Time goes by very quickly and how long it has been since you last read one of our news items. For those who are a bit further away from Havonos, probably it seems like we are standing still, but nothing could be further from the truth! We are extremely busy with our projects and are achieving wonderful results we like to tell you about. Our chairman Sieni, together with new board member Geert van Ommen and his wife Ditty, also went to Sri Lanka in May. They were extensively updated on the ongoing and new projects. Naturally, they also visited the projects. More on that later.
In this newsletter you will read about:
- FAITH: a project by Father Ramesh to be proud of
- Former board member Mirjam van den Berg's visit to Anna's Home
- The current situation in Sri Lanka
- A first report of the visit to Sri Lanka in May
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FAITH: A project by Father Ramesh to be proud of
The literal translation of the English word faith is trust. We cannot think of a more fitting name for this project conceived and set up by Father Ramesh, which we would love to tell you more about. By the way, the project name is deliberately capitalized, because for this project, FAITH stands for: Food Always In The Home!
First a bit of history
Readers who have been following us for quite a while will probably remember that together with Wilde Ganzen, we regularly set up projects to support the many (war) widows. These women were given a couple of chickens, a goat, and seeds and seedlings to grow their own food. In any case, they were given animals or materials with which to meet their own and their family's food needs. These were successful projects, with the Fathers OMI following the women with regularity and guiding them as needed.
As a result of the corona pandemic and the soaring prices of food, more and more people got into trouble. Hunger and despair became the rule. Father Ramesh saw this, realizing at the same time that his leverage to help people was limited. Havonos supported with much-needed emergency aid, thus alleviating the worst needs. However, this problem could not be solved structurally, so the question is how to provide the poorest people with a good meal daily without costing money? Father Ramesh's answer was FAITH.
So what specifically is FAITH?
FAITH means that Father Ramesh and his CPR staff have formed groups of about 10 women, each within the communities in our project area. Several of these women have at the time or recently, been given the opportunity to grow their own food with support from Havonos and Wild Geese. In fact, women who were selected for the Havonos and Wilde Ganzen 'vegetable gardens in plastic bags' project, also participate.
Every Sunday, such a group of 10 women meet and they take the vegetables etc. they produced with them. Together they cook a healthy, nutritious meal. But they are not the only ones to share a good meal. The elderly, the sick and the poorest of the community also eat from it.
This way of working creates connection and a sense of community, or, as we call it here in Salland: 'noaberschap'. And it leads to more, such as generating an income. This too, is done in a special way. For instance, the women are asked to cook at weddings and parties for a fee. Together, they also cultivate land belonging to landowners. The jointly earned money goes into a pot, from which 'wages' are paid out monthly. The women also ensure that enough money remains to keep the project going.
Currently, about 400 women are participating in FAITH, and the number is growing. There is also interest from other parts of Sri Lanka in this wonderful, successful project. Can you imagine how proud we are of these women and certainly of our Father Ramesh? And don't you think it is a fantastic idea that Havonos was at the heart of the project, meaning that without your financial support, it would not have been possible to set it up? In any case, at Havonos we are proud and grateful!
Former board member Mirjam van den Berg's visit to Anna's Home
Mrs. Mirjam van den Berg was on the board of Havonos for several years. Due to circumstances, she stopped doing so a few years ago, but that does not mean the ties between her and Havonos have been severed. That bond is most visible in the connection with Anna's Home. Havonos has been supporting this home since 2016. Anna's Home is where neglected or orphaned girls are cared for. Nuns from the Good Shepherd support and guide the girls.
Even when Mirjam was a board member, and certainly after her visits to the projects in Sri Lanka, it was Anna's Home in particular that had touched Mirjam's heart, upon which she made Anna's Home her project. That means Mirjam raises funds specifically for Anna's Home by, for example, organising sponsor walks. Currently, 35 girls live in Anna's Home and Mirjam visited them in April/May this year. In this way she could see with her own eyes that the funds, - the great amount of € 3,463.72 - among others raised by the Friends of Anna's Home, and the children of the Horizon School in Raalte through the Lenten Campaign, were well spent. The proceeds of the soroptimists' violin action mentioned in the previous news item also directly contribute to the girls' welfare. The report of her visit can be found here here (in Dutch).
The current situation in Sri Lanka
In our previous news report, we wrote about the heavy burden the people in our project area are suffering from due to already existing poverty, extreme weather conditions, bankruptcy of the country and the aftermath of the corona pandemic. That situation has not improved since then. It strengthens our conviction that we must continue to do what we can to support the people and give a sign of hope. We know that our contacts, the Fathers OMI, are immensely grateful for the help you provide to them through Havonos. Without that support, they could not do and achieve what they can now. It seems like a drop in the ocean, but we and the Fathers, prefer to see it as an oil slick, spreading slowly but surely, just as it works with the FAITH project. We therefore hope we can continue to count on your support.
A first report from the May visit to Sri Lanka
The official report is still in the making and we hope to share it with you in the near future, at the end of the summer. For now, we will tell you that in May this year, our chairman Sieni Schouten, together with new board member Geert van Ommen and his wife , visited the projects in Sri Lanka. Apart from being very hot, it was also a great reunion with old and new(er) acquaintances. The projects are doing well. Especially the situation at the learning/working farm, about which Sieni was somewhat concerned after her visit in November, has improved greatly to her delight. This is mainly because a new (OMI) director (Father Suren) is in charge of the farm. This just shows good leadership is critical to the success of a project.
Speaking of leadership, the May visit also officially introduced the new OMI Provincial, Father Jey. Good arrangements were made with him about future cooperation. OMI Jaffna appreciates the cooperation with Havonos. That is evident from the fact that on its own website it pays attention to the warm contacts between OMI and Havonos. Just read: http://www.omijaffna.com/havonos-projects-with-oblates.html
In short: it was a successful trip and visit to the projects. You will read more about it next time. Then you will also read, for instance, about the opening of the clinic for addicts and suicidal youths in Batticaloa. But that's next time. This already brings us to the end of this news item. Once again, we thank you for your interest in and support of our work. We are well aware that without your interest and support, we cannot do or achieve what we are able to do now. We therefore hope that you will continue to support us. On behalf of the residents in our project area: thank you very much!
For now, we wish you a beautiful summer and hope to see you next time!
Kind regards,
The board of Havonos