News

We are at the beginning of the summer and we wish this summer will bring you plenty of sun-energy, rest and relaxation. Before we of the Havonos Foundation will also take a vacation, we will send you a newsletter, in which we share the following:
• Our search for a treasurer is still current
• Visit to the projects in Sri Lanka by members of the board Sieni and Mirjam
• Havonos widow project 16 July on national TV (NPO2)
We wish you a lot of reading pleasure!

Quest for Treasurer
Due to circumstances, our treasurer Sacha stops, after having carefully looking after our finances for several years. Of course, we thank Sacha for her commitment and involvement. We're going to miss her!
With her departure, we have a vacancy for a treasurer on our Board. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in this function: you will become member of friendly Board that meets twice a month. Please contact Sieni Schouten (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0572-353447). Of course, we are also open to suggestions, if you know someone you think is appropriate. Will you let Sieni know?

Visit to the projects in Sri Lanka
Board members Sieni Schouten and Mirjam van den Berg decided to spend their holidays in Sri Lanka this year. In mid-May they left together and stayed there for 3 weeks. For Mirjam it was the first time she visited the country and she returned home deeply impressed. Sieni has been in Sri Lank a lot more often with Cor, which made the reception particularly very cordial and warm. Besides keeping holiday, of course, the projects were also visited.

Glad, proud and very happy, Sieni and Mirjam concluded that all the projects visited were amazing. This applies to both the completed and the ongoing projects.

And there were also very special moments, such as:
The opening of the Youth Empowerment Center, handing out the very first diplomas to the students and the medals awarded to the winning students who had participated in a large, regional sports tournament;

Click here for more pictures and here for a video of the opening (Size 173 MB).

The great surprise for Sieni at the opening ceremony of the technical craft school: Sieni received the great honor with a special distinction of the Golden Gard (Scarf), because of her commitment to the poorest people in northern Sri Lanka. This celebration was for her, besides a very big surprise, a particularly emotional moment and a sign that her commitment is particularly valuable and important.

First aid: renovation of orphanage Anna's Home

Very special was the opening of the renovated kitchen of Anna's Home, by Zr. Chrishiani guided orphanage (75) girls. The kitchen is not quite ready yet, but Chrishiani really wanted Sieni to officially open it! Much has been done, since Havonos, with your help, started with the emergency aid. All the girls to sleep in beds now instead of on the ground. And sisters can already cook in the kitchen. However, much more should be done, such as achieving good plumbing and sanitary facilities, which ensures the privacy of the girls. A very special emotional moment during the visit was the handover by Mirjam of the musical instruments and games and the art that was made by children of the school the Horizon in Raalte, for the decoration of the orphanage.  All this was made possible by the fast action of the Horizon and by a personal action of Mirjam herself. It was great to see the happy faces of the orphans and how excited they were about the musical instruments and the other things brought along. Click here for more pictures.

Another special moment was the handover of the materials to the 'peanuts- women', made possible by notary couple Arnoud and Gerdien de Zwart. During their visit to the widow project, earlier this year, they became so impressed with the drive and the entrepreneurship of these women, that they decided to (financially) support "peanuts" activities of women, so that they can earn their own income and maintain their family! Sieni and Miriam could do the official handing over on their behalf. A word of thanks to Aspergebedrijf De Weerd, who again made a contribution of 120 Euros for Havonos. Great, thank you very much!

Finally, it is worth mentioning the monument that was set up in Sri Lanka to commemorate Cor. Very beautiful and emotional it is to see and experience with how much warmth and love Cor lives on in the hearts of many, so far away. He is greatly missed.

Havonos widow project July 16 on Dutch national television
The Wild Geese has chosen our project, the widow's learning / working farm, to show on tv. This will take place on Sunday July 16th, at 11:55 pm during the Wildlife Ghost broadcast on NPO2. Are you watching with us? https://www.wildeganzen.nl/projecten/project-oorlogsweduwen-in-sri-lanka-worden-zelfstandige-vrouwen.

With this we end our newsletter. You can find here more pictures. After the summer holiday, in which of course the projects continue, we will gladly come back to you with an update about the projects. We wish you a beautiful, relaxing summer!