Sri Lanka - Farms Lanka Responds to the Coronavirus and its Threat to Human Life
Network e-Bulletin, April 2020, No. 5
Message from Clarence Mendis
1981 Graduate
Farms Lanka
https://gyazo.com/373e3d77306ddd10b96313b7cae1f4c4
Clarence distrubuting dry ration packs
Christian greetings from the Farms Lanka ministry in Sri Lanka. I trust you, your family, and all at ARI are under the Lord's protection at this time of fear and anxiety which prevails in the whole world.
We are very sorry to hear about the difficulties the Corona virus has caused for the training program this year. Our constant prayer for ARI is continuing as you are called to strengthen the grassroot leaders and raise them up when things get upside down in people's lives.
Now we are in a time of lockdown and the medical advice is to keep yourself indoors and to keep others at arm’s length. This is not the way that we have been working in the past, but always with a helping hand for the poor in Christ’s name.
https://gyazo.com/4ac0eb11837897b38a0874d2f861dcfa https://gyazo.com/a14e1a88950ec2bc35c7a814adc78083
Farms Lanka staff delivering dry ration packs
All schools, factories, and institutions are closed, and only essential service people are allowed to go out to work and fight against the Corona threat. Due to the present situation, our staff is confined to their homes, but I am now handling urgent needs of the people as there is no excuse we can give, because we are in service to the people when the need arises.
We have already supplied face masks, sanitizers, and gloves from private dealers to the disaster management officials who have partnerships with us. Also, we have started supplying food and dry rations to churches and to those who have police permits to feed the poor and the needy.
https://gyazo.com/14d226d242fbc462e28068ccfbfeeb81 https://gyazo.com/921760ddc0fffc1cef2c48f5a959f147
Police permission to go out during the curfew and a full truck ready to go
Steps are taken as follows:
a. Obey the rules of the country and follow the guidelines set by the medical authorities
b. Obtain relevant approval from the authorities to provide essential services in responding to the needy and vulnerable
c. Supply materials directly to involved persons within the community until the government supplies reach them
d. Supply sanitizers, face masks, and gloves to necessary persons
e. Make contributions to disaster management officials to prepare dry ration packs to distribute among the needy
f. Participate in relief work in the community
g. Supply dry ration packs to the doorsteps of the sick, invalids, and poor, by our staff with the permission of the police and the
government authorities
h. Once the situation gets back to normal, to support livelihood projects which have been affected and broken down during this period
May God bless you all. ARI Staff and their supporters and all Graduates are in our prayers, and please uphold us in your prayers to overcome the big task ahead of us.
Yours in His humble service.
Clarence Mendis