We have heard that a mother’s love knows no bounds; but we have never heard about the love of a daughter. That is till the story of 22 year Ganga flows all the way from Holland to Sri Lanka. Today she is 22 years old. She is not called Ganga anymore. She is Fardan Huisman from Holland, studying to be a teacher in that country.

"But I cannot concentrate on anything. I cannot be happy for I spend my time crying," she said ,wiping the tears. Seated amidst all the laughter and happiness in the lobby of the Blue Oceanic Hotel in Negombo this young and beautiful girl from Sri Lanka is desperate to find her Sri Lankan mother.

Seated by her side is her boyfriend Marco Otten, 32, an engineer from Holland who is as anxious and eager as she is to find the Sri Lankan woman who gave birth to the woman he loves most in his life. But their search has proved futile as they have been led all over the country, to the most remotest places to find the woman who was desperate enough to give her child away.

"In my heart I will always be a Sri Lankan. But knowing Holland, my family there, the people and the country, I am torn between two loves," said Fardan. There is nothing about her that shows that she is not Sri Lankan. But unable to speak Sinhalese, she requires a guide to search for the woman who bore her into this world.

Investigations revealed that Fardan was one of many children who were ‘sold’ to foreign couples in search of babies to adopt. In the 1980s the notorious ‘baby farms’ grew in number but few were discovered by the authorities. Several major baby farms flourished in hidden places in that era.

However, many of these children are now coming back in search of their parents. Studies have revealed that the daughters have a greater need and urgency to search for their biological mothers.

The baby farms then received much publicity in the newspapers. These farms were very complicated, with pregnant women being housed and taken care of till they gave birth. Thereafter their babies were taken away and sold to foreigners for exorbitant amounts and few of them had access to the foreigners for thereafter it became a business deal between the ‘madam’ who ran the farm and the ‘would-be’ parents from overseas.

Fardan’s story centers around a woman called Soma Hettiarachchi, who conducted the ‘baby business’ from remote areas.

"Soma Hettiarachchi conducted the business with two madams called Dawn and Melody who were based in Wadduwa. During that time they gave shelter to pregnant women. The women had been kept in a closed, secret place. The pregnant women at most times were from remote villages. They were ‘handled’ by Hettiarachchi," explained tour guide S.H. Andrew Silva, who is helping parents from Holland and other countries to find the biological parents of the children who they have adopted.

"It is strange. They always come back in search of their mother," said Andrew Silva and went on to say that so far he has found several ‘biological mothers.’ Among them are the mothers of Suvimali, born on February 6, 1990 at the Kalubowila Hospital, Irene born on June 29, 1986 at the Ragama Hospital, Dinesha Sandamali, born on August 19, 1978 at the De Soysa Maternity Home, and Rammali born on December 14, 1981 at the Castle Street Hospital. Some of these girls were desperate to find their mothers because they were getting married and wanted their biological mother to be present at their wedding," explained Andrew Silva.

Fardan’s story however is a sad one. "This is my second visit and both times I am leaving with a heavy heart," said Fardan who is determined to not give up the search. "I came so close to finding her," she explained. For Fardan, her boyfriend Marco Otten and Andrew Silva, this great search has taken them to the areas of Amunuthanna, Bambarabotuwa, Ella, Embilipititya, Nuwara Eliya…

"We have put up posters everywhere," said Fardan. According to the details given in her birth certificate, they were able to trace Baby Nona who according to the documents is her mother . "We found her and I was so happy. I took her to my hotel and I kept her in my own room for three days. I took her out for dinner, I was the happiest…" said Fardan.

But Andrew Silva had begun to have doubts because of the time she said she had given the baby for adoption. "The baby was three weeks old when she was taken away. But Baby Nona time and again came up with different stories," explained Andrew Silva.

Fardan, wanting to be absolutely sure that this was her own mother had taken Baby Nona for a DNA test, to which the woman had readily agreed. But when the test reports came, Baby Nona had been forced to come out with the truth, that she was not the real mother of Fardan. The test reports had clearly stated that there was no blood relationship between Baby Nona and Fardan. Baby Nona too had confessed that she had merely been the woman who had handed the baby over for adoption.

Baby Nona thereafter had begun to tell Fardan a different story. According to Baby Nona, the baby (now Fardan) had been given to her by the madam, Soma Hettiarachchi. "She asked me pose as the baby’s mother and hand over the baby for adoption. That is how my name is registered in Fardan’s documents," she had explained in tears. When questioned as to where the baby had come from Baby Nona had been unable to give details except for the fact that the baby was handed over to her in Amunuthenna, in Bambarabotuwa.

Fardan’s plea is to help find her biological mother. "My plea is to anyone who knows of a lady who has given her baby away in the period of late January, February or March. Fardan, then called Ganga, has her birthday recorded as January 25, 1985. She was taken away from Sri Lanka on March 5, 1985 by her ‘parents’ from Holland. Foreign parents were required to pay a vast sum of money for Sri Lankan babies.

With Fardan is an album of pictures that record the major events in her life. In it is the first picture of her taken when she was handed over to her parents in Holland. There is also a picture of Fardan taking her flight to Holland, leaving her homeland for good.

"My parents told me that I began to cry when I was handed over to them," said Fardan with a smile. Ever since then, Fardan had no reason to cry other than to cry for her biological mother.

My parents in Holland have showered me with love, kindness and generosity. They have given me a good education and made me what I am today. After they adopted me, they got my brother. As I grew up I saw that I was different….but they did not treat me differently at any stage of my life said Fardan.

Fardan’s heartache cannot be put down on paper. She has traced the home of Soma Hettiarachchi and found that the woman is no longer alive. More devastating was the fact that Hettiarachchi’s home was destroyed in a fire.

"Many people have contacted me. They are all women who have given away their babies for adoption. They all want to know whether Fardan is their daughter," said Andrew Silva.

As Fardan’s search continues, it has continued to reawaken emotions and tears among poor Sri Lankan women whom she has met in the remote villages. Each of them have a story to tell… of a baby given away. The years have flown by now, and as the children grew up in foreign lands, they did here too… in the hearts and minds of these poor women who were forced to give their babies away.

Many of them are counting the ages of their lost infants, not knowing where they were or what they were doing. And sadly, they too are counting the days… to see their mothers again someday, in a land that they once called home.