Sri Lanka – an excerpt

People have been asking me how my trip to Sri Lanka was, I pondered what to write about and where to start… Will I do the experience justice.. Speaking of justice... I decided (for now) to tell a story instead…

I’d like to introduce to you - Prashanth..

He is the youngest of a family of 8, he and his family used to live in a big house just beyond where he is standing right now. His mum is the lady standing behind him.

They did well, his father had a large patch of land, life was good.

Then there was a war, and the last few battles moved a little to close to home (literally) and his house and everything near it was blown up and he and his family were moved to a camp. The conditions in the camp were not very good - sanitation was a major problem. Because these camps were full of people in a little spaces, if someone got sick, most of the others would get sick also. He didn't like living there.

The war ended early last year and they were released a few months ago, and were relocated or “re-settled” back to their land (half of which still has mines so he isn’t allowed to play outside beyond a certain point..) His family were given 2 sheets of metal (his father and older brothers dug up the earth and made a hut and put these sheets up as a makeshift roof)

They have to travel far away to get water, this part of Sri Lanka is very hot, so even though the land is really fertile, they need water to harvest any kind of crop. His parents decided to send 3 of his sibling to a relative's place that is close to a school so that they can easily go to school (2 of his oldest brothers have finished school and are trying to look for work) His dad works as a labourer to feed his big family (he earns roughly a dollar a day)

I pray that this story ends with – they live happily ever after…