Grimm Volunteers Launch Humanitarian Construction Project in Sri Lanka
Yesterday morning, 13 volunteers from the Grimm (Missionary Engagement Group) of Esenta di Lonato departed for a humanitarian mission in Sri Lanka. Disembarking from the plane in Colombo, they traveled to Ratnapura (the capital of the Subaragamuwa province, 65 kilometers southeast of the capital), where they will work on the construction of a diocesan center in Madola. The area, despite being famous for the extraction of precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, and beryls, is among the poorest on the island. The project—outlined by Nunzio Ponzoni after an on-site reconnaissance at the end of last year—includes the execution of plastering, hydraulic and electrical systems, and both internal and external paving of the building.
Volunteer Team and Activities
The team of Brescia-based volunteers consists of Aldo Landrini, Andrea Finini, Margherita Marioli, Floriano Pedruzzi, Gianni Carminati, Battista Pedersoli, Angelo Cobelli, Andrea Roverato, Caterina Piardi, Mauro Calzoni, Riccardo Savani, Giacinto Corradini, and Rita Odolini. Their work will be coordinated by Father Damian, who oversees activities at the Diocesan Center. This marks the thirty-third work camp promoted by Grimm from 1985 to the present across Africa, Latin America, and Albania.
The organization, led by Esenta’s parish priest Don Serafino Ronchi, relies on the collaboration of over three hundred volunteers who, through committed solidarity, facilitate exchanges and sharing with the poorest populations worldwide. Over the years, Grimm has operated in Albania, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Kenya, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zaire, and Zambia. They have built homes, churches, reception centers, clinics, missions, schools, colleges, boarding schools, hospitals, convents, reception centers, offering an increasing number of men and women the chance to experience meaningful engagement in mission land by working manually at construction sites or in volunteer centers.
Contacts and Support
Anyone interested in obtaining further information can contact the Grimm headquarters at via Castello 33 in Esenta or call 030 – 9105015 (fax 030 – 9105800). Grimm also has a website: www.gbcom.net/grimm, and an email address: grimm@gbcom.it. Those wishing to make free contributions to support the ongoing initiative can do so via a deposit into postal current account no. 15224256.
Flavio Marcolini