By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
MELANIE Vinojit may live in Berwick but Sri Lanka is never far from her mind.
The Tamil mother-of-two journeyed back to Sri Lanka in June, taking her husband, Cam, and two young daughters to visit her five-year-old sponsor child, Pathunitha.
With the help of World Vision, 34-year-old Melanie has sponsored children in Sri Lanka since she was 18, and five years after her previous visit to the country, she was warmed to see the development within the rural community that she has given back to.
“There was a water tank being built the last time I was here and now it is complete,” she said.
“It’s great that the community can now have access to clean water without having to travel so far to reach it.”
Melanie said Pathunitha’s mother made her family a “lovely meal” during their visit, welcoming them into the home.
“I know that meal would have cost them quite a bit of money, and so it meant a lot to us that they made such a special occasion of our visit and appreciated our sponsorship,” she said.
Melanie said her eldest daughter, who was also five, bonded with Pathunitha and she hoped the connection would continue as the two children grew older.
With the family’s strong ties to Sri Lanka, Melanie said she hoped to visit again in the future, perhaps when the children are a bit older.
Melanie said she was encouraged to sponsor a child all those years ago by her mother, who spoke to her of the difference it could make in the lives of those less privileged than her.
“She was telling me it was a good way to help another person who is less fortunate and trying to build a better life for them,” she said.
“Sponsorship can make a difference in someone else’s life, that’s why I do it.”
