A young girl has promised God to help the poor: her name is Selvamani and she is an orphan. But now she has Father Charles thinking about her future.

Recently released from the orphanage, Selvamani says she has promised God that the first money earned from the production of hosts from the Casa dello Spirito e delle Arti Foundation will be used to help the poor.

But Father Charles, as for the other girls, puts them on a bank passbook to constitute a small dowry because, if not, due to the Sinhalese tradition, she will not be able to get married.

There are life-changing meetings. Nirmala has regained dignity through the host production workshop of the Casa dello Spirito e delle Arti Foundation.

Nirmala is a 20-year-old young woman of Tamil origins who has lived on tea plantations, where, even though slavery officially no longer exists, the corporal, the lack of schools and endemic poverty remain.

On the plantations people work all day for a few rupees.

Nirmala's parents are illiterate, her father, like almost all men, squanders his wages in alcohol, without taking care of the family's well-being. So in order to buy something to eat, her mother must also go to work, accompanied by Nirmala.

In the last year, a turning point has occured: the meeting with Sister Matilda and Father Charles, who carry out various educational activities in the area, above all projects about the right to school and professional training to avoid the perpetuation of the exploitation of the people involved in the tea plantation.

The host workshop has been the occasion to remove Nirmala from the negative and poor prospect spiral, offering the opportunity to learn a trade.

The tsunami has taken whole her family from her. After many years Dinali has found a reason for living through work in the host production workshop of the Casa dello Spirito e delle Arti Foundation.

Dinali was widowed after that the tsunami waves in 2004 completely destroyed her home, killing her husband and her three children. Welcomed by Father Charles at the parish of Weligama, she lived by helping in the cleaning of the church and in the kitchen of the orphanage.

Today being able to have a job of her own makes her smile again .

She was born on June 15, 1962. She did not go to school due to her illness. She had leprosy (Hansen's disease). Her medicines are provided by a Church organization called SUROL (A Project for Leprosy Patients in the Country). She lost her mother and other relatives due to the tsunami. She has no one now. After losing it, a house was built for her. She is one of the School for Life pioneers. Her only income is what she gets from the projects and above all from her participation in the host production workshop.

She was born on January 28, 1958. She lost her parents when she was a child. She was raised by nuns in a convent. She has studied up to the ordinary level. She usually helps the nuns who work in a kindergarten. She lives with her only sister and most of her time she stays in the convent with the nuns. She joined School for Life in 2013. She participates to the "il senso del Pane" project.

He was born on December 3, 2001 and suffers from a cognitive deficit. He received primary education and was always afraid of facing society. His mother works for School for Life and after many difficulties he was convinced to join too. Now he has improved a lot, he earns his pocket money also thanks to his inclusion in the host production workshop and he is very proud of it.

She was born on June 25, 1995. She has a poor memory. She lives with the nuns in the Dominican convent of Weligama and she did not go to school. After joining School for Life she has improved a lot. She enjoys being involved in the work and being together with other members. The nuns take care of her needs and are very proud of her earnings from projects. She too is part of the "eucharistic workshop".

She was born on May 10, 1964. She studied up to the Advanced Level. She is married and has no children. Her husband lost his job due to the Covid-19. She takes medications for diabetes, bradycardia and cholesterol. The income she gets from the "il senso del Pane" project is an excellent support for her and her husband's daily needs.