On my November 2003 trip to Africa, one of the employees of the Sri Lankan Embassy approached me with a concern. She told me that she had visited an orphanage on the outskirts of Nairobi, which housed about 100 orphans. These children come from urban slum areas in and around Nairobi.
This kindhearted lady explained that this facility affords only the most basic accommodations to these children. The orphans slept in simple bunk beds with frames covered by old worn out mattresses. Most of the beds were completely without mattresses.
At her request, I paid a visit to this facility and found her concerns to be valid. Those who run the orphanage were trying to provide the best possible for these children with very limited resources. I immediately called a factory in the area and ordered 50 mattresses.
The next day the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Nairobi and the embassy staff joined me in donating these supplies. We also spent the evening at the orphanage, providing a dinner for all the children. The High Commissioner and his staff were very joyful at this occasion, and I was delighted at their participation. The meals and mattresses were provided from the Triple Gem Society Humanitarian Fund.
It always gives me great pleasure to spend a few moments with such underprivileged children. Although this contribution was almost insignificant in light of their overall difficulties, I left the orphanage knowing that in spite of their hardships, these children would now get a good night’s sleep. On special occasions like this, my heart always goes out to our sponsors who support the Triple Gem Society.
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