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Smile has been working in Sri Lanka since the 2004 tsunami. In the immediate aftermath Smile sent a 40-ton truckload of humanitarian aid, toys and shoeboxes by air and a further seven sea containers of aid which were distributed to affected communities in Tangalle, Hambantota, Batticaloa and Jaffna. Working with local church leaders we sent out a medical team and began to help the local communities to recover. Our Step Out teams helped to clear rubble and erect emergency tents. We bought new fishing boats for men who had lost their livelihood. We also sponsored a counsellor to help to train 25 teachers in trauma counselling to help children to overcome their bereavement and fear of the sea.

We are working to enable people to provide for themselves, as well as providing ongoing care for orphans, widows and those without support:

• TEAMS Sending out Smile Step Out teams to work with children and families

• TWINNING Smile would like to set up school twinning arrangements and if you are interested in this, please contact the Smile office.

• SPONSOR A PASTOR Please see our separate Sponsor A Pastor page

     
Supplies for school – aid for families – new lagoon boats – water purifiers

RONALI DE SILVA, SRI LANKA We have received the devastating news that Ronali de Silva, our Country Director in Sri Lanka, has died. Ronali was taken into hospital on Saturday 5 June with high blood pressure and suffered a massive heart attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning. She complained of a sudden pain in her heart Monday night and was taken into intensive care. Heshan, her husband, was called to the hospital but she had gone to be with the Lord before he arrived. Ronali gave birth to Dinithi in April this year and leaves two other children, Heshani aged 13 and Roshith, aged 10. We ask you to pray for Heshan and the family at this very sad time. TRIBUTE given by Clive at Ronali's funeral on 11 June: For the past 5 years, Ronali has been our Country Director in Sri Lanka. Under her leadership the work of Smile Lanka has flourished greatly. After the tsunami in 2004 we sent much-needed aid from the UK and set up a small pre-school with about 6 children and an after-school care club in Hambantota. We now care for, feed and educate 185 children every day. We also provide training for tailoring and IT, as well as health care advice and run a Widows’ programme providing monthly food parcels for over 30 widows. We also employ 11 staff and Ronali directed all of this work for us.

Ronali was a gracious and compassionate lady. She was a faithful wife and companion to Heshan; a loving mother to Heshi, Roshith and Dinithi, as well as a daughter, sister, aunty, boss and friend to many, as this afternoon’s overflowing church bears testimony. Ronali has welcomed many Smile International teams, gap year students and career break people to Sri Lanka and faithfully taken care of them as they have worked on our projects in Hambantota. Heshan and Ronali have many friends in the UK. On Wednesday, as soon as we heard the sad news of Ronali’s death we held a special prayer meeting in our London office. Prayers for Heshan and all the family and friends were said and there were many tears for Ronali, even from those who had never met her but who had heard of the wonderful work she was doing for Smile International here in Sri Lanka. Ronali was greatly loved and respected in the UK, as well as in Sri Lanka. She was kind, gentle, honest, thoughtful and hard-working. She always had time for others, especially those who needed help and was a real Barnabas and encourager to many. The name Ronali reminds me of the following: R – Ronali was reliable. She would always get the job done. O – Ronali was organised. She was diligent and efficient in everything she attempted. N – Ronali never quit. She would persevere, particularly dealing with visa applications and the customs department when our sea containers arrived with aid from the UK. A – Ronali was always mindful of the needs of others. L – Ronali was a loyal employee and friend. I – Ronali was intelligent. She had a good mind and was a Godly woman. Ronali loved her Lord and Saviour and our loss is heaven’s gain. She has left a wonderful legacy in all our lives. We will continue to prayerfully and practically support Heshan and the family in the coming days and months that lie ahead. We will all greatly miss Ronali. I would like to leave Heshan, Heshi and Roshith with the following text: Psalm 91 verses 1 & 2: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

SMILE CENTRE

We have established a Smile Centre in Sri Lanka where we care for those affected by the 2004 tsunami, with food, health care, education/job skills and child and widow sponsorship. We now care for 186 children daily. The Centre facilities are also available for conferences, church leaders' meetings, retreats/sabbaticals and conferences, or youth/children's camps. We can accommodate up to 200 people at a daytime meeting. Please download the leaflet for details.

Smile Centre Sri Lanka Leaflet PDF (915 KB)

    
The Centre – Playground – Assembly in the new classroom block

The Smile Centre has been up and running since September 2006 and is being used for:

• Pre-school

• After-school care

• Vocational training

• Micro-financing projects

• Team accommodation

Widows come in twice a week to learn sewing skills and produce items for sale. At present they are making up school uniforms to enable poor children to enter mainstream education, as all schools in Sri Lanka require the children to wear uniforms.

   
Preschool – Feeding – After School Care for older children

 
Skills training and income generation: widows doing basket-weaving at the Smile Centre

   
Tuktuk at the Centre – Sarah Williams with the children at the Centre and on the Norway Trek Challenge

Smile has also been working in Tangalle Prison where prisoners can be held on remand for up to seven years – often with their children. We have provided sewing machines so that women prisoners can make clothes for their families. We also provided a fridge, a television, paint to redecorate the medical wing and distributed food parcels to prisoners’ families in Tangalle and Hambantota.

We were asked by the prison Governor to build a Christian chapel in the prison where the prisoners can go to pray, and to help prisoners to learn English. We provided a brick-making press to provide employment for the men, who have now built and completed the chapel, which is in the centre of the compound.

We thank the Lord for this opportunity to demonstrate His love and care to the prisoners and their families.

    
Sewing machine, TV and fridge donated in 2006 – Team member Ann Dodds presenting aid items to Governor in May 2008 – Smile Lanka Director Ronali da Silva presenting books to the Governor of Wirawila Open Prison in March 2009
 

  
Clive presenting brick making machine to prison Governor – Presentation of Cross for chapel – Priests, prison officials and Smile team members at the Dedication and opening of the chapel in August 2008

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

 

STEP OUT TEAMS

If you would like to join one of our Step Out teams to Sri Lanka, please contact the Smile office for an application form – see Step OutTrips page for dates and costs. Please ensure that your immunisations for travel to this area (cholera, malaria, etc) are up to date – we recommend that you check with your doctor what is required.

  
Team ministering in church – Smile Trustee Graham Garner with the children

Murals on the new classroom block painted by one of the Smile team members – a beautiful enhancement to the children's environment

"LIVE YOUR LOVE"

Buy tea and support Smile's work caring for the needs in Sri Lanka

Smile are very grateful to Jeremy and Jasmine for helping support the work of Smile Lanka through this new initiative and valuable project. They have initiated a project to sell high quality fair trade black Sri Lankan tea, in biodegradable packaging, and will be donating a proportion of the profits to Smile's projects in the country:

• www.liveyourlove.com The website invites you to vote on the packaging design

• http://www.youtube.com/user/JeremyJasmine Describing the project

NEW ROOF FOR NILANTHI

Nilanthi and her children live in Hambantota and their old palm branch roof used to leak terribly, particularly during the monsoon, leaving their house damp, cold and wet. Smile has replaced the palm branches with metal corrugated sheets and this makes the house waterproof and dry. Nilanthi and her family say a very big ‘Thank you’ to Smile and its supporters for their new roof. We thank the Lord for his faithfulness in caring for those in need through those who are obedient to His call for their involvement in His work.