Help Lanka Shipments

In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, Help Lanka sent a number of shipments of food, clothing, children’s toys and clothes, medical supplies and bed linen.Our thanks to all those who contributed to this effort, if your name or organisation is not in the Friends of Help Lanka section, please contact us so we can add you on!


School in a Box - cont ....

The Times reported that 163 of the 3547 schools on the coasts of Sri Lanka have been either completely or partially destroyed or damaged. Over 77,000 children and 3194 teachers were left without a school to go to in January 2005 so in response to this situation and to try and bring some normality into the lives of Sri Lankan children, Help Lanka began a Shoe Box campaign on the 6th of January in the UK. We have with your help and support and with the kind generosity of school children from Sutton, Carshalton, Balham and Kent dispatched for shipment to Sri Lanka 907 shoeboxes filled with educational items and toiletries and a further 57 large boxes containing food, essential medicines and children’s vitamins, toys and books.

The children from local schools collected the items themselves and also included a personalised note in an effort to begin some kind of communication with schools/orphanages in Sri Lanka in the future.

On behalf of Help Lanka thank you all for your support and for the hard work put into the appeal. The shipment will be personally distributed to needy children in Southern Sri Lanka by Help Lanka member Florence Goonetillake.

We would also like to thank Asda in Sutton for their generous donations of food items, Forresters for all they have contributed including Rice and milk powder, Steve Frieze Removals for the transport, Glenn Carriers for shipping, the individual schools and also the many volunteers who helped with packing and loading of the boxes.

Also our thanks to Save The Children shops in Sutton and Cheam who donated a number of boxes of toys and books.

Help Lanka will now be concentrating in raising funds to assist in the rebuilding programme of schools and orphanages and also helping to fund educational and rehabilitation programmes in the future. The support required for Sri Lanka is a long term commitment in rebuilding childrens' lives and your help and your support is greatly appreciated by the children of Sri Lanka.

Hambantota Relief Project - Cont....

Witnessing at first hand the effects of the Tsunami in their native country has been both harrowing and humbling. The pictures speak for themselves. Help Lanka needs to respond urgently to the crisis by raising funds in the rebuilding effort. Mrs Goonetillake and her friends and contacts in Sri Lanka are assisting Help Lanka in providing the infrastructure and skills necessary to help those affected in the medium and longer term. Support and skills including trauma counselling, social work, providing shelter and food, working with local communities and aid workers armed with local knowledge and forging close links with the Sri Lanka business community.

Already taking charge of sending a lorry of urgent food items to a destitute village close to Hambantota with the assistance of her younger brother Sydney Perera and his wife Ellen together with Reggie Dassanayake and some other friends they undertook the arduous journey from their own village of Madampe over 100 miles to personally hand over the food parcels to families who otherwise would have had no aid given them owing to their obscure location. (refer to pics) Sydney Perera who lived and worked in Hambantota himself for 17 years was able to provide valuable contacts and knowledge of the area and a thorough understanding of the local peoples needs and situation. Further lorry loads of food aid are being made possible by the generosity of Friends of Help Lanka and the next consignment Mrs Goonetillake will be overseeing will be 900 shoe boxes of educational aid for school children in Hambantota and Matara and 60 boxes of food, formula milk, medicines and essential dry goods from the UK donated by Help Lanka.