HELPING ORPHANS IN SRILANKA!

Emotional trip to homeland
Errol Paulicpulle, made sure he had plenty to give during his visit to an orphanage in his homeland of Sri Lanka. Paulicpulle, a North York resident, recently returned from the developing nation on a mission his second in three years to help those in need.

Errol Paulicpulle just returned last week from his second trip in three years to the war-torn, tsunami-ravaged country of Sri Lanka to help those who are often forgotten but need help the most - the orphaned children.

In 2005, Paulicpulle visited his birth country only months after a massive tsunami devastated the coastal and rural villages, killing more than an estimated 30,000 people and completely destroying many homes.

"There were literally hundreds of refugee camps," recalled Paulicpulle, 50, who spent two weeks on the east coast of Sri Lanka helping with the aid effort and rebuilding orphanages. Three years later, he decided to return. The nation is still rebuilding from the damages incurred by the tsunami. The political instability due to the on and off civil war hasn't made things any easier for the locals to carry on with their lives.

"It's unnerving for someone from Canada to see that many guns," said Paulicpulle, noting the presence of heavily armed soldiers situated at multiple checkpoints. But he still felt a strong connection to Sri Lanka, the country he emigrated from at the age of 14 for a better life in Canada. Paulicpulle grew up in North York attending Don Mills Collegiate and currently lives near Yonge Street and York Mills Road.

With the support of his family, friends and co-workers, he raised more than $5,000 which helped pay for much-needed supplies to provide the children at the orphanage with basic supplies like books, clothing and shoes. Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., where Paulicpulle works as a sales representative, agreed to match every dollar he raised, bringing the total dollar amount to nearly $11,000. Michael Kalles, president of the real estate brokerage, said giving the funds to support Paulicpulle was the easy part.

"Errol was risking his life for the betterment of other people," said Kalles. "To say we're incredibly appreciative and overwhelmed by his empathy and compassion is an incredible understatement."

Paulicpulle had plenty of stories with accompanying photos to share upon his return from Sri Lanka just last week.

He said it took him three days to get to a town called Batticaloa where he met a woman who just wanted a functional washroom. She earned about $1.30 per day as a maid and cook to support herself and her two children. Washrooms cost about $750 to build.

After building a washroom for her, Paulicpulle met a seven-year-old boy at one of the six orphanages he visited who was born with cataracts and already blind in one eye.

He was about to lose sight in the other eye unless he received an operation that cost $150. His parents only made fifty cents a day. Struggling to keep his emotions in check, Paulicpulle said he would pay for the surgery.

But he had to take a moment when he recalled the joy on the faces of children who received gifts often taken for granted by children in more developed countries. "When I go to orphanages, I always bring toys," he said. "I was worried about someone being left out so I brought extra."

None of the money raised went toward his own personal costs such as his travel expenses, which he paid for on his own.
dailynews.lk