Call Us: 703-627-4389

                                                                                CHAMIKA

So often the greatest experiences here come when we least expect them.  Monday was a national holiday for the Hindu and Buddhist New Year.  Some of our plans were canceled and we were about to call the day when we drove past a woman pushing a severely deformed man in a wheelchair.  His left arm was twisted 180 degrees, and bent at the elbow so that the back of his hand is actually behind his left shoulder.  His right arm was bent permanently at a right angle.  His head was pulled sharply to his right.  He did not speak as we talked to the woman, and we assumed he was mentally handicapped as well.  When I asked to take a picture, he suddenly came to life.  Not only was he very intelligent, but had a marvelous smile while posing for the camera.  I eventually asked what we could do for him and he asked for a wheelchair.  After looking over his wheelchair, I asked why he needed another.  He said that his was very old (which it was) and was in constant need of repair.  To our amazement, he said that he repaired the chair himself with his feet, but the work was very slow and needed almost daily.  As we examined the chair closer, we could see he was right. 

Earlier that day we were in Arpico, Sri Lanka’s version of a department store, buying supplies for an elder home.  (They were one of the few stores open on the holiday.)  I noticed a wheelchair for sale, which they never carried before.  The price was too good to be true at $115.  We took Chamika back to the store with us to be sure the fit was right. 

His story slowly unfolded to us as we traveled with him.  The woman pushing him was his wife.  They had both met as beggars a few years ago and now she takes care of him.  She brings him on the bus each day to Colombo, where he begs on the street.  On a good day, he earns about $6, with which he supports his wife and himself, his mother, sister and two nephews.  His mother is also crippled and his plan is to have her use his old chair. 

At Arpico, he was thrilled as we lifted him in.  I do not think that store has ever seen such a sight as only the upper classes and foreigners shop there.  Many gathered around in amazement.  Chamika could not stop smiling and saying thank you.

Not wanting his wife to  navigate with two wheelchairs back home, we drove them.  What we took them to is difficult to describe.  We have seen the basest of poverty at times here, but only on an individual basis.  Chamika’s home was a shanty town consisting of dozens of wood and tin shacks without windows, electricity or water.  The homes were dark, smoky and filled with foul odors.  Located at the bottoms of a steep hill they were flooded during monsoon rains.  How his wife gets him up and down this hill everyday with his wheelchair is a mystery as it took three of us to do the job.

We met the rest of his family and though living in squalor, they were able to smile freely.  The only additional request they had was for  repairs to the roof so that they could stay dry during the rains.  A neighbor agreed to do the labor for free if we provide the $75 in tin sheets.  It is impossible to describe how great an impact such small expenditures can make.  And while we cannot change the almost unimaginable plight of Chamika and his family, I know we have helped lift his spirits and lighten his load just a bit.  By his smile, I was assured he understands that he has a friend in Sri Lankan Help that he can turn to in the future.