Colombo (AsiaNews) – For the 13th consecutive year, the Ceylon Bible Society held a food and clothing fair to raise money for the elderly in need.
The event, which drew thousands of people, was held at the Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Rawatawatte, Moratuwa, a Colombo suburb.
Scores of elderly women, former seamstresses and cooks, lent their expertise to help other seniors in need. Some 30 stalls were set up in the parish compound.
The event provided an opportunity for many seniors to come together, including Quinta Perera, sister of Colombo’s Anglican Bishop Emeritus, the Rev Kenath Perera.
"When my brother was ordained,” she told AsiaNews, “he wore vestments that I had made for him. I did the same for clothes available here.
Mrs Quinta, 85, added that she was “happy to be here. We are happy to be taking part in such an event because all the earnings will be devolved to the needy.”
She also thanked the Lord "for blessing my hands, as well as giving me the faith and good health. I would not be the same without the gifts that Jesus gave me."
“I have taken part in similar charity events since I was young,” said Sujatha Samarajiwa, 81, a member of the Methodist Church in Ratmalana, who showed off her hand-made woollen clothes. Proceedings from her sales will go to the Seniors Centre in Moratuwa.
Many women took part in the event, selling ready-made food and homemade preserves. “We organised this [fair] to encourage support for senior citizens,” said Bible Society manager Wilakshitha Mendis. “Too often, society forgets its elders, and fails to appreciate them fully.”
Our event “met with an enthusiastic response on the part of seniors who were comforted and uplifted by the experience.”
For Ceylon Bible Society general secretary Lakshani Fernando, it is important “to raise awareness among the younger generations of the need to care, value and love our beloved senior citizens. They are a huge resource for young people who can learn a lot from them.”