Once more it is time to say good-bye after 4 weeks in my old home country. Here are many beautiful memories, my roots, people I love and many, many people sharing my dream of more honesty, humanity, giving and taking, my vision of happiness and entitlement to a smile for all children on earth.
Without these people’s help we would never be able to face the problems and duties in Sri Lanka. Neither for me nor for anybody in Little Smile is the situation the same as it used to be before the Tsunami. Your trust in me is my duty and responsibility. The time that Little Smile had been a village for children in the highlands is long gone, no matter if I like this thought or not. In Sri Lanka, Little Smile is a symbol for sustainable aid, for honesty, transparency, and understanding among the different ethnic groups. Little Smile also demonstrates that it is possible to make a difference without millions on a bank account.
However, this should not result in criticism or even judgement of other organisations or people. We concentrate on what we are doing, and that is what we are responsible for. It has never been my goal to accumulate money, power, influence and prestige after the Tsunami. We will never make promises we cannot keep. It is not our ambition to become one of the “big aid organisations”. Therefore it has become unbelievably difficult to manage our administrative work, to be there to answer all your questions, keeping our books professionally and cope with all these unavoidable costs. Only unselfish help of people like Elke, my wife, made it possible that all tasks could be fulfilled after the flood. Without Little Smile, there will never be any private life for my whole family any more.
In Sri Lanka I want to say a special THANK YOU to Anton, who did more than what is possible with human power, to Sheran, who, being a new member of the Little Smile family, cares with so much love and understanding for the children left in Little Smile village Koslanda and the village itself, and to all our matrons, especially Bawani. This woman has never taken any day off for months now. She took care of all the children and grown-ups who needed help, a friendly word, and a smile. And there is also my son Manuel, who had been confronted with unbelievable distress and emergency during the days following the Tsunami. At the age of 18 years, far away from his father, he proved that Little Smile and me could always rely on him. They all made it possible, that Little Smile was and will be able to place a smile on faces of people in distress.
During my 4-week visit to Germany, I have been travelling a lot. I had the chance to meet our supporters: day care-children, societies, clubs and huge industrial companies. The Tsunami has move us all emotionally, there is no doubt about this. However, in the meantime this flood of the century is not to be found in the newspaper headlines any more. But, will their victims disappear from public conscience as well?
We will have to take care of every child that we accept in Little Smile for a time of approx. 10 to 15 years. In most of the cases it is not sufficient to construct walls and houses, and that is the reason why I have been travelling all over Germany. There was a day when I drove 1,400 kilometres; I went to Berlin to meet and talk to Ms. Christina Rau, the lady commissioner for Tsunami Aid of the German Chancellor. The same evening I returned to Füssen in the South of Germany in order to speak to donors there about our activities. I could meet new and old friends, I went to executive suites and schools.
In Raubling close to Rosenheim, I had the chance to meet 1,000 pupils of a high school. Their eagerness to help actively, to do something meaningful and important, filled my heart with deep pleasure. These young people ask questions and look for the sense of life, beyond consumer society and so called „Super-Stars“.
During the past 4 weeks I have come to the conclusion that nobody really has to worry about Germany, in spite of all prophecies of doom and pessimistic moaning. Maybe economical boom should be defined differently, kick the God of economical growth from his throne and replace the new credo „ME“ with a „WE“.
I do believe that this solidarity with Little Smile I have felt during the last months reflects many people’s yearning for more humanity, not only for Sri Lanka nor for Tsunami victims only. Since December 26th, I have pushed the envelope more than ever before, and I had to make the experience that love always means abandonment and loosing your hold of people and things. I have got no idea if and when I will be able to work as a professional film director any more, whether I will ever find my way back to my past life in Germany. The money I still own personally will be split between Little Smile and the people I have to leave behind in Germany, my wife and my children Manuel and Marco. This coming summer I will return to Germany once more in order to fulfill an old contract with Bavarian Broadcasting service. Thereafter I will probably not come back as frequently any more. I will have to leave my old and weak parents behind, but is not every new life born with pain? Do I have any choice? Is there half a YES?
It is so important that I pass on my experience and knowledge, and especially my vision, in Sri Lanka. That is the only way work can go on there after me. I am full of confidence that I will be granted enough time to fulfil this mission, so that this project will bear fruit, in Germany and in far off Sri Lanka. I am not afraid of my personal future; I do not need any house of my own, no large bank account, and no insurance contract. I know I’m not the only one with my vision. I have been so lucky to meet humanity, solidarity and love. That is what I want to say THANK YOU for.
During one of my journeys to the donors and supporters last week, I heard a song on the radio. The title is “VIELLEICHT” and the German group “Söhne Mannheims” performs it. I will take its message of love, belief, hope and tolerance with me into a world full of fear, destruction and mistrust, as an appeal for courageousness, faith and openness.
Please, still be patient and try to understand that although miracles are possible, they may take a little time.
Until end of August I will hardly have any break to write much or update our web page www.littlesmile.de. It is simply too much work to do in Sri Lanka, there are too many people waiting for a smile, a symbol of hope and an opportunity.
I wish you all a beautiful summer with precious moments, time for yourself and others, and a thought of Little Smile.
Ayubowan ("May the good spirit be with you")
Your
Michael Kreitmeir
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