Editor: In our previous issue, we featured a profile of songstress Sun Ho’s humanitarian contributions in Indonesia. International pop singer Ho Yeow Sun (widely known as Sun Ho) is known for her achievements in the music arena.

Since stepping into the entertainment world in 2001 with her first studio release, Sun With Love, she has experienced a considerable level of success and recognition for her contributions to the music industry. She has five platinum-selling Mandarin albums, five American dance singles that have scaled to the top of the US Billboard and UK MusicWeek charts, and numerous other accolades attributed to her in her illustrious music career to date.

Most recently, she was appointed the Music Ambassador for the Olympic Songfest, and she was invited to sing the official theme song of the Shanghai 2007 Special Olympic Games. Considering that she is not a Chinese citizen, this is truly a great honor in recognition of her profile as both celebrity and humanitarian.

So far, her humanitarian efforts have led to the construction of primary schools, learning centers, libraries, medical centers and child care centers. Her goal? To have the opportunity to raise up at least 100 fully equipped schools in her lifetime. She believes emphatically in the role of education in bringing lesser fortunate children out of the clutches of poverty, and says, “Education is one of the keys … I believe it provides the basis for these children to dream bigger dreams and to envision themselves walking out of their less-than-comfortable circumstances to achieve what they could never have possibly imagined. Education empowers them to believe and to dream.”

In this issue, local videographer Seth Tan relates to Harvest Times his visit to Sri Lanka to profile another aid
agency that has benefited from Sun’s assistance.

My trip to Sri Lanka has been nothing short of amazing. When I was told that I would be going to Sri Lanka, I had little idea what to expect other than what I’ve read about the country from newspapers. The few days I spent there was an eye-opening experience for me.

I was there to see the progress of the children’s medical center which Sun has been involved in constructing and maintaining. Through the local representatives there, I was able to get a deeper understanding of the current situation in Sri Lanka, particularly in Jaffna and Badullah where our orphanages are located.

Jaffna is at the northern tip of Sri Lanka and is currently the stronghold of the Tamil Tigers. The living conditions there have gone from bad to worse since the government shut off the only major road into Jaffna almost a year ago. It used to be the main transport route for goods and necessities, and because of this shutdown, the prices of many necessities have risen exponentially. For example, 1 kilogram of rice or sugar costs 100 Rupees in Jaffna, which is about $1.30 Singapore dollars. That may not sound much, but it is very substantial if you consider that the salary of an average Sri Lankan is only 400 Rupees a month!

Badullah is a mountainous area located at the center of Sri Lanka. The situation there is slightly better than Jaffna for the fact that it’s not in the war zone. However, poverty is a prominent issue in most parts of Sri Lanka, and people in Badullah are also struggling to make ends meet.

JOY AT JAFFNA

My first journey in Sri Lanka was to visit the Canaan Sunshine Children’s Home in Jaffna, which currently houses 50 children.

The timing for my trip to Jaffna was perfect because the government had just reopened the Jaffna Domestic Airport a few days earlier. Before that, it was closed indefinitely due to the civil tensions in that area. The flight to Jaffna airport was just an hour. However, the journey to the Children’s Home was a harrowing and tedious affair, complicated by numerous stringent military checks and procedures.

Jaffna is still under military law ever since the conflict begun some 20 years ago and the road to the Children’s Home showed the grim reality of life in Jaffna. I could see soldiers standing guard at every hundred meters, at every major junction and facing every direction. Military bunkers were everywhere and residents in Jaffna had to adhere to a strict 7 p.m. curfew. In recent years, the government not only closed the only major road in and out of Jaffna, it has also forbade the people of Jaffna from using the sea that surrounds the area. This has a terrible impact on the people of Jaffna because a big part of the population in Jaffna fish for a living. It was heartbreaking to see the abandoned fishing boats and fishing nets by the sea side.

I reached the Children’s Home late in the afternoon, tired out by the long and bumpy journey. However, as soon as I saw the children greeting us, I was instantly refreshed. Looking at all their faces melted my heart. They even prepared a song item to welcome my visit. It was inspiring to see how these children could have so much joy in spite of their overwhelming difficulties.

I learned that the main target of the Home is to reach out to children from the poorest levels in Jaffna. They are either from families that are way below the poverty mark, or have parents who are no longer capable of taking care of them. Many of the children I met have seen their parents, friends and siblings die in the clashes between the government and terrorists.

Prebha, the director of the Canaan Sunshine Children’s Home, relates that a lot of parents plead with their organization to take in their children because they are unable to provide proper care for them. The home provides three meals a day, clothes, shelter as well as education to their children. Each child requires about 400 Rupees a day, equivalent to $6 Singapore dollars. The shelter functions solely through donations from philanthropists because the government does not provide much support.

During my time there, I learned about the story of a girl who used to live with her mother, a prostitute. If she were to continue to stay with her mum, she would have ultimately ended up in the same plight. When she was first brought to the Canaan Sunshine Children’s Home, she had no hope or plans for her future. She never knew that she could hope for something better! Through time, the love, care and proper education that the Home provides have turned her life around. She now plans to work in the Home to help similar little girls when she graduates from college.

The Home is without a doubt making significant impact on the children under their care. It is heartening to hear them freely tell me their goals and ambitions for their future. Prebha shares that the Children’s Home hopes to be able to take in another 25 children next year.

During that trip to Jaffna, I made a detour to the outskirts of the city, passing by the areas where the poorest people stay. Calling them poor is a gross understatement. Their houses are made from scraps of cloth wrapped around a few sticks, with leaves draped around for cover. Children bathe by their shelters in puddles of muddy rain water. Such are the living conditions of the people there, and unfortunately, it’s not an uncommon sight.

However, there is a glimpse of hope for the community. The same organization that maintains the Children’s Home will also channel some of their contributions toward building new medical facilities to cater to the residents in Jaffna. The whole construction will cover an area the size of two football fields. Upon completion, it will treat over 300 patients a day.

REBUILDING BADULLAH

Next I made my way to Badullah, which is at the east of Colombo. The traveling time took me seven hours by car, passing through winding mountain roads and countless small towns and villages. The Children’s Home in Badullah currently cares for 25 children from the ages of 4 to 18 years old. Many of them were orphaned after the horrific tsunami disaster of December 2004. In order not to let these children live under the constant reminder of the tragedy, many were relocated to this home in the mountains.

Similar to the Jaffna home, children here are fully provided with daily necessities and adequate education. Every morning, they wake up at 6 a.m. to tidy their rooms, wash their toilets, do their own laundry, sweep the compound and prepare for school. After school, the Home provides tuition class for the children. The workers here also teach them singing and dancing, and regular counseling sessions are routine to make sure the children are doing fine.

Since returning from my trip to Sri Lanka, I have developed a deep appreciation of the work done by the two Sunshine Children’s Homes there. In a nutshell, they are bringing new hope and vision to children who have lost all hope for any possible future. I salute the workers at these Homes for tirelessly caring for these little ones, as well as Sun’s contributions, as they make it possible for the children to receive the proper education and medical attention they need. HT