Friday December 1 2006 My first full day Me at Nirosha & Ranapanadeniya Schools
Visited Siri Sumana School in Rathgama about 70 miles south of Colombo with Nalinda De Silva the Galle Coordinator who has arranged for a trip to the Zoo in Colombo for 4o of the children in a few days time. As usual the arrangements have not been finalised and there's still lots more to do.
The heat is very oppressive and there is talk of rain so hope that the trip doesn't get called off at the last minute. At least the coach has been booked and the zoo knows we are all coming !
Problem with the aircon in the car and there's a huge leak at the front of the car.
Made a visit to Ranapanadeniya School which is located on a little hill. No damage by the Tsunami as it's inland but 3 pupils were killed. I do a bit of teaching at the school and note the lack of books, and basic equipment. At least there's chalk. I try to teach them "Head Shoulders Knees and toes " with actions but these kids aged about 10 just can't grasp it. Maybe it's too complicated with the actions. I also try and translate into Sinhala but have forgotten the Sinahala word for Shoulder...
Made the donations on behalf of Melbourn School in Royston who have twinned with this school.
Visited Nirosha School in Rathgama and gave out all the presents I brought for them. Played with the children for a while and note that my jet lag is kicking in.
Drove to Galle and gave the letters and photographs to Anula Devi School on behalf of Farlington Girls School Horsham who have twinned with this school.
Saturday Dec 2
Back to Galle very hot and sunny and I am feeling well rested now. My first meeting is with Rev Abhayratne Arch Deacon of Galle and we talk for about an hour about the work by the Christian church for Tsunami and other people in the Galle area which is predominantly Buddhist.
Stop for a well earned Tambili ( king coconut ) near the Naval port which was attacked 2 months ago. The lack of tourists is very worrying as I survey the deserted beach at Unawatuna where my next meeting is to discuss the building of 10 houses. We end our meeting just as a torrential downpour starts. I can't get back to the car...
I manage to drive back to Hikkaduwa only just being able to see the road ahead with the flash flooding, thunder and the biggest lightning forks I have ever seen !!!
Sunday 3 Dec
Still raining intermittently and the waves are looking quite fierce. I head past Galle to Talpe to have a look at various house building schemes and to meet families affecetd by the Tsunami. On the way back I meet with Chithmini from New Theatre Works UK who is here to plan and implement the drama workshops in Galle and Hamabantota with Helplanka. We are both dismayed at the typically British weather in Sri Lanka.
Monday 4 Dec Poya Day
Early start to meet the kids at the school at 7 am . A beautiful sunny day and not too hot. Breakfast is bought for the kids, drivers, helpers and teachers - a few parents are coming too !!! and I follow the bus all the way to Colombo as I have to return the sodden ( or should I say so...ing) car .
The kids are hugely excited and we are joined by Abigail Anderson Helplanka Volunteer who arrived in SL back in November. Abigail has acclimatised well and has even picked up some useful Sinhala words. She will be here for 10 months in Sri Lanka at all of our projects hopefully to teach English.
Dushyanth a new pop singer also joins us and we do some filming and games with the children as going around the zoo with the kids.
Visited Siri Sumana School in Rathgama about 70 miles south of Colombo with Nalinda De Silva the Galle Coordinator who has arranged for a trip to the Zoo in Colombo for 4o of the children in a few days time. As usual the arrangements have not been finalised and there's still lots more to do.
The heat is very oppressive and there is talk of rain so hope that the trip doesn't get called off at the last minute. At least the coach has been booked and the zoo knows we are all coming !
Problem with the aircon in the car and there's a huge leak at the front of the car.
Made a visit to Ranapanadeniya School which is located on a little hill. No damage by the Tsunami as it's inland but 3 pupils were killed. I do a bit of teaching at the school and note the lack of books, and basic equipment. At least there's chalk. I try to teach them "Head Shoulders Knees and toes " with actions but these kids aged about 10 just can't grasp it. Maybe it's too complicated with the actions. I also try and translate into Sinhala but have forgotten the Sinahala word for Shoulder...
Made the donations on behalf of Melbourn School in Royston who have twinned with this school.
Visited Nirosha School in Rathgama and gave out all the presents I brought for them. Played with the children for a while and note that my jet lag is kicking in.
Drove to Galle and gave the letters and photographs to Anula Devi School on behalf of Farlington Girls School Horsham who have twinned with this school.
Saturday Dec 2
Back to Galle very hot and sunny and I am feeling well rested now. My first meeting is with Rev Abhayratne Arch Deacon of Galle and we talk for about an hour about the work by the Christian church for Tsunami and other people in the Galle area which is predominantly Buddhist.
Stop for a well earned Tambili ( king coconut ) near the Naval port which was attacked 2 months ago. The lack of tourists is very worrying as I survey the deserted beach at Unawatuna where my next meeting is to discuss the building of 10 houses. We end our meeting just as a torrential downpour starts. I can't get back to the car...
I manage to drive back to Hikkaduwa only just being able to see the road ahead with the flash flooding, thunder and the biggest lightning forks I have ever seen !!!
Sunday 3 Dec
Still raining intermittently and the waves are looking quite fierce. I head past Galle to Talpe to have a look at various house building schemes and to meet families affecetd by the Tsunami. On the way back I meet with Chithmini from New Theatre Works UK who is here to plan and implement the drama workshops in Galle and Hamabantota with Helplanka. We are both dismayed at the typically British weather in Sri Lanka.
Monday 4 Dec Poya Day
Early start to meet the kids at the school at 7 am . A beautiful sunny day and not too hot. Breakfast is bought for the kids, drivers, helpers and teachers - a few parents are coming too !!! and I follow the bus all the way to Colombo as I have to return the sodden ( or should I say so...ing) car .
The kids are hugely excited and we are joined by Abigail Anderson Helplanka Volunteer who arrived in SL back in November. Abigail has acclimatised well and has even picked up some useful Sinhala words. She will be here for 10 months in Sri Lanka at all of our projects hopefully to teach English.
Dushyanth a new pop singer also joins us and we do some filming and games with the children as going around the zoo with the kids.
What an exhausting day ! In the evening relaxed in a small restaurant in Hikkaduwa but the calm was soon shortlived ( literally in this case!) by the restaurant dog chasing a cat into the road and being dragged to its death by a passing high speed 4 wheel drive car.... all the grim faced customers and several concerned shop keepers and passersby gathered round the twitching corpse...
The next few days are spent on training the Helplanka coordinators and we hold a whole day conference and training at Samutthana centre in Colombo which was hugely successful. Abigail also joined us and our coordinators from Matara, Galle and Hambantota all found the training useful. Met with Sanna Rajapakse who briefed us on the work with homeless children in Colombo.
The whole day was marred by the difficulties of the new one way road system in Colombo close to Borella that came into effect today which made finding the centre and the coordinators a hide and seek exercise - not helped by my upset stomach...
Thursday 7 Dec
Met with The NGO Secretariat Ministry and had a useful discussion about the future of NGOs in Sri Lanka. He has asld us to register Helplanka in Sri Lanka. He promised to help Abigail to obtain her working visa too- so a good meeting !!
Later met with Mr Kotelawela to edit the video we made at the Zoo.
Also met with Sri Lankan Airlines to discuss sponsorship of an event in London in February 2007 which they have agreed to .
In the evening had dinner with Abigail and completed her induction on the way to collect her nearly ran over an already run over dog on the Galle Road at Ratmalana.
What is it with dogs in Sri Lanka?
Friday 8 Dec
Visited SERVE and the schools in Moratuwa. Good meeting with Sanjeewa De Mel and then went to see St James Centre and gave donations on behalf of UK Schools and examined the damage at the schools and met with the principal's to agree how the funds collected will be used. Visited Abigail who was teaching at a centre and joined in with the Christmas party.
The next few days I sorted out all the boxes we shipped back in November including teaching packs for volunteers, books , computers and printers and clothes. Most of the goods I re packed and then delivered to the schools and orphanages.
I also make a trip to Matale and Kegalle about 3 / 4 hours journey from Colombo in the Central Highlands to visit some new schools who need help as Helplanka want to reach new areas not affected by the Tsunami next year. I am saddened to see how badly off some of these schools are and what little help they have received.
Back to hot and dusty Colombo and I meet with Santhush Weeraman - one part of the top Sri Lankan Pop duo Bathiya and Santhush who agrees to become patron of Helplanka and also to come to London in February 2007 to sing at our musical charity event.
We have decided that Helplanka will concentrate on raising funds for supplying and running a mobile library in Sri Lanka and I have been busy trying to find sponsors, donors and obtain advice as to how we can make this into a reality. Bathiya and Santhush say they will help too so this is an encouraging start.
Sirasa TV are interested in the Zoo story and they have promised to broadcast the film we took. I spend half a day completing the editing and then couriering the DVD to the studio.
It's a peculiar feeling being away from the UK at Christmas and being far away from my 4 kids who must be brimming with excitement back home- getting ready for their nativity plays and carol concerts which I will miss this year- for the first time.
It's even more strange to see Xmas decorations, cotton wool snow and to hear Jingle Bells being blasted out in the department stores with Santa clad Sri Lankan shop assistants reluctantly selling Christmas puds and baubles when its 32.c here !!
Tuesday 12 Dec
Met with Lesley Craig Deputy High Commissioner for GB in Colpetty Colombo 3 to review our work for 2006 and also to tell her about our volunteer programme.
Discussed visas for the artistes who will visit the UK next year and also training programmes for our coordinators in London .
The rest of my time has been spent with arranging final details and plans for the next volunteers, filling in forms and sorting out payments.
The return to London was smooth but its always sad to leave Sri Lanka ....
