As the year is about to end, I'm sitting and reflecting on all that we have achieved in 2011, I am reminded that so many people support my efforts in fundraising, sourcing goods for the children, packing all of those boxes, transporting and shipping the cargo to Sri Lanka and when it's all in Sri Lanka, how important Raja is in ensuring that I can make all of those deliveries to the children at the schools and orphanages. For all of this support, I am very grateful.
There is my very special friend Leanne. I have known her for more than half of my life. When I need her, she's there to keep my spirit high, she encourages me with her enthusiasm. She is my technical genius as well.
I also have Edward and Susana. They are wonderfully generous with their time. When there's a market stall, they get up at 4.30 in the morning to come and help me. They do this without hesitation.
Padmini is another friend who gives of her time generously. Anytime I need help with anything, from packing pencil cases & exercise books, helping with the Trivia Night or coming along to all the market stalls and garage sales, she's there.
A very big Thank You has to go to Abbie my daughter. She lives with our home looking like a warehouse most of the time. She'll go to work, it's neat and tidy, she'll come home and there's bags and boxes everywhere. I've taken a delivery of goods whilst she's been away. I try to contain it all in one room but sometimes there's so much stuff that I fail and when it's time to pack the boxes for shipping, our kitchen and lounge become the storage areas for the filled boxes. She's very patient and for that I am very thankful.
Fred Bourne from Bourne Bathrooms & Kitchens is another person who quietly but generously supports my shipments. He provided the packing of the goods onto pallets this time which made the shipping and handling easier and then he organised to have the 3 large pallets delivered to Melbourne Port for shipment to Sri Lanka.
Darryl De Netto from Platinum Cargo is another wonderful man who arranges the cargo's journey to Sri Lanka and the preparation of all the required documents which enable's the smooth passage of the palleted cargo to travel the hgih seas to Sri Lanka and for it to be unloaded in Sri Lanka with a minimum of fuss. This time when there was a problem with the cargo clearance, he worked into the wee hours of many mornings to ensure that eventually I received my goods.
A very special mention must go to Raja Gunasekara. I sometimes wonder if he realised back in 2007 when I sent the first shipment to Sri Lanka and with his help and support visited the first school , just how big this project was going to grow. He and his family are wonderful, they allow me to keep the goods at their home once the it arrives there, until I've sorted it and it's ready to be delivered to the children at the respective schools and orphanages. His home becomes the storage warehouse in Sri Lanka as mine is here in Australia.
Wherever I am in Sri Lanka and whatever I am doing, he is always by my side. Sometimes even working as interpreter for me when I'm to deliver a speech or two to the local people at events to which I'm invited as the special guest. He is a very patient man and now a very good friend for whom I very grateful that I have come to know.
We have held a number of fundraising activities in 2011 which raised much needed money to enable me to buy school shoes for some of the children during my August/September visit and I was also able to buy 5000 exercise books in January when they were in the shops for between 1c and 5c.
Since I've been home, we've held two market stalls and one garage sale. The weather wasn't kind to us so we didn't raise as much money as we'd hoped so when the New Year comes, we'll do it all again.
Our Annual Trivia Night is on again after a short delay. There will be more details for you on the website but please keep SATURDAY 28th JANUARY 2012 free so that you can join in the fun and support our fundraising so that I can continue to do this much needed work in Sri Lanka.
I have a feeling that 2012 will be a busy year for In My Heart Serendib. I already have a room full of donated goods and I've had a couple of people approach me with idea's of interesting ways of raising funds and awareness. I've also been approached by a local school teacher who wants me to talk with the children in her class on the classroom situation in Sri Lanka compared to the classroom situation in Australia. Another great opportunity to spread the word and reinforce to children just how lucky they are to be attending school here in Australia.
Leane and I will be working over the next few weeks to update the webiste with info and photo's of my last trip.
We also want to expand our supporter's page to include everyone who has given me support one way or another in 2011.
It's also my hope to have a calendar of events posted so that everyone has an opportunity to come along to at least one of our fundraising activities in 2012 and/or make a donation if you wish so that you can be a part of this much needed work for the now 400 children we support.
THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ME ON MY JOURNEY WITH IN MY HEART SERENDIB AND I'M WISHING YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012
