We have a thousand reasons to smile. But do we always try to hold on to a smile? No…
Most of us anguish over small failures. However a few days ago we were graced with the presence of wonderful company, one that always endeavours in holding onto smiles and the little moments of happiness in life. They have good vision and good auditory perception. They do not suffer from any physical shortcomings. However there exists a void space in their lives because they have lost their mobility. Their many innocent wishes have withered away due to the immobilization of their certain body parts. They too would like to share the lens through which we see the world. They are still children. So they love to play, run, jump and enjoy life. Unfortunately fate has limited their world to a narrow ambit, forcing them to seek amusement within the constraints that hold them back.
Though they have thousands of reasons to cry, they never shed tears as they are strong-minded unlike most of us. A small moment of happiness is enough to embellish their faces with a smile. We wanted to make an effort to bring some smiles to their faces. This is not an easy feat for a small crew. So Project “SEVANA” was conducted for the children by our Rotaractors to spread around a lot of priceless smiles.
SEVANA is a home that provides protection, care and guidance for children with mobility impairments. Our project was organized in collaboration with SEVANA home, hence the name for the project- “SEVANA”.
The date, 30th November, was a remarkable day for everyone who joined us. We escorted the group of children from the SEVANA home, on the journey to Rathnapura town. The location was selected per their request, because the only thing we aimed for through the project was to show them the beauty of the world outside, which they really missed. Our first destination was “Bopath ella” and then in the afternoon we reached “Rathganga”. After chanting blessings at “Rathganga”, we left for Colombo.
Throughout the journey I witnessed a lot of smiles. Their sparkling eyes revealed the overflowing happiness that they felt in their hearts. I also observed the tremendous dedication of my colleagues to keep the children happy and comfortable. The bonds that were made with these lovely children are invaluable.
Their every artless smile and gladsome word unveiled the success of our small endeavours. It was worth the effort and the outcome was so much more than what we hoped for.
At the end of the day, we all basked in a sense of pride on a job well done. We felt blessed to have been endowed with a great opportunity to perform a huge meritorious deed, giving us emotions and feelings that can never be fully expressed in words.
-Written by Rtr. Nipuni Happitiya-
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