Orphan Photos

Todays Phots can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/12776927@N00/sets/127154/

Anula Wijerana Orphanage

Today After prayer and consideration of our budget, Sarah and I purchased and delivered a refrigerator to the Tsunami orphanage in Bentota. This orphanage receives 10 rupees (10 cents) per child, per day. 96.00 US per month total to operate the orphanage.

The orphanage is currently in need of a roof, which will cost 3000 US as follows:

Labor: 600
Material: (Cement, Stone, Sand) 800
Windows and Doors: 600
Roof: 1,000

We have accepted this project, as a worthwhile cause here in Sri Lanka. If the necessary funding is provided, we can accountable for the project and provide necessary results to donor’s prior, during and after the project commences.

About the project:
The building was started in 1990 when a local garmet factory employed some of the orphans who were 18 and older. The orphans than gave a small portion to build this building. When the garment factory closed in 1992, the project was left. The building is to be used as a growth area for the current and additional orphans who are being placed there by Child Services. The room is approximately 25 feet by 10 feet. This project could be completed in 2 weeks. It is easy to employ local skilled workers as the president has issued a halt on all new structures on government land until March 1st. This land is owned by a local trust and therefore does not fall under that presidential provision.


About the orphanage:
The Anula Wijerama Girls Orphanage is located near Bentota, within the Galle district in Southern Sri Lanka. Bentota i a 2 hour bus ride south of Columbo. The orphanage is government sponsored at 96.00 US dollars per month, which cover water, electricity, and some clothing. Private donations from the community are things like pillows, food and anything the village is able to provide. 5 tsunami orphans are located there and government wants to place 5 more. The orphanage was given to the Buddhist Association in the 80’s, which does little with it. The orphanage is maintained by a on-site headmistress and a body of voluntary village businessmen govern it through a board of directors. All donations financially and physically are documented by the local orphanage and at the Governmental Division of Children’s Services in Colombo.

New Photos

Besides the email, we also upadted the photo album to include the Bentota orphanage.

http://photos.yahoo.com/unlvgeek/

Monthly Email

We have updated our email list so that you can get our email more
effectively. Please make sure you receive these updates by clicking
here once and completing the form. Thank You. The Sri Lanka Outreach
Team.

http://srilankamissions.blogspot.com/2005/01/join-our-email-list.html

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It's been more than a month since our team arrived in Sri Lanka. It
took only a few hours of meeting villagers and feeling the destruction
first hand to know that there is not just something to be done, but
something to be done by us.

We came with not much more than a desire to help and few changes of
clothes. We prepared before we left Las Vegas, Los Angeles and
Chicago, but the need being as great and large as it is- nothing could
have truly prepared us.

If we can answer any questions, send you photos, or call you, please
let us know. To keep this short I wanted to share with you some things
to pray about:

VISAS EXTENDED
Thanks to the support of the US Embassy, our visas have been extended
for another 2 months. Please pray as this team grows to 20 by the end
of March, that we are used as parts to a master plan, avoid being
labeled as coverters, and spread a hope and love for the people of Sri
Lanka.

GIRLS ORPHANAGE
Through many contacts we have found an orphange to focus on. Because
we are foreigners and because of pedophiles, orphanges have not been
able to work with us or any other foreign group. This orphange is not
government run but does need help. To put the need into perspective,
the headmaster gets 10 rupees (10 cents) per child per day. That is a
total of $96.00 per month for the entire orphanage of 32 girls aged 6
to 18. We are meeting with groups to see how we can take on this
project. There are monthly needs and short term needs that they have
asked us to help with. One need is to complete the building that was
left half finished 3 years ago will cost $3000 US. Another is to
provide a refridigerator to the house that will cost $350 US. If you
feel you would like to contribute to this special project please visit
the website and specify GIRLS ORPHANAGE as the project.

BENTOTA SCHOOL
A school has asked for everything from school supplies like books,
paper and pencil, to clocks and water filters. Through our contacts
with the Dutch, Methodist, Assembly of God and other NGO's we are
gathering these donations. We feel at this point we can get as many
essential supplies donated from these contacts. However some items
such as a clocks or a typewriter cannot be met. If you feel you would
like to contribute to this special project please visit the website
and specify BENTOTA SCHOOL as the project.

BENTOTA JOB DEVELOPMENT
With only 40 houses destroyed the city of Bentota, it is an area we
can focus on and complete. All NGOs have overlooked this city in favor
of press worthy areas such as Galle and the East. Bentota had a large
tourism economy and all has stopped. We would like to see each person
displaced from work be able to not only write a good resume but also
be encouraged to apply once the hotels reopen and start to gain
activity. We see ourselves doing this by a job bank, resume training,
and job expo events. We are pressuring other NGOs working rebuilding
areas to hire these people so not only are they helping they are
regaining confidence while they earn a wage. Please pray that such
obstacles such as worker depression, low income, national politics,
and lack of our expertise in such a task, be guided by the masters
hand or this door closed to focus on other things. One-time Costs will
be about $90 US for copies of applications, transportation, telephone
calls and computer time.

HOUSING FUND
Currently our monthly budget for the month of February has been met.
However with only monthly US $200 of a promised of US $700 actually
being given, we ask you to please either consider sponsoring what we
are doing here either monthly or with a one time gift. We feel that if
we are supposed to be here the finances will be worked out.
Therefore,If you feel you would like to contribute us please visit the
website and specifiy HOUSING FUND.

Thank you for your support and prayers.