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Hundreds of lives of children, seniors in peril in charity homes
An unprecedented rise in the prices of essentials including rice and milk powder, and the lack of medicine are putting the lives of hundreds of Sri Lankan children, seniors, the less-abled and the sick in charity homes at risk.
Operating costs have risen sharply at orphanages and homes that are looking after the elderly and the destitute.
Fr Christopher Prasanna who runs the Macsiri Homes for the elders in Kalutara said it is a challenge to find money for food and other items.
Due to rising costs, homes housing children, seniors, the less-abled and the sick are at risk of running out of basic necessities Pic by Indika Handuwala
Over the past two years, the coronavirus disease pandemic has taken its toll on homes. Few came to the homes to provide alms. But, now, the situation has worsened. Many donors have reduced their charity spending.
“Milk powder is so expensive that we had to cut down to one cup a day,’’ Fr Prasanna said.
The home, which is run by the Catholic Church, has 10 branches countrywide accommodating around 310 elders, the less-abled, and orphans.
Fr Prasanna said: “There is no medicine for our inmates and finding fuel to take them to the hospitals when they fall sick has proved to be an herculean task so much so that one day we had to seek the assistance of the STF officers stationed near the home to buy fuel.’’
The lack of essential medicine in the country is putting diabetics and psychiatric patients in peril.
“There is a shortage of glucometer test strips,’’ Fr Prasanna said.
There are about 90 diabetic patients in homes in Kalutara, Beruwela, Wadduwa, Colombo and Ja-ela.
Medical clinics that had provided free services are unwilling to continue as they do not have stocks.
They have offered to treat the patients if the homes provide the medicines.
“Even burying the dead seems expensive with the cost of coffins and embalming skyrocketing. We simply cannot afford these without help,’’ Fr Prasanna said.
Donations have dried up. Many regular donors have cancelled alms given in memory of their dead or for celebrating birthdays.
In pre-Covid 19 times, the calendar for each month had been booked full with donations and alms giving. The church only had to pay the utility bills and spend on clothing and education.
But now, food supplies and cooking gas are a challenge. The homes have switched to firewood but transporting supplies is not easy without diesel.
“We request dry rations from donors so that we can minimise waste and use it for longer periods,’’ Fr Prasanna said. Meanwhile, the Pithipura Community Orphanage in Wattala, which accommodates 86 severely less-abled children, said medicines are in short supply.
Director Pushpa Ramanayake said several children need treatment for epilepsy and psychiatric illnesses. “Even basic medicines to dress a wound are not available,’’ she said.
In addition, the home is facing challenges in buying diesel to operate a generator. “We had to get letters from the Grama Sevaka to buy diesel,’’ she said.
Any donation in cash, or dry rations will be helpful, she said.
The Vajira Sri Children’s Development Center in Pitakotte which hosts 62 orphaned boys and also runs a non-fee paying school offering classes from grade 1 to Ordinary Levels, said high inflation makes it difficult to operate the institution.
“Donors are cancelling their commitments to provide food and we need help,’’ she said.
The institution also has children from the Department of Probation and Child Care Services which pays Rs. 40 a day for each child sent in.
But the amount is not enough even for a cup of tea, project co-ordinator Kanthi Perera said. “Any help should be in cash or in the form of dry rations so that we can feed them for longer.’’
The Western Province Social Services Department said it can not help charity homes as the budget is for homes run by the department.
“We have four homes for orphaned children and the destitute and the budget allocation for 2022 is not sufficient to cover the expenses at the present time, with increasing inflation,’’ the director Sewandhi Hettiarachchi said.
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