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by Clinton Rodrigo

The common saying "I had no shoes and I grumbled till I met a man who had no feet" and that "We come to this world with nothing and go from this world with nothing and we only leave behind, when we leave this world, the good that we do whilst on this short pilgrimage on earth."

If these sayings cross our minds then we will be conscious of the fact that all of us in this world are God's Children - and that those who are more blessed should always bear a thought for those who are less fortunate and more so towards those like what I have written the old, physically deformed, poor & helpless and thus herded into houses in certain instances and treated like animals.

I make these observations, only to elaborate on a contrasting attitude prevailing in what constitutes the subject of this article which houses over 50 (fifty) Mentally Handicapped (Now changed to "Differently able") children from now on.

They are Mongoloid, now called and affected by "Down Syndrome" and Brain damaged children housed as residents of Supem Uyana home and looked after so very well and fed and housed by funds generated by the 50-acre farm they manage and administer for there expenses on upkeep, food, shelter and clothing all told, with no social service grant from the Government, Social Service Department or even from the Church that is the custodian of this institution. Hence these Sisters of Charity, which is their religious order, has to sustain and maintain the convent and its inhabitants.

They generate their own finances from this agricultural project and owned by the Roman Catholic Church - but the helpless inmates are from all denominations and no discrimination whatsoever is shown towards as to whether they are Catholics, Christians, Buddhists or of any community religion or nationality. Hence the inmates constitute a multi ethnic, multi religious, diverse affluence lot of a happy & contented lot of children from the ages of 6 to 21 years.

There are 10 (Ten) Catholic Sisters or nuns who look after these children, alongwith a few well-trained young girls who shower on unbelievable abundance of love, devotion and affection - and provide them with excellent living conditions, clean & tidy surroundings, absolutely meticulous high hygienic conditions and more than all, looks after all of these inhabitants with that love to the effect when these inmates have to go to their homes for the holidays that becomes their saddest day. This is because these Angelic Sisters of Charity or Nuns as some call them look after them with so much of care, love & attention. I can thereby unhesitantly state that they are better treated than in these children's own parents homes.

Hence, these great Sisters of Charity who run this organisation will definitely find their way direct to Heaven when they have to leave this world - and find the great joy of fulfilment when they get across to where all of us have to go ultimately. This is their devotion and selfless dedication which the reader must see to believe.

In effect we mortals who are totally oblivious to what is outside our affluence & extravagance and living in absolute luxury whilst on earth will not find a comfortable place on the other side after we pass away if we now do not take stock and do what we can for those regards which I have extensively written here.

I come into this story as a mere mortal doing only an insignificant job of advising these sisters - all female, on the running of their 50-acre farm, for which negligible act, these great sisters think I am giving the world for them and incessantly pray for my family & me as compensation daily. In my own impression my contribution is only 1% to the 99% that these great Sisters of Charity running this heavenly convent for this lot of very unfortunate children who have to bear this misfortune of incurable illnesses of Mongoloid (down syndrome) and brain damaged. These inmates are treated like angels by these devoted, dedicated Nuns or Sisters of Charity sent by God for this great mission of mercy.

I would not be fulfilling my duty if I do not thank Mr. Derick Wireratne who is a trustee of the Sudhaya Trust that administers this convent for requesting me to contribute my mite towards helping the convent to fruitfully utilise its 50ac of farmland. I thank God almighty and the blessed Virgin Mary in whose name I contribute my mite to this very worthy cause which I greatly enjoy doing. Please God grant me the strength to continue to perform!!

Any reader who can on their way to the south of Sri Lanka - should and must try to visit this great God-blessed institution without even any intimation to the Sisters and observe the truth or otherwise, of what I extol in this narration.

The way to get to Supem Uyana is to turn off at Hikkaduwa town on the Baddegama main Road and get directions to Gonapinuwala and from there again get direction to "Supem Uyana" and now termed "Home for Mentally Retarded Children". In this area everyone is conversant and will direct you to the convent location.

The distance from Hikkaduwa town to the convent itself is only about 3 (three) miles and your trip will be most rewarding and God will bless you for doing so - as my contention is that "seeing is believing".

Please get to the convent and ask for sister Rose Marina, who is one of the main living angels amongst all the other living angels as Sisters of Charity living and working around her to make this "Home of joy" what it really is.

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