RSS feedHaggai Sends Students to the Streets
March 9th, 2007 by yohan abeynaike
A study on the Biblical book of Haggai compelled the students from the management faculty of the University of Colombo to go to the streets in search of those whose lives lay in tatters due to various reasons.
Sachindra & Nilusha first met Sumanadasa and Magi Nona whose home was destroyed in the Asian Tsunami in December 2004. Magi Nona was also restricted to a wheel chair due to wrong treatment of drugs. They related their story as well as the treatment they receive at the hands of the police in the area. They next met D.K. Jinadasa who begged on the streets, unknown to the rest of his family.
Both these people were so happy to talk to us and it showed from the smiles on their faces – Nilusha
I have put an effort to fulfill their physical needs before but never thought that spending time with them actually meant a lot to them – Sachindra
Nishalika & Achini encountered Garis Haami a widow who’s children had left her to fend for herself, and also Menike Dahanayake who had grown up an orphan and was “given” in marriage at the age of 13.
Each of us included these names in our personal prayers – something which our father in heaven expects of each of us – Achini
I feel that as university students this type of work is something we can do, as we have the strength and the will to do new things at this stage of our lives and there are lots of us – Nishalika
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7 Comments Add your own
1. dileni gunewardena | March 10th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Yohan, this is a really great idea, and having the full story written up by the students also brilliant. It looks like this was done around Christmas time, now, three months later, do they have any ideas for follow up?
2. Suhithi Peiris | March 11th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
How many times do we walk past beggars and never talk to them, similar to those that preceded the Good Samaritan? The sentence that struck me the most from your writing is: It was made clear to me that giving to the poor should not be with the intention of engaging in charity but rather concentrating on doing justice because something, somewhere at some point has gone wrong and all of us are responsible in some way for what’s happening around us. Thank you Nilusha, Sachi, Achini and Nishalika for helping us to remember and hopefully also to act!
3. Evan Ekanayake | March 12th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Guys This is just so encouraging and good to see! I am proud to be in FOCUS when i see what you have done:
a) with your teaching ability (yohan)
b) with your love for Jesus and what you have learnt( students)
c) with your IT skills and this great website( allan!)
If you mean to do some thing more follow up on these people you may wnt to look at ideas like the following in preparation:
1. can we link these people up with /or give them some information about “day centers” for elderly people whcih are run free.Help age sri-lanka ( Gangodawilla nugegoda-next to J’pura campus) will have a list of day centers.
2. My guess is many of these people will not like to do any thing othr than be on the roads as the effort to try some thing new will be too much for them. Bt if some realy need a home, and are highly vulnerable to abuse we could tell them there are places which will accept them free with NO payment involved IF THEY ARE READY FOR A NEW START OFF THE STREETS
3. As a follow up measure would you guys like to persue this idea: select 3 or 4 “hotels” ( you know, the eating houses or bath kadai’s you get every where eg: “top form” at Nugegoda Bo tree junc. Go speak to them about the idea of “adopt-an- achchi/Seeya” program in whcih they will ONLY PLEDGE TO GIVE A PACKET OF FRESH FOOD (Not left overs) TO JUST TWO PEOPLE every day…as their contribution to the older people in society. Ask the hotel if they can allow these two people to eat at their hotel every day forfree. In return we will write articles and give them publicity so their busines improves ..or some other pay off you can think of.
Your conversations with these people will be to them far far more valuable that the money.you have taken a small step to heal great big wounds they all carry.I pray Gods love will lead and empower your next steps.
4. Anushke | March 15th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Its great to say that I know these students personally 🙂
Its always hard to overcome ones own inhibitions of reaching down… but if you do you always see that there will be ppl reaching up… we sometimes yearn for things that are there but what we cannot get (personal experience)
Achini, Sachi, Nishu and Nilu… Thanks for the time that you have given and for sharing what you experienced cos it IS inspiring.
Sometimes…ok most times? (ALWAYS!!! 😛 ) it pays to just act without all the planning cos it opens your eyes so that you can then plan…
5. Roshanth | March 15th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Thanks Yohan for the posting. And thanks Nilusha, Achini, Nishalika, and Sachi for sharing. It was very encouraging and challenging. Does Pera students know that this is on the net? Roshanth
6. uccf | March 16th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Being the Salt and the light of the world is not just only talking about it but going out and actually doing something…and its wonderful to see the UCCFers doing some practical work of speaking to people who we might normally marginalize and ignore and actually making an effort to identify with people…Many times Christians just talk about all this kinda thing…but the amount of us who actually do this is really limited…I think this is a challenge to all of us not to just worry about the condition of our houses (metaphorically and literally ) but to actually start walking our talk…how important it is to identify with and to impact the lives of the poor…especially since our God was one who had a heart for the poor and the marginalized and actually set rules to ensure the non-existence of the poor…why aren’t we as Christians doing more??? Well…time for us to start walking our talk…maybe if we all take to the streets there would be a mighty revival and yep i think Sri Lanka is really in need of that right now…so tx again Nilu, Sachi, Achini & Nishu…
7. Noeline | April 20th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Hey, pretty brave of you to have done this. ya, when you actually do it you realise the world is not what we beleive it to be. that we can really face it, ha? congrats and thanks even more for sharing your experiences. (which is very encouraging).
so who is going next? and where?
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