The team that went to Son Tra with me 

There was a huge line-up of events and activities that showed us the depth of the ground work being done by the World Vision Sri Lankan staff. It was heartbreaking to witness the dire need for basic necessities such as shelter and water yet heartwarming to see all the effort, time and love put into addressing those needs. 

It was indeed eventful with us moving from one point to another to have the chance to see what the current needs are, the needs that have already been adequately addressed through the various projects in the past and of course the newly completed projects which we were cordially invited to be Guest-of-Honor at for its official opening.

Story-telling with children in a library supported by World Vision

Baking cupcakes with culinary students at the vocational skills centre

Clean water that comes directly to us is something we in Singapore take for granted. But at a secondary school we went to, it was worth an opening ceremony and celebration. Made me rethink how lucky we Singaporeans truly are. I am elated the students finally have clean drinking water in their school!

During the opening of a school's fully equipped classroom for nursery kids, a primary school girl from the same school articulated her gratitude through this heart touching speech;
"Being born poor is not our fault. Being born rich is not your fault. God created us to hold our hands up to receive. And we are blessed that God created you with a heart of gold to reach out with your hands to give. You are giving us a life that we couldn't have otherwise imagined. We do not have anything to give in return. So with much gratitude, we present you these handmade gifts made with all the love from our hearts." I was in awe at how much effort they had put in to show us their appreciation in the simplest yet meaningful way. 

Helping a vulnerable family build a table

We also had a quick stopover to see the library that was erected with the sponsored funds. They have a reading club and students can drop in after school from 2pm to 5pm to study before going home. Although it wasn’t that big, I can sense the overwhelming gratitude the kids feel for having the opportunity to education and that too in a conducive environment filled with many reading materials. Most times, students are forced to leave after closing hours as they lose track of time while busy studying. 

In a thank you speech addressing the sponsors, a boy who frequents the library said how he wants to study hard to grow up and be capable enough to upgrade the standards of his community. That in itself shows the impact of the projects on the community and how there is a shift in mindset. It is not about 'me' but rather about 'us'. It is not about developments alone but about sustainability and giving forward thereafter. 

I have always wondered how great an impact sponsoring a child at $45 a month could really be. I feel blessed to have been able to go on this trip to see it for myself.  As a sponsor, I have been assured that my money goes to those in need. My conversation with the villagers, the meet up with my own sponsored child/family and the various opening ceremonies that we were part of was a testament to that.
Towards the end of the trip, I got the chance to see the living conditions of the poor. We visited 2 areas. One that has received some help and one that has not. It tore my heart to see the state at which they were living. The poverty stricken families with extremely high living needs were given new houses coupled with all the necessary support. They are educated and then closely monitored by the ground staff to ensure responsibility in taking care of what has been provided to them. And on the other hand, we visited the new areas that are being surveyed for upgrades for basic needs like water and roofing.

I witnessed first-hand the hard work required to reach out to these needy families in rural parts of Sri Lanka. The path to access these places are usually rocky, bumpy and sometimes risky. But despite that, there are some brave hearts who take these journey to find those in need and fight for them to have those needs met. They also engage the men of the family through the Men Care programme to educate them to be responsible fathers and husbands. I have utmost respect for the ground staff who do this from their hearts.

The highlight of the entire trip for me though was finally meeting my little one in person. To hear from the mother how thrilled she had been the entire week to meet me just made me beam with joy. I thought her how to fold hearts with paper, played several group/individual games with her, showed her all the gifts I brought for her, had lunch with her and we also laughed our hearts out as we made some silly Boomerang videos. The few hours seemed so short and the farewell was the toughest. 

Vy and I during my trip to Son Tra in Aug, 2019

Vy, in 2017

It was my curiosity that got me started on this sponsorship journey. Taking this trip allowed me to have an eye-opening experience to see how much good we can do in this world with just a small contribution. This journey made me look at the world and its people differently. It made me ever so confident that there are so many good people in this world and sometimes just holding hands in support is all we need to make our world a better place to live in. 

Love has no boundaries. World Vision showed that to me. Thank you for being the bridge that connects the willing to the needy. I will always remain thankful for giving me this opportunity to know how privileged I truly am.

With Oceans of Love,
Rajeswary Rajaindern
Child Sponsor