Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity work daily in the slums of Colombo, attending to the needs of the poor and the sick, and providing refuge and shelter to children from the slums and streets. They also serve others in more remote areas, throughout Sri Lanka, including the war-torn areas of the island. They provide homes to the homeless children, throughout the island, feed the hungry, clothe and shelter the needy, and tend to the sick. We provide funds to enable the realization of these efforts, providing food for hundreds of meals each month. A part of our contribution was specifically designated for the needs of those in the war-torn north.

Hepatitis A is highly endemic in countries where hygiene and sanitation conditions are poor. Globally, approximately 1.4 million cases are reported each year, and experts believe that the actual number of cases is really 3 to 10 times higher. The Hepatitis B virus spreads through infected blood and body fluids, and is 100 times more infectious than HIV. One in approximately 20 people has or will one day have Hepatitis B, an estimated 350 million people are carriers, and an estimated one million people die from Hepatitis B related causes each year. Hepatitis B is responsible for over 80% of liver cancers in the world. Sri Lanka is categorized as hyper endemic in terms of Hepatitis A and intermediate for Hepatitis B.

We funded the vaccination of 100 children in the Mother Theresa Homes of Mutwal and Moratuwa, and a third Home, Mow Sevena, in Mutwal. The vaccines were purchased at discounted rates from SmithKline Beecham in Sri Lanka and administered by a volunteer Sri Lankan physician.