Nice that you are reading the news of Havonos Foundation.
This time it's a really long news item. We greatly appreciate your interest. In this letter we inform you on our projects and the activities we undertook in order to realize these projects.
In addition, we also ask you for help, if you have an idea or suggestion so that we can get more people interested in our projects, or how we can generate money to realize them, we recommend keeping us warm.
Please mail your suggestions to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thank you in advance for thinking with us!
This newsletter
This newsletter is mainly dedicated to the trip to Sri Lanka, in May this year, of our president Sieni Schouten,.
She visited the projects and our local contacts, the Fathers of O.M.I. It was for her a very emotional journey because she traveled for the first time without her husband and companion Cor. Sieni and her daughter Esther were deeply impressed with all the sympathy they experienced during their trip. It was special to discover that at the locations where Havonos projects are realized, and where Cor and Sieni have been often, quite prominently featured the picture of Cor! Physically Cor may not be anymore among us, but in the minds and hearts of the people, however, he continues to live.
Before continuing this report, briefly this: Sieni, also on behalf of her family and the board of Havonos, thanks you for the many words of sympathy and supportthey received after the death of Cor. It has given us a lot of strength in dealing with our great loss, which is still incomprehensible.
Visit to Sri Lanka
Cor was still so much wanting to go. That desire was so strong that he refused to cancel the trip, even though it became increasingly clear that it would not be possible anymore for him to go this time. When he realized this he wanted Sieni to promise that she should go. In addition, it was his wish that his ashes partly should be scattered in Sri Lanka. Although Sieni had serious doubts whether she could have the courage and the energy to go, she has complied with the wishes of Cor. On May 9 she left, with their daughter Esther to Sri Lanka.
During their visit to Sri Lanka it has enormously rained. Far more than during Cor and Sieni ‘s previous trips. It seemed as if he sky was crying. While Esther and Sieni were in Sri Lanka, an entire village was buried under mudslides. Fortunately, not in the area where they were passing, but not very far away from it.
Henk and Florentina de Weerd, who celebrated their Asparagus Show on Saturday and Sunday 28 and 29 May, spontaneously offered to organize an action during the show for relief. Because of the rain had flooded the roads Sieni and Esther could not reach Mullikulam, to visit the "Sieco" community center. They are in great need of drains and pumps to get rid of the water.
Farewell to Cor
With great respect and a solemn ceremony, whith the O.M.I. Fathers who knew Cor personally, he part of the ashes of Cor was then spread on the community ground near the community center in Kokilai. The official opening of this community center had been the last activity Cor and Sieni had done together before.
Cor had requested no flowers, but instead to give a gift for Havonos at his memorial service in the Netherlands. There was a massive response: € 1,100.36.
Sieni took that money to Sri Lanka and also, following another wish wish of Cor, she asked the Fathers O.M.I. and the leadership of the Pro Children orphanage, about their wishes: what are the wishes of the shildren for things tey need but cannot buy himselves?
Cor loved sports and games and he has played a lot of volley ball with the orphans. Therefore Sieni and Esther, after having consultated Father Ramesh purchased and donated various sports and game attributes. The children were very happy! That money is very well spent!
Current projects and Wild Geese
During her trip Sieni has met several (war) widows with and without disabilities who were selected for the widow project we were able to realize with the WOR (harvest gift Stöppelhaene 2015) and with the Wild Geese.Some employees of Wild Geese simultaneously with Sieni visited Sri Lanka to see the results of their donations and were particularly impressed with the widow's project!
The community center in Kokilai runs ‘like a train’, as we used to say in Holland, which means that it runs very well. The entire community, regardless of background, race, religion, gender and age, is welcome in the center. They also have an hairdresser, so people no longer have to spend hours to travel to town for a haircut and they have plans for more shops around the center. The community center even turns out to be too small and the foundations for a new construction site were already visible.
Sieni expressed how proud she was about the people who realizes this without having to ask our help.
Sieni and Esther visited also the location where the foudations already are laid to build a technical school, the Youth Education Centre (YEC). On that foundation they will have to put many stones before that school will be ready. During the visit Sieni has been given a list of materials, such as computers, instruments and tools, needed to set up the school. Lots of work to do for Havonos!
The staff of Wild Geese also took the oportunity to give a workshop in Colombo for people of organisations who are committed to help the poor in Sri Lanka. Various organizations, working in Sri Lanka, were invited. Also some Fathers of O.M.I. enthusiastically took part in these workshops.
New challenges
Sieni arrived home with a list of new project needs.
In particular, the pilot / teaching farm, where widows learn to work the land and take care of their livestock, is a wonderful project. Sieni, as well as the representatives of Wild Geese, were particularly impressed by it. But first we want to complete the ongoing widow project, before we dive into a new adventure.
So far, in broad terms, this is the report of the journey of Sieni and Esther to Sri Lanka. Sieni announces that despite the great grief due to the loss of Cor, it has been a wonderful and worthwhile trip. A journey that has convinced her that she should continue to work for Havonos, or rather for the people of Sri Lanka, who need our help so badly. Especially the visit to the widows, for whom now she is a companion, made a deep impression on her.
Gifts
Due to circumstances we have no mentioned yet he following gifts:
• Parish Hofkerk Oldenzaal: € 91.78 and € 115.70 (collection april)
• SKG Parish Coevorden: € 105.80 (collection of March)
Great thanks and we make sure that these gifts have a good destination.
Volunteers thanks!
In the period of the illness, death and the departure of Cor, our volunteers have continued their good works. There are no words to express our gratitude. Without your help and support, the funds would not have been sufficient to help all the people in our project in Sri Lanka. Sieni took their gratitude with her from Sri lanka and now forwards it to all the volunteers. Thanks, thanks, thanks ...
The board of Havonos wishes you a very nice summer. And for thos who go on holiday, we wish you a lot of fun and a safe return!