The Story of Casa Mihiri in Sri Lanka

My husband, Bob Falcone, and I are spending the month of February in Sri Lanka, and we invite you to help us make a difference for young girls who could really use our help.

The story of Casa Mihiri, a home for girls 2 to 18 years old in Galle, Sri Lanka, is one that will break your heart and give you hope.

We first learned of this home, founded in 2004, for girls who have been tragically abused or orphaned, from our Italian friends who visit Sri Lanka a couple times a year, Mario Liberali and Maurizio Boscheri. They have big hearts and have been helping support Casa Mihiri through an Onlus (charitable organization) that they started in 2005, but they could use more help.

This past week we have been spending time at Casa Mihiri with founding partner, Lorenzo Bacci. We listened to stories about unspeakable abuse and about street children who don’t have a home. In a developing country like Sri Lanka, where children don’t have the same rights and aren’t as protected as they are in more developed countries, it can feel hopeless until they find a safe haven. Casa Mihiri provides a home and safety. We also heard success stories about girls that left when they turned 18 to become police officers, members of the military, and the general work force.

Right now there are 17 girls living there, ages 8 to 18, and Bob and I want to help them and try to give them hope that there are good humans in our world. These girls have big beautiful eyes, smiles and giggles that made our hearts explode, and a willingness to learn and fight for a better life.

What they need right now are some basic life necessities. That’s what we will buy. Underwear, medicine for lice that they sometimes get in the public school, new dresses because they only have a few, toiletries, notebooks for school, books so they can learn and dream, and more. If we raise enough money, we will purchase larger items for the home.

In 2019, I attended the National Credit Union Foundation’s Credit Union Development Education program and upon completion I made a promise to help empower women across our globe. Right now, right here in Sri Lanka, I believe that Bob and I can take some small steps to make the lives of 17 young girls a little bit brighter. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful friends and family in America, and we hope that if you can, you will contribute.

This flash fundraiser will end Sunday night and Bob and I will take all of the proceeds and go shopping with Casa Mihiri’s House Mom. All proceeds will go directly to the purchase of goods.

As we toured through the school and interacted with the girls and they sang us a couple songs, I was reminded of a quote from Anthony Bourdain:

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

Please consider helping us leave something good behind.