By Joel Stanier | Project Development Manager
Dear friends and supporters,
The current economic crisis in Sri Lanka is affecting every aspect of the lives of the entire population, with escalating inflation, and food, medicines, fuel, gas and electricity shortages. Orphanages in particular are becoming as helpless as the children inside.
We've been increasingly worried about the 65 babies and children under five years old at Ruhunu Orphanage, as they ran out medication months ago and many babies were sick with high fevers.
We are in the process of shipping donations of medical supplies and medicines, but the process is complicated and slow. Thanks to one of our wonderful visiting supporters who packed a bag full of medication in her luggage, Mr Percy our Country Director was able to deliver bottles of Calpol and paracetamol for the children.
He now travels the five miles there in the heat on his bike, as the country has completely run out of fuel.
Matron said she was extremely grateful to our 20 trained and dedicated TFT housemothers who continue to work so hard every day to keep the children happy and fed, as government orphanage housemothers have been unable to travel to work due to lack of fuel and public transport.
She said the under 5's enjoy attending TFT - Ruhunu preschool every day, which we opened just prior to the Covid19 pandemic, and gives the children vital stimulation and routine.
The situation in Sri Lanka is unimaginable and dire, and poor families are struggling to feed their children and having to choose who will be fed each day. New mothers are unable to find milk powder, and if they do, it's too expensive to buy.
As consequence, numbers of children in the orphanage has now increased by 19% in the past year, where numbers had previously fallen by 45% over three years due to our alternative family care training programme
Keeping families healthy and fed at this time is our priority, and we really appreciate your help to keep children in families, not orphanages at this critical time.
Never has our service been so needed or vital, and we thank you for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Joel
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