A Place of Peace; a Place to Call Home
By James A. Mitchell

When people think "orphanage" they typically don't consider those most vulnerable to being alone, with no one to care for them. In the poverty-stricken, war-ravaged regions of northern Sri Lanka, the plight of destitute seniors mirrored that of the nation's many children with nowhere to turn.
That was the challenge facing VeAhavta -- to duplicate for the senior population the spirit of home and community found in the faces of the children of Grace Care Center.
In spite of setbacks (to include the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami) and the risk of incorporating the many ethnicities, religions and castes of Sri Lanka living under one roof, Mercy Home has succeeded beyond even the visionary dreams of those who made it possible. Some call it "magic," others a "miracle." For nearly three dozen grateful Sri Lankans, it has become, simply, "Home."
"I am proud to be the first resident of this home," said 72-year-old Mrs. Gunawathy. In a speech given during an anniversary celebration on May 28, 2006, Mrs. Gunawathy recalled that, when she first came to Mercy Home, experience told her to be cautious against believing that she would soon be taken care of. She learned that she could depend upon the staff, the other elders, and Mercy Home itself.
Mercy Home was an ambitious project when conceived in 2004 as a residence for elders in a region struggling to meet the most basic human needs. Rev. Dr. S. Jeyanesan and VeAhavta founder and President Eric Parkinson saw what others couldn't -- or wouldn't -- according to Dr. Sathaharan Sundaralingam, the facility's medical consultant.
"Many people would have thought to build a hotel on this land," he said. "But Mr. Parkinson and Rev. Jeyanesan planned to build an elders home. You cannot see many people thinking like this."
Mercy Home is truly unique, in many ways. Rev. Jeyanesan called it, "The first of its kind in this region with such facilities." Jeyanesan expressed his gratitude to Parkinson, the VeAhavta volunteers who committed their energies and talents to the project, and the staff and medical consultants who take care of the residents.
"We take care of very sickly and weak people, and show them the love of God through our care and concern," Jeyanesan said. Mercy Home is side-by-side with Grace Children's home. Both of these homes have programs so that the orphan children can feel the company of the wise elders."
As the residents have stood the test of time, Mercy Home itself demonstrated an appropriate determination. The project suffered setbacks when the tsunami battered its under-construction walls, but VeAhavta volunteers and staff worked harder still, and the first dozen residents (of an eventual 82) were admitted in May 2005. Volunteer doctors and planners worked with the staff, including Mr. Wicky, to present standards of elder care comparable to that found in the United States. Given the proper direction, the staff was eager to comply.
"I am very proud to work in this home," Mr. Wicky said. "I am lucky that I got to serve my older people at this age. I like this more than any other job in the world."
Conceived by Jeyanesan and adopted by Parkinson, the administration of Mercy Home was planned by Ann Arbor, Michigan Drs. Cheryl Huckins and Gina Amalfitano, who have made multiple trips to the facility since first traveling to Sri Lanka in February 2005.
Huckins said the anniversary was, "An opportunity to pay tribute to the phenomenal work done by the Mercy Home staff and elders. Under the most difficult of circumstances, they have worked together to make Mercy Home a true community."
Perhaps the secret ingredient to Mercy Home's success is that sense of community: Among the residents; with the staff; and with children of Grace Home and the day care students who frequently visit the elders. Gina Amalfitano was among the volunteers who watched the early interactions between the elders and children in August 2005.
"The mission always included the integration of the elders and the girls," said Amalfitano. "For me, it's been an almost magical experience. Inside those walls you can feel safe, at ease, and maybe at peace."
Mercy Home -- and the seven surrounding acres of Grace Care Center -- can serve as a model for the future of Sri Lanka, in which Tamils and Sinhalese, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians are able to live in peace.
"You are people of different ethnicities, religions and castes," Parkinson said on the occasion of the anniversary, "And yet you treat each other as brothers and sisters. Your peaceful and respectful coexistence is an inspiration to us all. I hope that each one of you feels needed because we need you: We need your wisdom -- that comes of experience -- to guide us and to guide the children of Grace Home."
Among VeAhavta's American volunteers, Diane McLaughlin has had the most contact with Mercy Home -- serving as in-residence manager since December 2005 -- but the beauty and miracle of Mercy still amazes her.
"Each day I spend here I see something unique, almost magical," McLaughlin said. One elder helping another, a nurse laughing at something said by a resident, children seated on the floor looking at age with respect. Many have told McLaughlin of their gratitude for being able to die in peace, having lived so long in a nation at war with itself.
"They look into each others eyes, and realize they are all in the same boat," McLaughlin said. "No matter what religion or ethnic background, they are thankful for the opportunity to live their remaining days here, at Mercy Home, in peace."

(Our thanks to Jim "Grasshopper" Mitchell, VeAhavta's Press Officer, for writing this article and contributing the photograph that appears above.)
Photo: Copyright 2006 by James A. Mitchell (used with permission)

Permalink