He Knows My Name!

He stood before me, tall and proud. "He's a rugby player" they announced with obvious pride, "He plays for one of the best schools".

As I sat eating my breakfast the same waiter served me again, he has been on duty for the last few days, and like most of the staff they are efficient, friendly but quietly unobtrusive. But some people cannot be constrained!

The two of us have struck up a friendship - frowned upon I suspect by the boss at first, but when he realised it was a mutual friendship he joined in; and so I learned that Lakshantha is a rugby player. And it all started because I called him by name (thanks to his name tag).

I have been reminded on many occasions over these past few weeks how important it is to treat people with dignity - and to call them by name. It was as if I had done something remarkable when Lakshantha heard me say his name - as big and tough as he looks, his eyes lit up and he smiled and amazing, shy smile.

It was a vast difference to the complete disregard, disdain and downright rudeness with which I have seen some of the guests treat Lakshantha and the other staff. Sometimes it seems it is just too easy to treat people as if they are worthless or not enough - to put them down so that we can feel superior. To put them in their place so that we can feel in control and powerful. Maybe an easy way to do that is to refuse to acknowledge another's name.

But when we hear our name spoken by a person who is looking into our eyes, it is then that we know that we have been acknowledged, we have been called worthwhile, we are enough! I am so grateful to be reminded that God knows me by name - that the God who sees into my soul, my deepest, secret place - still chooses to call me by name and to call me 'very good'.

Lakshantha will be waiting for me in the morning, guarding the table that he has claimed as mine; we will talk about rugby, food and family - and he will let me into a little more of his world - not because I am anything special - but because I took time to see him, and to call him by name.

Captain Crowden and Mrs Captain? I Remember Them!

I have spent this week facilitating a Project Design Workshop in the Jaffna Public Library. Together with the project staff we have been joined by members of all levels of local government and community members. It was during our first Tea break, after I had been introduced that an elderly man from the Pradeshiya Sabha (Local Government) approached me with great excitement: "Your name is Crowden", he said, "Captain Crowden and Mrs Captain, I remember them."

Apparently in 1974 Captain and Mrs Crowden had some dealings with the Remand Board, or something like that, and it was this man who now stood before me asking if I was related.

I am not sure if there are many people that have made such a lasting impact. Mum and Dad; the people who remember you in all kinds of places in this country and speak highly of your humility, your integrity, your availability and your friendship are innumerable. I have now been told how wonderful and loving you are in Colombo, Kandy, Batticaloa, Jaffna and Kaithady.

I wonder if you realise how many people are serving in Ministry, how many are Officers, how many have your picture (really old ones) on their walls and the positive impact you have had on the people of Sri Lanka. It was like walking into a living museum this evening when I visited Shalom Children's Home in Kaithady. I was met at the gate by Mrs. Rani Moses with the words, "welcome home son"; Major Thevasagayam was waiting at the Hostel and all around me it felt like nothing much had changed in the last 40 years. The property has big shady trees, and a couple of new buildings, but the chicken shed (collapsing) is still there and with great pride they took me into the kitchen to show me the 'pantry' that Captain had built.

Mum and Dad, your influence and your love have sustained many people (not just in Sri Lanka). You can be very proud of your ministry - I know I am!

The Cost

I awoke early on Saturday morning to the sound of an amplified voice, not all that unusual really for this part of the world, but this time it was a little different. It was 6:00am, and accompanying the voice were thousands of military personnel marching to the beat of half a dozen Military bands. They processed from the city end of Galle Face Green towards the iconic Galle Face Hotel before stopping in formation and at attention to listen to speeches from the officials.

It was already hot and humid and they marched in full regalia: there were snipers in ghillie suits, bands in pith helmets and feathers, bomb squad in full armour (even the black labrador had a cloak) - behind them, lining the full length of the sea wall all shapes, sizes and models of military vehicles gleamed in their new paint work. Proud soldiers wiped the dust and salt off their vehicles; a never ending and seemingly futile pursuit.

May 18 marks the 4th anniversary of the end of the war; some call it Victory Day or National Day others try to forget the day when hundreds of civilians died in Mullaitivu. But no matter what you call it, the last two groups bringing up the rear of the procession that salutes the President introduce a somber atmosphere to the celebration. A number of flat beds with amputee soldiers precede lines of wheel chair bound soldiers being pushed by comrades - all are dressed in beautiful, formal uniform, some try to hide amputated arms, others try hard to keep their heads high and proud. As they process down the road cameras are lowered and voices are hushed, no one wants to intrude on this moment - we are reminded of the cost.

Unidentified People

"We were unidentified people, you have identified us" 

In the High Country of Sri Lanka is the beautiful, mostly cool and green, district of Nuwera Eliya. This is most likely where your Ceylon Tea comes from, and for over 150 years has been the home to some of the world's best tea brands.

The picking and production of that tea relies heavily upon the Indian Tamil community that many years ago was brought across the ocean to labour on the estates.

The treatment of this group of people, who for many years did not belong either here in their homes, or in their place of birth, has not been something that we can be proud of. Even today some companies treat their labourers pretty much as slaves. But for some, and hopefully and increasing number life is changing.

In recent years they have been granted citizenship and their communities, often collections of run down 100+ year old buildings with no water or sanitation, have been recognised as 'villages' and subject to all the rights and responsibilities of all villages.

In one estate these people are now referred to as 'associates' and they have been given shares in the tea company. They have been received'official' identity cards from the Tea Company which they hang proudly around their necks - for the first time in over 150 years - these are an 'identified people'. As the President of the Community Based Organisation on the estate tells his story his voice rises with passion, he speaks faster and faster and I wonder if he will actually stop for a breath at all. When he finishes his community clap him - and they echo his words, spoken in Tamil, but translated as 'you have identified us!'

Today fresh water comes to their doorstep, and waste is channeled away appropriately. They list for me the results of this intervention:

• I have clean water in my house and we have safe sanitation
• I am able to save money because I am no longer having to pay hospital and medical bills every week for sick children
• In the past the water was a little distance away but it took me about 4 hours a day to collect water because the line was long, and there was often conflict at the collection point: today, because the water is in my home, my children are at school early, I am in the field on time and we are not being docked money because of being late.
• Now I am happy to live here
• I and my family will always live here, this is our home - but I want my children to get good jobs, not plucking green leaf.

Those that have been here for the past years of this work describe the transformation as miraculous, not just in the infrastructure, but in the attitudes and satisfaction of the people. "Its all about the people", says the Manager, "if the people are well and happy they work, not because they have to, but because they want to. Of course there is an economic benefit for the company, but the most important thing is the people are true citizens and they are treated with dignity."

Colombo, Puttalam, to Batticaloa

It has been a crazy but good two days. I arrived in Colombo, late because of a fog clogged Dubai, and 10 minutes after checking in was out to dinner with the Hettiararchchi family - the frantic start seems to have set the pace for the trip so far.

Arriving in Nawagaththagame (near Puttalam) on Monday afternoon we were whisked off to meet with three Permaculture project beneficiary families, but in the Sri Lanka way, it was not just the families but their community. We were welcomed onto the property by a group of children bearing gifts of Betel leaves for each of us, and after receiving the leaves the children knelt at our feet and paid their respects to elders and visitors.

In this community and the two which would follow we were introduced to families who have been trained to design and plant organic gardens, take care of cows and chickens and in a few cases bees. It is humbling to hear the stories of children who no longer attend clinics for gastric issues on a very regular basis because now they eat fresh vegetables and fruit, and they drink clean, safe water and milk, and because of the extra income available from surplus produce  they go to school, in uniform, with books and shoes and they love it!

Mum's and young women are managing their own gardens and finances. Some have bought extra cows and chickens, others are learning the art of 'value add' by turning surplus milk into yogurt and milk toffee which they sell to local traders and share with community.

They have established seed banks which together with the 'cattle banks' (the second new born calf must be given away to another member of the cooperative), means that the community is benefiting from the success of our direct beneficiaries.

And all this is good, very good, but perhaps the most powerful results are those less tangible, but more life transforming impacts: a dad who for most of his life has worked away from home now works at home 4 out of 7 days and is making enough income to begin to build a new brick house for his family - "I can watch my children grow now and I can afford to keep them healthy and in school, they have a chance now". His wife, who was trained in organic pesticide production is the village leader in plant nursery production, she teaches others how to do it, and from her own stock is helping other families establish gardens. She is a voluntary permaculture teacher - and as she talks about her work her eyes are smiling, her little 8 month old baby is obviously healthy - she is happy.

In many ways a simple intervention, but one that has produced hope, trust, community, happiness as well as food, milk, honey and income for over 4,000 families - so now phase 2 commences with another 3,800 families, in 5 new communities.

On the way back to Sri Lanka

On Saturday night I head back to Sri Lanka for three weeks working with the World Vision Lanka team.

Over the first week I will facilitate and accompany three AusAID officers who are coming to check out the work being conducted by our team with Australian Aid money. And have we got a week planned for them!

First we will head up the west coast to Puttalam district where they will meet families who as a result of a permaculture program are now growing enough produce on their own land to feed their children and pay for their schooling - and still have excess to sell, or barter. Having food and water for your family is a basic right often taken for granted, but being able to do it yourself, to be in control and to have choices - well that's living!

In the middle of the country is the beautiful hill capital of Nuwera Eliya, an oasis from the heat and humidity of the lowlands. This is tea country - if you drink Ceylon tea there is a good chance it comes from this area. But not all is green and fragrant - some of the plantations do not take good care of their, primarily Tamil, workforce. Many of these communities have no safe, clean water on tap, many have no adequate sanitation and as a result there is a high prevalence of illness. It's here that Australian money has been working to rehabilitate water sources and provide basic sanitation - but it's not just about providing services. This has been a catalyst to get government talking to estate owners and community members, and estate owners taking ownership for the conditions in which their workers live. New partnerships have been created, people are talking to each other, Tamil workers are talking to Sinhalese owners and governments - tea production is up, sickness is down - but again it's the peace building and self-determination that has transformed communities and individuals.

Across on the East coast, in an area devastated by extended war and a tsunami, Australian's have sponsored about 3,000 children and as result of that money a maternal, new-born child health program has begun to turn the devastation of malnourishment in the most vulnerable babies and train mothers how to sustain that health; pre-schoolers have gone back to school, teachers have been supported and trained; and home gardens are being established which will mean that families can support themselves and maybe generate some income.

And then, in the second and third week, the fun starts... I travel to the Northern city of Jaffna where I have the privilege of facilitating a design workshop for a new $3 Million Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project in two communities. Another Australian Aid funded project, we will work, through local partners, to increase the adoption of improved hygiene practices and sustained equitable use of water and sanitation facilities. (More about that in the future...)

But of course, as well as working, I will pay an obligatory visit to Barefoot and Odel and I will catch up with Salvo family and friends, looking forward to that too :)