Courage, Compassion and Commitment: Supporting children in need

Lt(N) Anis Gedeon high-fives children at the Courage, Compassion and Commitment House for children battling cancer in Sri Lanka. Photo by LS Simon Trudeau

Padre Matthew Squires, HMCS Winnipeg ~

In support of Poseidon Cutlass 2017’s mission to strengthen international relations through regional engagements, members of HMCS Winnipeg ventured to the Courage, Compassion, and Commitment (CCC) Foundation, in Colombo, Sri Lanka May 23.

CCC Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 2003 by Jetha Devapura, a Sri Lankan born Australian. He fundraised to build a “Ronald Macdonald” type house for families of children battling cancer. It is the largest transition home in Sri Lanka with 194 beds that serves as a home away from home for outpatients and their caregivers.

Winnipeg started off the visit by giving a $5,000 donation from the ship and Boomer’s Legacy.

Then 13 crewmembers spent time with the children and their caregivers.

“We had an unforgettable time with the children coloring pictures, playing with Play-Doh, and teaching them how to make bracelets,” said LS Klarck Montemayor.  The Play-Doh was donated by LS Montemayor, and the bracelets were made with gun line patterned after the lanyards many sailors attach to their knives. 

Following the visit, Kamilka Perera, a committee member of the CCC house, expressed her appreciation to Padre Matthew Squires in writing: “As I was leaving CCC house, three female adult patients were seated on the bench outside near the gate and were braiding the wrist bands with eager smiles on their faces, and this is the kind of positivity we need to create. It certainly has a ripple effect.”

Padre Squires said it was difficult to say who was impacted more profoundly by the visit, the children or the sailors.

“I think we learned much about compassion, resilience, and the strength of unity as it was exemplified that day,” he said.

The visit hit a personal note for LS Jeff Dunlop, who said his family has experienced childhood cancer.

“In light of my experience, having the opportunity to visit CCC house to give back, hang out, and let kids be kids for an afternoon, was truly gratifying,” he said. “Who thought something so small as coloring pictures and playing games with the kids makes such a difference. It makes me proud to show the world how caring and understanding sailors in the Royal Canadian Navy really are.”