Lalith is a young man who was in Baranasoriya Boys Home for 14 years as his mother could not afford to keep him at home. A.R.C met him on their 2nd visit to Sri Lanka. After a few more visits A.R.C discovered that Lalith had passed his A levels and he was now allowed back home to his mother, 2 brothers and 3 sisters.

The team visited them at their home which was a very small building 30k outside of Hikkaduwa and deep into the jungle with no water or electricity. All they had was a table chairs and a few pans to cook with, each child had a few bits of clothing and there was only one bed between all of them. The mother and girls shared one room, the 3 boys shared a very small room and they had the bed which just fitted into the room, whilst the girls slept on the floor with their mum.There was no windows in the building and a small area that they used for a kitchen. There was also a toilet outside which was totally unusable. As there was no water the youngest son Radjit walked 2 or 3 kms daily to fetch it before going to school.

All the children attended school but had to walk 2 to 3 kms to get the bus. Mum worked up to 10 hours a day on a tea plant and earnt roughly 200 rupees a day which is just over £1.

A.R.C decided this was another family that could benefit from our help. It was agreed to buy land and build a new home nearer the town which would be so much easier for all of them.

The A.R.C team then took all the family and some of the other sponsored families for a weekend to Kandy so they could visit the Elephant orphanage and Temple which none of them had seen before. The hotel we were staying in at Hikkaduwa was owned by Shelton and he also had a hotel in Kandy which he agreed to put everyone up. On a previous visit to Sri Lanka he gave Lalith's family a room at the hotel in Hikkaduwa so that they could come down and visit the beach which was also a first for the children. they all had a fantastic time.

 On the visit to Kandy Radjit suddenly disappeared and he was found sound asleep in his hotel room. It was the first time he'd had his own bed and it was luxury for him so he was making the most of it.

Last Christmas A.R.C's annual Santa Run raised over £9,000 we now had enough money to build this family a new house nearer the town.  In May this year the building was completed and they are all now happily living in their new home.

Lalith is now at college studying to be a nurse. He is doing really well and at present is placed first in his class. Les Beaucamp School now sponsor this family until Lalith and his younger brothers are working full time and can provide for their family.

Many thanks to everyone who has helped to build this family's future.