To all, who helped through Little Smile in Sri Lanka in 2005

It was the most exhausting year of my life but also the most fulfilling. To give hope to the surviving relatives after this catastrophe, primarily to give protection and hope to women and children was releasing unknown strength of my helpers and me. That we were able to do so many positive things was only possible with all your generous donations. I would wish that also you would be able to experience every day what it is like to give back the smile to the people.

2005 was marked by the Tsunami catastrophe and its consequences. A lot of money entered the country but help did not always reach what it was given for. Little Smile also remained loyal to its principles during this very hectic time. We are still watching every Euro that was donated closely before spending it. Clearly, that because of this we are not best friends and loved by the officials and professionals to cash in, who you find along the touristy west and south coast, as well as by all the tricky beggars in the centres of the Tsunami aid. Since all our projects are planned on a long term basis and always have to be help for self-help, we did in that hectic time not immediately participate after the first aid like others in mostly not well thought-out reconstruction projects. In how many of these quickly built Tsunami villages will still live people in 5 or 10 years time? He who does not care about the infrastructure needs and the way of earning income for people, who are living in the village, who does not give time for a village to grow together, can maybe proudly present a nice balance on the first anniversary of the catastrophe but has not really helped people.

He who is not joining the competition, who is valuing the responsibility much higher than actionism, was slandered, mistreated by anonymous reports or attacked. The opposite side of the great help for this country are envy and jealousy, intrigues and slanders. All this we had to face and to stand. Especially social utilities, which are headed by foreigners and already worked before Tsunami, like Little Smile, were defamed. But even these difficulties and problems we were able to master.

2005 was also the year in which my former manager and comrade-in-arms for years, Mr. Bandula, was killed. I will never forget when he and I were laying the foundation stone, mostly with simple resources but twice the dedication to make it possible that Little Smile is helping and giving hope to so many people today. I am sad, that he is not able to see this any more. We will remember him in the children’s home in Koslanda in the best possible way and will care for his two small daughters Erandi and Maheshi, if they need our help.