By Roberto Tan
The sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies in Singapore delivered warm cheers and hope for a better future to the children in Sri Lanka.
The Humanity Forum (THF), together with staffs of W3-O Design Lab, embarked on a humanity effort to Sri Lanka for 2009. THF identified Princess Grace Orphanage in Kalutara, Sri Lanka, as the chosen beneficiary. This orphanage was built in memory of one of its key patron, Princess Grace (aka the famous Hollywood actress Grace Kelly) of Monaco. It is also part of the MarcSri group of 22 homes who cares for the spastic, crippled, terminal and bedridden people that depend on charity and divine providence for survival. The orphanage alone supports more than 100 kids, of which 36 are disabled. W3-O agreed to support and garner financial support for this effort.
After cracking our minds for fund raising activities, we finally decided, amongst many other interesting ideas, to sell home-made cookies. Orders came pouring in once we let the word out and before we knew it, we had a total of over 400 jars to fill!
Designers, copywriters and account personnel put down their creative caps and don their barely used aprons instead. Everyone took turns to put in time and effort during the weekends to bake the cookies and we were thrilled that it was a resounding success. We managed to raise a total of more than $5,300 from the sale of the cookies! In addition, we collected a total of 20 large boxes of clothes and toys for the children in Sri Lanka.
 Cookies baking session |
 Gearing up for the water game |
 Sorting used clothings for the kids |
 Arriving in Srilanka |
Our arrival at the orphanage on the morning of 18th Oct 2009 was warmly greeted by a band performance by the children at the orphanage. Language barriers were shattered early and strangers soon became friends as we began to interact with the children. The children were buzzing with joy and excitement, eager to participate in our activities. We could sense their happiness and it was indeed a contagious joy as we laughed and played with the children. In return, the children entertained us with their slick and well rehearsed dance performances onstage during lunch as we joined them for a scrumptious meal prepared by the wonderful ladies from the kitchen.
Closer to the end of the day, we presented the gifts that we purchased for them. Part of the LKR418,000 that were raised was used to buy school bags and stationeries. We also bought daily necessities such as Vitamin C tablets, milk powder, biscuits , toothbrushes etc. for them. We also presented a cheque of LKR200,000 to them. The amount will be used to sponsor 80 children for their school fees, uniforms, shoes and socks, etc. We believe that this small humanitarian effort will go a long way in lifting some financial burden from the officers in the orphanage.
Singing program.
Lunch together.
Drink milk for stronger bone!
The water game
The baloon game
Performance by the girls of Princes Grace.
Mask making program
All bags are ready for the kids
The fun-filled day at the orphanage ended with everyone gathering out in the open field for group photos. Our sun baked faces beaming in the sunset background knowing we had brought much happiness to the children’s lives. We then visited the other related MarcSri homes Mama Papa Home. It is home to 36 bed-ridden children, many of whom are intellectually challenged. They lead a life that’s isolated from the world, but the sparks in their eyes suggest that all they want is some attention from the outside world. Seeing them tugged at our heartstrings and the wet floor from the rain could easily have been tears from the team.
 Children of Mama Papa Home |
 "bedrooms" |
 Dinner time |
 Darryl with one of the kids |
 THF members with Ms. Rita |
 Dulanjali, one of the brightest kid we met in Srilanka |
 Zeri with one of the children of Marcsri |
 Nothing stops our friendship. Dulanjali shares her email with us |
This Sri Lanka Humanitarian trip was one that woke us up to the realities of the unfortunate. Despite their harsh environment, the children in the MarcSri homes and their care-takers never lost hope for the future. Even the 2004 Tsunami didn’t wash away their desire and passion for life.
We are proud to say that we are the first Singaporean group to visit and bring cheer to the children. The little jars of cookies brought much hope, joy, and happiness to their lives.
The staffs of W3-O and THF would like to thank our friends, associates and families for all their support and donations which made this possible.
Last but not least, we wish everyone AYUBOWAN, which means wishing you A LONG LIFE in Sri Lankan.
The Humanity Forum and the staffs of W3-O Design Lab would like to thank all the supporters of this event. Without them, we would not be able to bring the joy for the children in 3 orphanages in Sri Lanka. Thank you and please continue to support us to serve humanity.
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