Her latest email was in reply to my request for some information on a selection of photos she sent recently.
The photos, as you can see, show the residents of a home run by the Sisters where they care for elderly refugees displaced by the war.
Sister Anastasia writes . . .
'Pattim Home is an emergency extension to our already existing Home for elders in the village of Pattim, Mannar.
We originally had a small home for 24 war destitute in a largish garden. When the refugees flocked to the camps this May the army and the government agents etc after a while decided that those over 65 would be released from the IDP camps and Religious were asked to volunteer to take them in. Now this was impossible in the existing structure and so the Sri Lanka Red Cross constructed some cadjan huts (you see the inside of two of them) and now we have over 200 in these conditions living there.
The dry rations are given us by the Red Cross and the IOM which is an NGO has constructed some bathing facilities and temporary toilets. The old are still being brought in and now we have no room. There is an offer from a donor to buy an adjoining plot of land and to build on this for the people. Hope it happens soon as now the rains have come. In addition I am trying to get them an ambulance or van as the people are falling ill and the nearest hospital is over 8 km away and three-wheelers public bus is difficult to use. And then we have to go to the camps to fetch the people too. Sometimes the elderly just die there.'
It makes heart-breaking reading doesn't it? What is amazing is that the Sisters always seem to manage somehow in incredibly difficult situations.
Sister Anastasia will probably 'kill me' for including this picture! Here you can see her in illustrious company!
Update: The Pater Familias suggested I include a glossary!
IDP - Internally Displaced Person
IOM - International Organisation for Migration
NGO - Non-Government Organisation
1 comment:
You work under such difficult conditions , keep up the excellent work Sister and God bless all your lobours.
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