In November 2025, Sri Lanka was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in its history: Cyclone Ditwah. One of the worst affected areas was around Kandy, near where Eko Land, our farming partner there, is located.

For Eko Land, it is important to take care of their community. People who live in the area and who live in minimal conditions there. They offer people opportunities, for example by offering them a job in their spice factory or by purchasing spices from them at a fair price. They also look at what they can do, for example, by helping with certain basic necessities.

So, when we were asked if we could help with donations for victims of Cyclone Ditwah, some of whom lost everything, we naturally didn't hesitate for a second and set up a donation system, to which many of you generously contributed.

Together we raised over €5500 and were able to transfer it to the foundation that is committed to supporting these victims. When Charis visited Sri Lanka in March 2026, she visited the projects that were realized thanks to these donations.

Many of the houses that were affected are located in very difficult-to-reach places. You first have to climb a steep hill or walk through the jungle for a bit to reach them. These people don't have a car, not even a tuk-tuk. They do everything on foot. For example, one of the women works in a jaggery (a type of sugar) factory 3 km from her home. So, she has to walk 6 km every day to get to work. And you can imagine that it is also difficult to bring the building materials needed for the repair work to the houses.

Part of the budget went to the construction of a small house for this sweet old lady. She lives with her daughter, but the side of the house was completely swept away by the cyclone. Leaving a large gaping hole. Now they are building a separate section onto the existing house where she will have her own small kitchen. It is not large; the kitchen will be about 4 m2 and the sleeping/living area might be 8m2, but she doesn't need more. The daughter can take care of her, and in turn, she can also spend time with her grandchildren.

Another part of the amount was used to build these kinds of toilet stalls for several families. They don't have a toilet inside the house, but use a separate outdoor toilet stall. Sometimes even shared by multiple families. In some cases, the existing toilet stalls were severely damaged by the cyclone. And you can imagine that without a properly functioning toilet, things are not very sanitary. It was impressive to see how something so self-evident to us can have such an impact on someone's daily life. One of the women burst into tears and kept saying how grateful she was to now have a working toilet for her and her family.

In total, we visited six different places where the money from our donation was distributed. Most households consist of women who have lost their husbands, either due to the cyclone or an illness. They have nowhere to go, must care for their families alone, and try to earn an income to pay for food. They have no money for repair work themselves, which is why donations are so welcome.

I must say I was surprised that the repair work had not progressed further, given that the cyclone happened several months ago. However, the disaster also destroyed a large part of the infrastructure, making it difficult to transport building materials. Roads and railway tracks are still being repaired, and that will take some time. Additionally, the government must clear an area before construction can begin. They first want to check if it is still dangerous (for example, due to the threat of landslides). And as is often the case, the government apparatus is not always very fast, so they sometimes have to wait unnecessarily long for permission to build. Very frustrating, of course, but I met several people who are involved in this and are also very concerned about the fate of these people. It may not be very fast, but they are committed.

A natural disaster is, of course, terrible and makes it even harder for these people, who already had it difficult. But the fact remains that they already do not have a living income. They cannot make ends meet with the money they earn in the factory, but without transport, without education, and without money to invest, they essentially cannot do anything else. And that is why it is so important that we continue to look at how we trade, how people are paid, and how we stop the exploitation that is still very prevalent. That is what we are working on on a small scale with The Good Spice, and we are grateful that you are part of it.