Back after 31 years

By Jamila Najmuddin


A Sri Lankan born female now living in Sweden was reunited with her family after 31 years today after she was given for adoption to a Swedish couple soon after her birth in the 1970’s.

Suzanne Maria Chandima arrived at the Bandaranaika International Airport and was reunited with her biological mother and siblings after a 31 year struggle to search for each other and in an emotional statement said she was overjoyed and excited to be back in her birth country.

“I have finally found my biological family and I am very happy. This is the first time I am in Sri Lanka and now that I have met my family, I will visit Sri Lanka often,” a delightful Chandima said.

Her biological mother, Swarna Jayasingha unable to hide her excitement said that she was glad to reunite with her daughter especially since she was forced to give her for adoption due to family constraints. “I never wanted to give my child away. I have lived 31 years in grief and I can finally breathe today now that my first born is back near me. No one can ever break a bond between a mother and a child,” Swarna said.

Swarna and Chandima both thanked ‘Bio Parents Locate’ for their assistance in locating Chandima and also expressed their gratitude to Deputy Minister of State Resources and State Enterprises Sarath Gunaratna who was present at the BIA to witness the emotional meeting between Chandima and her family.

Meanwhile, speaking to Daily Mirror online, President of Bio Parents Locate, Dr. Rohan Ratnayaka said there are over 35,000 children who had been given away in adoption during the past 25 years in Sri Lanka.

They have been taken mainly to European countries and most of them are now trying to search for their biological families, Dr. Ratnayaka added. (Daily Mirror online)


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