Colombo school helps families and children’s ward for World Day of the Poor

Students from the Holy Family Convent school in Colombo helped two needy families and the Children’s Ward in the Cancer Hospital in Maharagama. Students funded the three deeds with money from ticket sales to fellow students of a play, the ‘Horror House’, which they performed.

Colombo (Asia News) – Students from the Holy Family Convent (HFC) school for girls in Colombo helped two families in need responding to Pope Francis's call to celebrate World Day of the Poor with deeds. The students provided money to the families as well as equipment to help them earn a living.

"We thank our Lord for sending us you, children, to help us," said the two mothers who live in St Francis Xavier parish in Wewala, when, with tears of joy, they received the help.

The HFC students also provided help to the Children’s Ward of the Cancer hospital in Maharagama.

Pope Francis established the first World Day of the Poor, calling on Catholics to extend their merciful hearts to the poor of their country through prayer and needed help.

All three deeds were carried out by HFC students after they raised money selling tickets to fellow students to a play called ‘Horror House’, which they performed.

"We were very much delighted when we heard the announcement of the Holy Father on the new initiative of World Day of the Poor, because we raised money to help needy people, providing help to two deserving families, in response to the call of our dearest Holy Father," said some of the students at the Holy Family Convent school in Bambalapitiya (Colombo 04). “The AsiaNews correspondent gave us the names of these two families. She made the request and introduced these two deserving families."

Last Friday, seven girls, one teacher and the school principal representing the school visited the two needy families who live in St Francis Xavier parish, Wewala, in the Diocese of Colombo, and handed them money and goods. "We could not do it on the actual day, the 19th, since it was a holiday, so we did it a day earlier,” the students said.

"We face a lot of problems in the journey of life,” said Niluka Malkanthi, one of the beneficiaries. “We do not have a house of our own; we have to rent. Every month we have to pay 6,000 rupees (about US$ 40).”

“My husband works as a fishmonger,” she explained. “He goes to beach to buy fish and goes around in the neighbouring villages by bike to sell it, but that is not enough. I have four children. With the exception of one girl, they all go to school”.

Niluka used to raise chicken, ducks and guinea fowls. She wanted to expand but did not have the money to pay for different cages. "A group in our church visited us and inquired about our family asking us what we needed the most at that time. It came up with the idea of ​​helping me raise poultry, small-scale. They took some notes about our family and about my needs, and said they would try to help us.”

“After that, I prayed to God to send someone to help us. Now, we are really happy and grateful to the school principal and to all the students who helped us meet our needs. Now we can sell eggs, and earn money,” Nikula said after she received money in front of the pastor, Fr Sumith Kumara.

The other beneficiary, Amali Priyadharshani, a young mother of two school-age children, is grateful to “the Lord for giving us this blessing. I thank the nun, the teacher and all the children for helping us out. This is great help and now I can engage in my small business. Now I have all I need. "

Amali was self-employed but she had little to eat because she did not have the money to buy the kitchen tools to meet the demands of her customers. The HFC students helped her buy the tools she needed.

HFC students raised funds to help these two families on 1st October, World Children's Day. Advance Level 2017 performed the ‘Horror House’ play selling tickets at 50 rupees (US$ 33 cents) each. In total, they raised 50,470 rupees (US$ 330) for the two families in Wewala, Jaela. Another donation was made to the Children’s Ward in the Cancer Hospital in Maharagama.

The school principal, Sister Deepa Fernando, who accepted the request of the Wewala parish, said she was happy to have helped these two families in response to the Holy Father's appeal. "We are proud of the good intentions and the strength of our children towards a good deed. It is a great thing that they can understand the lives of the poor."

Fr Sumith Kumara, pastor of St Francis Xavier in Wewala, also thanked the HFC students, the principal and the teacher for the generosity of the children, and for helping them understand the hardship of the poor.

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