The past few months have been difficult for Sri Lanka.
These were the first months in which many people got corona, with many hospitalizations and deaths as a result. There was also another long and strict lockdown, which left many children out of school and adults without work and income.
Good that the Farm of Nambikay could contribute on a small scale to relief in these even more difficult times for the population!
The local churches were able to distribute food parcels to hairdressers and their families from our project fund. Businesses like barbers face economic hardship, especially now that after the earlier periods there was a long lockdown again in recent months.
Widows with their families and families with illness and without income were also supported.
Local churches have delivered these food parcels and received many grateful faces, because people from a local church just look after them, even if they are not Christians themselves.
The farm itself has been less affected by the lockdown.
The normal daily work continued, goats were born, vegetables were grown and fruit harvested. During the lockdown, however, these could not be sold, because it was difficult to bring the harvest to the city.
A government agronomist has given a day course on ‘fruit tree pruning’ on the farm. This was instructive and what has been learned is now put into practice. The agricultural expert will visit several more times to provide feedback and additional training.
After that, FoN-workers can help and train others who are interested.
A permanent worker has chosen a different job, in a clothing factory. It will take some time getting used to for him, now that he works in a completely different environment.
At the moment things are going well on the farm with one permanent worker and our weekend worker who now temporarily also works during the week.
We are very grateful for the advisory committee in Sri Lanka who manages the farm closely, has regular talks with the workers, and advises us.
She also coordinates the corona emergency aid.
Two of them have started organic vegetable gardens at their home, so that visitors can get inspiration to start their own vegetable garden. One of them is going to breathe new life into the exemplary vegetable garden on the farm. An organic vegetable garden has also been started at a local church.
We want to close this blog with the first good yield of the solar panels! We waited a long time for the connection and then had to wait a long time due to previous lockdowns for someone from the national utility to read the meter. In Sri Lanka this is not done digitally, but in principle someone comes along every month to read the meter, add/subtract and multiply, and then calculate the income. This is then deposited into the farm account. Due to the corona period, there is not really regularity in this reading. It is not yet clear what the monthly yield is, but the sun is shining brightly and provides green energy and income.
Thanks and prayer points:
- we ask you to give thanks for all that our heavenly Father provides us to keep the work on the farmongoing.
- we ask to pray for all people involved with Farm of Nambikay.
- pray for the population that needs extra support and have to get through the difficult corona time.
- and please pray for a new motivated worker.