CORONA has paralyzed the world. The death trolls we hear are count in thousands. It has affected every part of human life. CORONA invaded Sri Lanka several weeks back. The infected count started to rise very quickly. So the country was put on lockdown. Yet it was spreading fast. So we had to go for the ultimate solution. We stopped the country and put curfew. Nobody can go out of their homes. Only essential services are working. Continuous Curfew runs for weeks now. Even though this is for the greater good, a lot of people are suffering. Especially the poor people who depend on their daily wage lively hoods. They can find any work so they don’t earn anything. They don’t have enough food for their families.
As a Local Guide, as a human being, I wanted to help. But how. I can’t go out. I don’t have a pass to travel or transport during the curfew. I was so desperate, I knew there are people in the area who are suffering, Who are struggling to feed their children. I made a plan. And I told this to my local guide partner @Kasunaa and he was all in for help. Finally I found a way to make things happen. I contacted a local government official and told my plan to help those families in need in my area. He offered to help to execute my plan.
We prepared a list of essential food items for a family. We set the quantities so that it would be sufficient for two weeks for a normal family. I got a list of struggling families in my area from the officer. I contacted my LG friends, office colleagues, and other friends for help. Everybody chip in to help. Even though we can’t get together they all send financial help by bearing the cost for foody packs. Within there days I was in a position to buy the required food supplies. With the officer, I went to a supplier and bought all the required food items. It was a lorry full of food items. The kind store owner also wanted to help our cause. So he gave his lorry free of transport charge,
Food list
- Rice (Samba)
- Rice (Sudu Kekulu) for new year milk rice preparation
- Wheat Flour
- Dhal
- Dry Fish
- Soya Meat
- Potato
- Onion
- Green Beans
- Sugar
- Spices
- Chilly
- Salt
- Tea
- Biscuits and sweets(for little kidos)
- Some essential medicine
We brought the goods to my house. But we needed manpower to properly pack those items to 57 packs. There were 18 items for a pack. The officer gave me permission to have a few people to help given that we take all safety measures. But I needed willing people at this hour. But I didn’t have to go far. My local guide buddies @Yukthi_Isuranga and @kasunaaa came to help. With them and the help of my family and a couple of other friends, we prepaid the packs. It was April 12th, the night before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. We wanted to distribute the packs before the new year. Because we included items in the pack so that those families can make some New Year traditional food so that they can celebrate. Bring joy to their kids.
During the curfew and social distancing regulations, we couldn’t ask them to come and get those packs. Therefore we had to deliver 58 homes. We can’t take a lorry and go from home to home because most of those families in need live in places where the road access is not very good + we didn’t have a curfew permit for a lorry. But we have to make this delivery before Auspicious new year’s time. We had two people permit. So we came up with a difficult plan but possible. We deliver forum home to home in my motorbike. At one time we can take only two packs, deliver them and we have to come back and get two more and go back. Close to 30 trips to complete. The problem was we are running out of time. It is already 9 pm. So we harried, I got in the bike with another and took two packs and hit the road and start delivering.
When we reach those families and offered the food pack, even though it is dark I could see the happiness and relief in their eyes. When I saw the little ones coming behind their mummies I felt very happy about including some sweets and biscuits to the pack. We go in, deliver coming back as quickly as we can. Get another two packs and hitting the road again. By midnight we could only deliver about 20 packs. We wanted to go on but decided to call it a day as most people are in sleep. We were tired but we felt great inside. We determine to start early in the morning the next day and deliver it before the New year auspicious time.
We started around 7 am the next day. @ykthi and @kasunaaa came in early and start packing. Same drill, two packs one bike at a time. 3hrs passed and we have delved about another 20 and 17 more to go. Sun was starting to show his power. We were tired from our bodies, but not in our spirit. We felt not like we are delivering food, we felt like we are delivering joy and happiness for those families. So how come we stop. We were thrilled to see those relief faces, some didn’t have words to say but we saw it all in their faces. So we continued. We had only a couple more hours.
Riding back and forth in those little broken roads took time but we manage to deliver them all thanks to the great determination of everyone. Thanks to this effort
Those 57 families will spend a happy new year with tummies full.
They could feed their families for two weeks so they don’t have to go out looking for work
They are safe at home with their loved ones away from CORONA danger
Big thanks and big Hugs to all my friends, colleagues and LG buddies who generously offered their help. 
