Phase 22: October to December 2004

Ready for the big rains
Just in time before the big rain starts, our chicken got their new and snake-safe stable/chicken coop. The old one, after thorough cleaning, is used as storage for our pepper. We were able to grow/harvest more than 2000 kg bio pepper this year.

Wet wood doesn't burn! So we built a small roof for the fire wood behind our kitchen. This is a good investment given the fact that we have to cook for about 140 persons 3 times a day using fire wood. Also the smoke in the kitchen during the rainy season may be stopped by this .

Already after the first rain at the end of September – after 3 months dry season, where we really worked hard watering the plants – we can enjoy our 800 bananas and more than 3500 pineapples. In the back you see a meditation place on a huge granite stone in the middle of our fruit plantation.

Eva-Maria Kindlein and Gerti Spötzl learn from Sarda about Ayurveda, herbals and the production of traditional medicine. The Bavarian nurses teach “our nurse” western medicine in return.

In its 3rd year the regular training for the older boys starts in our carpentry. Not only Jagath but also others stay there as often as possible to learn a lot from our carpenter Janasiri.

Nishante, Prasath and Kasun proudly present what they learned from our martial art teacher. Sergio Duarte is also teaching some of our big girls how to defend themselves in case of attacks.

Young Tamil lady Chandrakala joined our Little Smile team as matron in October. She will care for the small boys in Wisdom house. Lahiru fell in love already with his new “Aka” (big sister).

Coming and going, goodbye and farewell, for Michael Kreitmeir this has been normal for years already. At the beginning of November he comes back to Little Smile after 2 months absence in Germany and feels at home immediately. He is warmly welcomed by the small girls in Lucky House..

We at Little Smile never forget that without help this place of humanity and this home for more than 60 children would not exist. Dulip our art teacher and his students Banti and Asha were drawing blue stars and German sayings on the new girl’s home for days.

This November, after a construction period of 10 months, the new living and training centre for female teenagers will be finished. Thank you to STERNSTUNDEN, a benefit action of the Bavarian television, for making this biggest building in the children's home possible.

Everybody is helping to finish the new house with the many blue stars on time. Also, 8 living and sleeping rooms have to be finished and filled.

On 21st of November the opening ceremony for the new girls' home is started with a colourful procession through the children’s village.

Dance, sing and laugh together! The need for more space in the children’s village will come to an end soon. The opening ceremony is used by our children for showing their abilities. Not only dancer Niluka did very well.

On 2nd of December Manuel Kreitmeir celebrates his 18th birthday in Little Smile. Manuel, working in the children’s village since August, starts a new phase of life together with his father and the big Little Smile family.

In December the ruins of an old hut in our vegetable field were removed to create space for a mother child house. Little Smile will also care next year for children in need and will give them security, a home and future.

Until the early morning hours of the 26th December 2004, 19 children lived in this home, only ruins remain. Alone in the small town of Kalmunai (about 80 km in the South of Batticaloa) at least 14.000 people died, many of them children, according to the local hospital..