About us

Background information of the Nederlanka - Ālōka Foundation

We like to introduce the Nederlanka - Ālōka Foundation to You, which has started in 1988 as a hobby. The Foundation is registered officially since the 20th of August 1990 at the Chamber of Commerce. Nederlanka is a combination of Nederland and Sri Lanka - Aloka means "Light" in the full word of sense. Like light in the eyes, a point of light for a better life, light as help to people like giving food or medicines or education. Sending people to the doctor, try to fit them as a human being etc etc. Through contacts with the local people we found out that the beautiful island of Sri Lanka is not the Tropical Paradise as we see it. In the lower class poverty rules, workless - number 1, alcohol and drugs number 2. The circumstances of living - specially at the slums are terrible - even more during the Monsoon time. Nederlanka - Ālōka is standing for: We make us strong for underprivileged children in Pugoda, Udugama, Yakkalamulla and Beruwela. Our special attention goes to: Financial adoption of underprivileged children and their families so that they have a outlook on a better future. Building of small houses, most of the families live like animals in huts that you can't call a house. No toilet, no well, no furniture, some of them sleeps on a mat - the most of them sleep just on the floor together with fleas, mosquito's and flies. Buying small peaces of land (about 8 perches) to build later on a small house for the child - the land comes in name of the child, so that the parents can't sell it - with usefruct for the parents. Financial help by sickness, in Sri Lanka medical help is free, but food, medicines, care etc. must be paid by the patient. There must be always a family member or a caretaker to look after the patient and also they must eat and sleep some where. Is no body there the patient has to hire a caretaker and that cost money a lot of money. Some times the doctors refuse to help and then we have to go to a private hospital, and these guys knows how to charge! Then we try to find the money.  Schools in the areas where we work: starting school Library's, school equipment, digging wells, building toilets, electricity etc. Help for the Children and Ayurveda clinic in Pugoda and other common matters in our area that helps the people. Organizing Eyecamps - this contains - checking the eyes, with used spectacles from Holland can we help them mostly at the time, specially for reading. If we don't have the correct glazes our optician Sarath measure and make new glasses, paid by us. The financial adoption of children works as follows: With the sponsor parents we make the appointment that they pay a minimum amount of € 18,-- every month - do they prefer to pay per 3, 6 or 12 months - no problem. If they want to pay more, please, the more money we get the more help we can give. We sent the total amount every month to the coordinators in Sri Lanka, we call this the Pool payment. The benefit of this is that we only have to pay 1 time the cost of the bank. Beside of this 1 big amount can you find back easier then several small ones. (not that we ever lost money). How do we use your money: Every Euro goes to the child, specially in the beginning we use all the money for food, so that the children get rid of their malnutrition. Good food is number 1 - if possible at least 2 times a day. After this period we start buying school equipment, like a school uniform, sock's, shoes, books, exercise books, pen's. Education is free, but like the hospitals you have to buy your own things. No school uniform - sorry for you - then no education. An other part we use for the whole family - like extra milk powder, rice, fish, if necc. Doctor - medicines  etc. From the rest we start saving for the child, it is great to have a book with saving money, some of our children have already 50.000 rupy in their book. The bankbook is for the girls a beginning of the dowry, or maybe to start a small shop, or go to the university! The more a girl has the better marriage she can do, we don't understand this but in the small villages is this a normal custom. Our coordinators taking care very well about the children and also the use of the money! My husband Dick and I pay our own ticket and the rent of a little house -  that's why we can say that all the money goes directly to the child. Are you interested in our work? You can help us as follows: We have a club of 50 - this means 50 euro's a year, with this money we can build the small houses, gives the help people needs etc. Is this to much for you - any amount is welcome! For us it does not matter how you help in what for form or shape, every help express our heartfelt THANKS! We hope we have made you enthusiastic for our Foundation! Know that you make a child happy at the other side of the world. Best regards, Marita Scholtes, secr.

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