning on getting her a new sewing machine when she is able to return to her work. Arrangements have been made for her to be able to access counselling when needed.

8 June 2019: Sayuru is recovering however doctors have informed that his condition is critical with further swelling in the brain. With the help of our supporters we were able to get him a small tablet to keep him entertained during his extended recovery period. It also helps him regain hand coordination which was severely affected due to the sustained injuries. Our thoughts are with him and his family.

9 June 2019: Senuri Sewuvandi along with her family were injured in the explosion at St Sebastian’s Church. She suffered multiple fractures on her right leg and her brother is currently having hearing difficulties which are suspected to be related to the explosion. Later this year Senuri will be sitting her O-Level exams and we have pledged to help her with study related expenses as well as her physiotherapy sessions during her recovery period.

27 June 2019: Today we started purchasing the raw materials required to start fixing up Ashayal ‘s house in Batticaloa.

20 July 2019: Ashayal is recovering well and in good spirits. The healing process for the grafted skin will be lengthy but having a dedicated room with adequate ventilation will aid his recovery.

25 July 2019: Construction of Ashayal’s house is on schedule (Batticaloa, Sri Lanka).

1 August 2019: We have now finalised the purchase of the small vehicle (tuk) for Shiran Anton so that he can pursue his career aspirations in the field of transport and tourism. We will provide an update on the delivery of the vehicle as well as his progress since we last met him.

3 August 2019: Ashayal’s toilet is finally complete but we are told that his recovery has been complicated with some infections in the grafted skin.

11 August 2019: Shiran was thrilled to finally pick-up his tuk from the showroom after a bit of paperwork. As a way of giving back to the community supporting fellow victims of the tragedy, he has agreed to provide transport free of charge to those affected victims needing to travel to the hospital for treatment.

12 August 2019: We went to see Mrs Sherine Abeysinghe, Senuri Sewuvandi, Sayuru Sathsara and the sister and children of the late Lahiru. Sherine was proud of her new toilet and Senuri is making good progress in her recovery. Sayuru is doing much better than the last time we visited him but his condition remains delicate. Lahiru’s sister and her children were also in good spirits.

31 August 2019: We visited the Katuwapitiya Church in Colombo and met with some of the victims of that tragic day.

Little Sethuki stole our heart with her bubbly personality despite all that she has been through. During the blast she suffered skull fractures but tragically lost her mother and primary caregiver. She has two older sisters both of whom are dealing with injuries from the bombing. The middle sister sustained injuries to her eyes and is slowly regaining her eyesight. Her eldest sister also suffered skull fractures.

The girls have two aunties both of whom have come forward to help raise them. It’s heartwarming that they have also accepted their aunties as their new mothers. We are helping cover costs associated with medication, physiotherapy for rehabilitation and ongoing counselling.

9 October 2019: Our team visited some of the survivors of the tragedy that suffered life changing injuries with some of them still in hospital or visiting the hospital regularly for treatment.

2020: We continue to assist those affected by the tragic events and their families. Recovery and therapy will likely be a long process for some but they will always have our support.

If you would like to contribute to our ongoing efforts to help the victims, survivors and their families please head to the donation page by clicking on the button below.