After the Donations

I recieved the 23 boxes of used spectacles sent from Holand on the 15th of march after a big strugle in the port with the customs officials.Luckily I didn't have to do much but the clearing agents did the most.

I recieved it in Koggala Beach hotel inside the container load which has come to the new childrens orphanage.I have to Thank Mrs.Marja Van Leuwen and Mrs Muline,and all the dutch people who helped,Fox Vacanties, Visit Lanka and the Dutch transport agent for helping us in this project.There were some Dutch ladies helping me,from the Stichting Weeshuis Sri Lanka, Tsunami victim Children's Orphanage in Koggala.They have come as vacational working tourists through Fox Vacanties to help the orphanage work.They are enjoing the stay verymuch.Already most of the work in the orphanage is finished.It is a graeat job that they have done.

Immedeately when I recieved the boxes I transfered them to Balapitiya Dr.Alawattegama's house .Also arranged the people to sort it from the next day.I went on the 16th also and found everything is going on well as we arranged Also we decided to have the first distribution on the 25th full moon day in a refugee camp in Balapitiya.

The sorting was done by volunteers,they will first sort the male female and childrens and then they will sort according to the power of the glasses.

Meanwhile there are another load of spectacles which have to come, and because of the new customs law, that we had to delay it.Now we are trying a way to get them also down soon before they tighten the laws..

From the 1st of April for three days we had Many Vision Aid Projects arranged in many refugee camps in Budhist Temples.Most of the refugee camps are in Buddhist temples in this area.Inspite of heavy rains there were many people to get spectacles.Dr.Alawattegama helped us in a great way along with the government representative in that area.People were so enthusiastic in getting a pair of spectacles,and we had to get the help from the police and the navy also for some camps to control the people.It was very succesfull and our efforts time and money were in good use.We all can be happy with it.We distributed Nearly 20,000 spectacles.(Rough Calculation)It was difficult to get a correct calculation, because it was a very bussy programme with many people involved in.We covered Ambalangoda,Balapitiya,Ahungalla,and Kosgoda Areas in Southern Sri Lanka.

22.05.2005

Unfortunately we could not get the other load of spectacles because of the new laws of the government.

Finally the remaining spectacles were distributed in a home for the elders,and in a rural village.In the village there were also lot of people waiting from early morning to get a pair of spectacles.Some of them even waited for four hours till their number is called.Because of some of the experiences we had in earlier camps we distributed numbers in the first come first served basis.So people were waiting quitely until the numbers are called.This was the most successfull camp we did out of all the camps because we could get the help of a young optician couple who voluntarily helped us from 4.30 in the morning till 4.30 in the evening continuously without break,travelling on their expense along distance,and checking the eyes using their equipments,also they spend their valuable time in checking the glasses and grading them.this was a great help to us.I also have to thank Mr and Mrs.Hans and Marianne Keinemann,MrSmaall and the Dutch optician who helped them to send a lense testing equipment to Sri lanka and also for sending the video C.D to show how we can make use of it.But with all that efforts, it was very unfortunate, that we could not get it because of the new laws.I regret inconvieniences caused to them on this matter behalf of the tsunami refugees.These things are beyond our control which we have to bear the grievence.

In this camp I had the oportunity to take the help of Mr.Marcel Kauffmann and Mrs.karin Meinhadt a dutch couple to represent all dutch people who helped us in this project ,they are working in a mentally retarded orphanage in Sri Lanka as a Manager and a physiotherapist.They also helped us working for the whole day in the eye camp.Presence of them was a great event that they represented Nederlands and the people who colleted the spectacles and sent them to sri lanka.

Spectacles Project was the first project I started and it was the last project to finish as sheduled.I wanted to finish all the projects by end of this month for me to find a new job, untill tourism boosts up..Still tourists are not coming as we thought, even though everything has come to normal.If you can encourage your friends and relations to visit Sri lanka at this stage It will be a good help..I am very happy with the progress of all the projects,and all were done alone myself with the help of my son and my wife and with the help of my past guests who went with me on tours other well wishers and Organisations.I am very grateful to all of them who trusted me and sent money,and equipments.As I told at the biginning, Even though it is small what we did, it calculates in a big way,and people highly regard,the efforts.The refugees are very happy with your contributions,and they thank all of you from the bottom of their heaarts for helping them at this difficult time.For them we all are like gods.When compared with mass scale projects,even though our one is small,we can be happy, that we have done a lot.That is why I said at the bigining small is beautiful.Let us have the will power and the courage to do small things like this in future too, and to understand the reality of life.

Once again special Thanks to Mr.and Mrs.Marga and Rens Konning Mr.and Mrs.Hans and Marrianne Kijneman,Mr and Mrs.Jos Berens for the great Service done along with their friends and relations to make this project a success.

Individual

Progress

Photoes











Last eye camp on the 22nd of May in the home for the aged and in the rural village Owitigala