Kochi: Peter De Knock and Liene Bouwen, two close friends from Belgium, have travelled all the way to Kerala this Christmas in hopes of tracing their roots.

The duo began their journey 22 years ago at a summer camp in Belgium, where they met for the first time. During a conversation, Peter shared with Liene that he had been adopted from Kerala in 1981. To his surprise, Liene responded, "That's my story, too."

It turned out that Liene was also adopted from Kerala in the same year by a Belgian couple. This remarkable coincidence deepened their bond, and together, they decided to embark on a quest to trace their biological roots.

Now, Peter and Liene are spending Christmas in Kerala, marking it as a time of hope and a search for their origins. Though they have only a few details to guide them, they remain hopeful that their journey will lead them to those who gave them life. "We should thank them for this wonderful life they've given us. We wouldn't be here without them", they said. The duo is staying in a hotel in Fort Kochi and plans to remain in Kerala until January 11.

Peter spent his early months at St Theresa's Orphanage in Ernakulam, where he lived until he was 16 months old. His father, Varghese, passed away from typhoid even before Peter was born.Unable to care for the baby, his mother, Shoshamma, entrusted him to the orphanage. Now a teacher in Ghent, Belgium, Peter lives with his two children. He also has a co-brother and co-sister, who were adopted from an orphanage in Coimbatore.

Liene, born into a Hindu family, spent her early years at the Chembilavu Seva Sadan Convent until she was 18 months old. She works as an art teacher in Belgium, living with her husband, Christene, and their two children. Although Peter and Liene have visited Kerala before in search of their biological families, they could not find any trace of them.