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In Thal Aramba there is a 13 year old boy called Supun. We found out about him when we ran one of our mobile clinics in there. When the Dr Pippa gave him the medicine for a cough she asked who his parents where so she could explain the dosage. We were told that he had no parents. When we asked where he lived we were told "round and about". He was also a regular of the work team - because when I tried to stop kids working, the foreman explained to me that this particular boy should be allowed to continue, as he would then have a bed for the night and proper food.

The upshot of it all is that we have arranged for a monthly stipend to be paid to a relative of his, allowing him to live with them, on condition that he goes to school. It is being monitored by a friend in the area and we have put aside enough to cover 3 years.

We also spent about £50 on a mattress, school books, uniforms, clothes etc... to kit him out. He is very happy to be going to school by all accounts. (We asked him if that was what he wanted before we went ahead.) He was not orphaned by the tsunami. It is obviously a very poor area at the best of times and if this boy could have his life improved by the coming of the tsunami, that should be no bad thing.

The amount we are giving the family a month to look after him, feed him and send him to school is about £8...

Here are three photos of Sunpun. Two show him hard at work and he is the boy in the green shirt on the front row of the group of kids...

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