Hunstanton and District Rotary Club helped to provide a second floor of accommodation at the orphanage in the centre of the island after hearing of the tragic consequences and huge loss of life caused by the giant sea wave, which was triggered by an earthquake.

Eight Hunstanton Rotarians and seven of their family and friends recently returned from a three-week visit to Sri Lanka, where they were given a rapturous welcome by children and Buddhist novices at the orphanage.

Among them was Rotarian Phillip Mayer and his family. In 2005, accompanied by his wife Crista and sister Kate, he first visited the orphanage after learning about it from Jack Fryer, an ex-president of the Hunstanton club.

They found that it urgently needed more accommodation and when Mr Mayer told Hunstanton Rotarians about the plight of the tsunami orphans and the particular problems faced by the orphanage, they agreed to provide funds for the extension.

Rotary International also contributed funding, enabling not only additional dormitories but also a computer room to be established at the orphanage. This is now equipped with six computers and a photocopier – and is called The Hunstanton Computer Centre in honour of its helpers.

The computer centre serves the local community as well as the orphanage and means the youngsters can join the rest of the world in becoming computer literate.

All of the funding was channelled through the nearby Rotary Club of Rangiri Dambulla, which oversaw the project.

The orphanage, established by the Ceylon Relief and Support Foundation, is also a Buddhist seminary and run by the Venerable Kirama Dhamm Ananda Thero, or Kirama for short. It is largely self-sufficient, growing most of its own food and generating some income by keeping bees and selling the honey.

During the recent visit, the Hunstanton visitors were greeted at the gates by the children with traditional songs and dances and then ceremoniously ushered into the orphanage itself.

After speeches of welcome by the Venerable Kirama, Sri Lankan Rotary dignitaries, one of the orphans and a novice monk, Mr Mayer presented the orphanage with many gifts that the party had taken with them, including two complete cricket sets.

The visitors learned that the orphanage is now home not only to tsunami orphans but also to those made homeless as a result of Tamil terrorist activities.

Two days later, the Venerable Kirama honoured the party by visiting them at their hotel situated on the beautiful Amaya Lake. He presented each member with a box of Sri Lankan tea as a memento of their visit.

All of those visiting were impressed by the sheer splendour of Sri Lanka. Despite being plagued by the twin evils of poverty and terrorism they all agreed that it was a beautiful country and truly a land of smiles.

During the Rotarians' stay in Sri Lanka there were at least four bomb attacks aimed at celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the island's independence. Sadly such attacks have become a way of life there and further emphasise the need for support for children caught up in the situation.

Since the visit, the club has decided to meet the cost of converting the large roof area into a meeting room to be used by the orphans, Buddhist monks and local residents, further strengthening the links forged between the two very different communities.