Monday, June 6, 2011

Day 14 in Puloly

I came to Sri Lanka, and wore my very first saree. Haha. I had a huge condition of not wearing saree before the age of 21 but my beloved hosts here didn't let me get away without wearing saree. Early in the morning, the ladies woke up and tried tying the saree on me. There would have been four people around me.One of them lent me the saree, another lent her watch, one lent me a gold chain, and the best part was they were fighting on how to tie it in such a way that I will feel comfortable and it will look nice on me. I missed taking a shot of it because I was helpless standing like a post there. Haha. It was a nice feeling really. They cared so much about which bindi I should wear and how I should do my hair. All these, they don't even have to do. They just got so excited for me and I felt really a part of them. More than the saree, I just loved knowing that they are there for me. It's an amazing feeling. Sometimes, I forget about home because there is just so much love just where I am. I am really bad at expressing this but hope you people understand what I am saying.

This get-up was for the Sports Meet that I was invited for that day. It was really a good experience running around taking photos and interviewing people especially in the saree. Haha. Anyways, updates on the Sports meet will be followed up after this posting. All I can say for now is that I felt really honored and grateful for being a part of it. It is an experience I would have gotten nowhere else.

On the way to the sports meet, we stopped by at Nallur headquarters. There I met this girl, who had completed her A levels and scored really well. She got accepted by one of the very good universities here in Sri Lanka, but she wasn't able to go because of the lack of funds. DR.B.Anankumar, had gladly found a sponsor for here and her brother which means they will be starting their further studies this August. It was pleasant to hear that. I really wished more people can come forward and offer their help in various ways because it education means the world to these kids. There are many sponsors but many more who need help too.

Anyways, we had dinner at Miss Jecintha's house with Milk Appam, and Egg appam.It was bloody good. Trust me! I would usually have like only 1 and a half pieces but I loved it and whacked a few more. It's my only chance so I should make full use of it yeah. Hehe.I am so going to learn the recipes. Haha. But seriously I am, it's not a joke. Dinner ended off solemnly.

Just two months ago, there were about 160 children in this "home". The government officials came and told the kids, this place is too small so some have to leave to stay in their refugee camps.Children screamed and opposed. The neighbourhood had come down surrounding the "home" and little kids came and threw stones. Everyone was wailing. Wailing at the top of their voices. Just imagine the scene of a huge truck driving into the gates of the "home" and police and government officials dragging the kids onto the vehicle. So many had fought their way through. Many had fainted. Auto drivers from Base hospital, just about ten minutes away came and rode those who had fainted to the hospital for free.Except them the rest were all taken by the army. Mostly were the older girls of 17 and 18 years old. Now 60 are left at the "home" and 60 are at the camp. At the camp,the children don't study and they aren't even fed well. One of the kids at camp had recently committed suicide last week out of starvation.The children who went to the hospital had been transferred to other 'homes' where some try and run away because of the living conditions and how they treat the kids there. Knowing that, I realized how fortunate the kids are at Puloly. Ever since then, I can't stop thinking of the children who had left or otherwise were forced to leave.They have already gone through so much during the war, and even now they are struggling. Just because the war had ended it doesn't mean suffering had ended. They had struggled to survive, and now they are struggling to live. What a life? I was disturbed. I still am. I feel helpless. I want to do something. I am still thinking. Now, they need funds to build a new home which is bigger so that the kids can be taken out of probation to be at Puloly. People have to come see this for themselves and hear the stories one by one. There is so much pain just listening. I can't imagine myself having come here two months back and seeing what had happened. I cried all night in silence. I won't be satisfied when I leave because there is too much to be done now.There is TOO much to be done and I don't know where to start. I will be coming back to Singapore with one aim, and that is to help the kids back in Jaffna and many more poor souls. Please help me to help them. I beg you...

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