The
EveryChild EveryDay program supports 28 different ministries around the world.
Child
Action Lanka (CAL) in Sri Lanka is one of our trusted ministry
partners. The heart of their ministry is transform the lives of
disadvantaged children in Kandy. Hunger, neglect, exploitation and abuse
are just a few of the many challenges that face the children who live
and work on the streets as beggars.
CAL uses two centres to
provide breakfast and lunch to the children. The facilities also provide
education to children considered worthless by their own community. This
is an attitude that says that children are born 'bad' and cannot be
redeemed. The purpose of this ministry is to enable disadvantaged
children to realize the possibilities.
"Child Action Lanka was
started out of a desire to give kids hope and a future," explains CAL
Director, Ms Debs Edirisinghe. "We work with street kids and
underprivileged kids - kids who have a very high risk of falling onto
the streets... (we) educate them, care for them, clean them and love
them - make sure they reach their dreams."
During the September
tour of Sri Lanka, the Australian Cricket team, led by Captain Michael
Clarke visited the CAL centre in Kandy. The full 15 member squad and 12
man support staff arrived to present signed shirts and bats and played a
game of backyard cricket with the children. The children, aged from 2
to 18 years, were keen to impress their heroes with some big hitting and
inspired fielding.
"This is a dream they could never possibly
dream of; I think it has made their day," Ms Edirisinghe said. "It's a
big moment in their lives. It's going to be a very special moment for
them that they'll always remember. It's not everyone who comes to them;
it's not everyone who treats them with special care. It's very touching
to see the Australian team here with them... I think they've touched a
very deep part of their heart."
In media interviews the next day,
many of the cricket team admitted the game of backyard cricket was
probably the highlight of their busy tour. For the Child Action Lanka
children, this could well be the highlight of their lives. However this
simple gesture shows the children that no dream is impossible. watch the interview with Michael Clarke onutube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_2vf4x9dMXc
CAL
relies on us to reduce the burden of providing enough food each day,
but with rising costs of food the pressure to make ends meet is
mounting. Debs depends on us to help feed the children that their own
community has abandoned. Next year, she plans to open 3 more centres in
North Sri Lanka - in Galle, Batticaloa and Kilionchi. These centres will
serve the children who lost their parents during the civil war.
Because
of your past support the EveryChild EveryDay program has been able to
provide daily meals to 35,081 children in 20 countries through 28
ministries. Please prayerfully consider supporting our EveryChild EveryDay
program so that we can continue to feed children around the world.
There
are more children trapped in the poverty cycle. There are more children
who have no hope for the future. There are more children who are
considered 'worthless' by people who should be their guardians and
protectors. Tragically there are more children who are simply dying from
hunger & its related causes.
According to a recent UN
study, 10.9 million children under five die in developing countries each
year. Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the
deaths. That means that 17,918 children die from hunger every single
day!
That statement continues to shock me every time I think about it.
You can help!
For
just £4, the cost of just one take-away, you can provide 100 hot,
nutritious meals to hungry children in the world's poorest countries. If
you gave £4 every week you could provide 5,200 meals every year!
I
can't do everything to solve that problem on my own, but I can do
something to reduce that number. I ask you to prayerfully consider
whether you can join me and do something too.
Will you help take away hunger? Donate today at
www.feedthehungry.org.uk or call 0845 519 6025