Creativity, Fun and Joy for Disabled Sri Lankans

<p> First, thank you for reading this!</p> <p>  </p> <p> My name is Victoria, I'm 23 years old, from France but I'm actually living in Hikkaduwa, in Sri Lanka.</p> <p>  </p> <p> This is the story: </p> <p> I have been studying Physiotherapy for 4 years, after that I was looking to take some time before starting the real active life. So I decided to go to Sri Lanka were I was supposed to stay 3 weeks.</p> <p> But after those 3 weeks, I had the feeling I had to stay longer because my duty to Sri Lanka had not yet been realized. So I decided to spend the whole winter there.</p> <p> This is how I arrived in <strong>Hikkaduwa</strong>, beach city on the west coast of <strong>Sri Lanka</strong>, which also been affected by the Tsunami on 2004.</p> <p>  </p> <p> After some weeks there and talking around with the local people, I finally heard about the <strong>Sambodhi Home</strong>. The day after I was on the way to with my local friend Sajith, (to help for the Sinhala translation), I was to curious to know about it.</p> <p> I thought first it was an orphanage, but once I arrived I realized it was way much than I excepted.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Photo1-1447408511" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251316/photo1-1447408511.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> The <strong>Sambodhi Home</strong> was created 20 years ago, on the purpose <strong>to received disabled people which family couldn't take care of.</strong></p> <p> Today, there are 32 persons ( 31 woman, 1 men) and only 3 persons in charge of them.  The people are affected physically or/and mentally, like Trisomie 21, Sclerosis, paraplegic.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The survival of the Home <strong>depend of the donation</strong> given  by the local people (like rice, the) and tourist people who arrived until there. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Orph1-1447410073" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251332/orph1-1447410073.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Orph2-1447410112" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251333/orph2-1447410112.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> It's feel like it's a big Family, everybody help, the girls who can help at the Home to clean, cook and take care of the others. We were received with song and dance (what a great moment...).</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Photo2-1447408692" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251317/photo2-1447408692.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> I discovered that the girls are <strong>super creative</strong>, they spend the day drawing, painting, making bracelet and neckless, they also do knitting. I was without voice when I see this woman drawing and knitting with her feet.... </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="P5-1447409860" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251326/p5-1447409860.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="P4-1447409895" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251327/p4-1447409895.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="P3-1447409932" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251328/p3-1447409932.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Art2-1447409969" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251329/art2-1447409969.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Art3-1447410001" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251330/art3-1447410001.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> We went to visit them an other day with my magic friend, Marvin Berenas, from Netherlands, it seem they really enjoyed it: </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Magic1-1447409726" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251320/magic1-1447409726.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Magic2-1447409761" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251321/magic2-1447409761.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Magic3-1447409789" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251322/magic3-1447409789.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Magic5-1447409818" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251324/magic5-1447409818.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> I finally know the reason why I felt to stay, to<strong> give a little hand to those unique persons</strong>. </p> <p> Today, the most important is to bring them what they really need like food and clothes, but in the future I would like to help them more as physiotherapist. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Final-1447409681" src="https://djxmmoom3injc.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/251319/final-1447409681.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p>