The sky was overcast and the weather gods were not smiling over Colombo last Tuesday but some 200 disabled children from the Monaragala Deaf and Blind Home at Kumbukkana and the Ratmalana Deaf and Blind School had the time of their lives at a 30 over cricket match at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds followed by a sumptuous dinner at the Sugathadasa Sports Hotel in Colombo where the awards were presented.

The MJF Charitable Foundation set up by Mr. Merril. J. Fernando whose Dilmah brand of tea is promoted worldwide by Sri Lanka’s cricketers was 78-years old that day and the foundation thought there was no better way to celebrate his birthday than with approximate 200 deaf and/or blind children from the two schools with the foundation being a major supporter of the Monaragala school.

Some of the Monaragala children had never been to Colombo and the occasion was a big one for them. Supporters of the two sides cheered their teams enthusiastically as the match, won by Monaragala, was played with the blue and red clad cricketers according to the rules of cricket for the blind, complete with a sounded ball and guides for the totally blind bowlers who were told how well (or not) they were pitching underarm. Given the disabilities of the players, connection between bat and ball was less frequent than in conventional cricket, but that didn’t detract from the occasion.

The partnership between Dilmah Tea and international cricket has long been recognized as a prestigious and logical one between Sri Lanka’s two great icons. Two years ago this association expanded with Dilmah sponsoring the annual national tournament of the Association for the Visually Handicapped. This link was further enhanced recently through the brand’s charitable arm, the MJF Charitable Foundation (MJFCF), with a special cricketing day for two of its beneficiary organizations, Monaragala Deaf & Blind School and School for the Sight Impaired, Ratmalana.

Initiating an annual contest for the Merrill J. Fernando Challenge Trophy, the team from Monaragala was invited to Colombo to play cricket, according to the rules of cricket for the Visually Handicapped, against a team from the School for the Sight Impaired, Ratmalana. The Moneragala team were runners up in the 2007 Dilmah sponsored, National cricket Association for the Blind, tournament. They were invited to Colombo as part of an ongoing programme of empowerment and assistance to the School, by the MJF Fopundation. The Team was joined by the entire school as ‘supporters’. Many of these children had never been to Colombo before and a coterie of some 100 passengers consisting of players, supporters and teachers made an eagerly anticipated trip to Colombo.

With equal numbers from the school from Ratmalana joining in, the two groups met at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds in Colombo. The proceedings got under away with the players from both teams being introduced to the Settlor of the Foundation, Merrill J. Fernando and to their added delight, to the Guest of Honour, former World Cup winning captain and Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, Arjuna Ranatunga.

With the cricket match final underway, there was no less passion and vibrancy than any other school match and every run and each wicket was celebrated with plenty of gusto by both, players and supporters alike. With the lunch break allowing for a temporary reprieve from the heat and humidity, the players received a surprise visit from Sri Lanka’s international cricketers Michael Vandort, Jehan Mubarak and Kaushalya Weeraratne. A visit that threatened to delay the second innings due to the enthusiastic and animated welcome from the school cricketers!

The inaugural MJF Challenge trophy, earmarked to be an annual fixture, was won by the team from Monaragala, which did not however diminish the grand time shared by both teams and their supporters. The event coincided with the 78th birthday of MJF Foundation settler, Merrill J. Fernando. Later that evening, the two groups were hosted to a celebratory dinner and an awards ceremony which was attended by the Settlor, who himself was presented with a surprise cake for his birthday

Following the hectic schedule leading up to the cricket match and the awards ceremony, the children from Monaragala spent the following day at the Dehiwela Zoo before returning to their little corner of the world.

The Monaragala Deaf and Blind School is supported by the MJF Charitable Foundation via the school’s vocational training centre, which endeavours to groom its students with the necessary skills in sustainable livelihoods so that they may pursue independent lives in the future. Identifying organisations and individuals in such areas, where any form of assistance is rarely forthcoming due to unfavourable logistics, has been the hallmark of the MJFCF selection criteria.

Having assisted the School in establishing and training its deaf & blind students and former students in sewing clothes, bags and in woodwork, the MJF Foundation is presently constructing a showroom to enable the students to display and sell their creations. The Foundation has provided advice and training in building this vocational training facility into an independent and sustainable unit. Two commercial orders have already been placed with the School. One consists of MJF Foundation bags destined for school children on the Dilmah tea plantations, whilst the other is for Dilmah portfolios to be shipped overseas.

The Moneragala project symbolizes the MJF Foundation emphasis on empowering the underprivileged, by using their inborn talent and ability to help them to help themselves. This avoids the problem of dependency commonly associated with conventional charity and aid. The Foundation endeavours to offer beneficiaries guidance, materials, equipment and infrastructure in enhancing their lives and their community through their own endeavours, with the Foundation as catalyst and partner.

The School for the Sight Impaired, Ratmalana, on the outskirts of Colombo is the leading institution of its kind in Sri Lanka and has also been a beneficiary of the MJFCF with the provision of a special Braille printer for use by its students.