July 2014 Week 2 Blog

One of the highlights of our trips to Sri Lanka is taking the girls from the orphanage to the beach for the day. However, because it was Ramadan we were unable to do this so we visited the orphanage instead.  They treated us to a programme of dancing, singing and comic sketches, one of the funniest being a Della and Don tribute act, which was hilarious and scarily accurate!  We gave each of the girls some material to make dresses for Eid.

The Della and Don tribute act

Handing out Eid gifts

Receiving Mehndi from the girls at the orphanage

Without Father Mahendra, whom Della and Don met early in 2005, many of our projects would not have gotten off the ground.  Due to his heart surgery last year, we had not seen him for some time and so we were delighted to be able to visit him in the Archbishop's Residence, and to see him looking happy and well.

Don, Father Mahendra and Della

The generosity of our friends means that whenever we come to Sri Lanka we have clothes, shoes and toys to distribute in our village.  Word spreads quickly, and it is an effort to manage the resulting enthusiastic surge of people that suddenly appears. 

Clothes distribution

The FODAD team! 

On Sunday we visited Doreen.  We have known Doreen for 6 years, as she is the mother of two boys we support, one of whom is now completing an apprenticeship in an air-conditioning firm and the other who is at our school.  Doreen met with a tragic accident 18 months ago when she was run over by a three-wheeler.  As a result, she had a leg amputated.  We support her as there is no welfare available in Sri Lanka.  Her refusal to indulge in self-pity, her constant smile and her devotion to her children is truly humbling and extraordinary.

Doreen and her children 

Yesterday we visited Kukuleganga, which is an extremely remote area in the heart of the jungle, where the Jungle Nursery we support with uniforms, bags, shoes and books is located.  We had been invited to attend their Perahera by the Buddhist monk we have known for some years, and who divides his time between Mount Lavinia and Kukuleganga.  The children, parents and teachers and put a tremendous amount of effort into making imaginative costume and decorations.  One boy was dressed as a demon, and was so realistic that he frightened many of the other children. 

The demon! 

Perahera procession

Today (Tuesday), the kids from the Children's Home came to the beach in Mount Lavinia for the day. It was the third time we had done this and we were told they were so excited about coming that they barely slept the night before.  They had even made their own kites, and drawn beautiful thank-you cards which were very moving.  As on the two previous occasions, we had lots of fun and a lovely meal. 

Kite-flying

Cricket 

Meal time

Week 1 Blog

The majority of the first week was spent introducing our visitors, Carol and Ellen (the Head and Deputy Head of the Village School in London) to our projects.   The parents, teachers and children of the Village School in London have been long term supporters of FODAD; they have funded the school meals at both the Village Nursery and the School which have been provided daily since mid-2005, as well as paying for the playground, which was opened on the first anniversary of the tsunami, and its recent refurbishment.

The School

Our first stop was a visit to the Village Nursery so that Carol and Ellen could meet the teachers and the children.  The children put on a small 'Perahera' (a Buddhist festival procession).

Carol, Ellen, Della and Don with the Nursery School teacher

Mini Perahera

Next stop was the school, where Carol and Ellen were able to hand out the food to the children, which they were pleased to see was healthy and nutritious.  In the afternoon we were all treated to a performance of dance and songs.  They gave several different sizes of cricket sets to the school, which were immediately put into action.  They also managed to persuade a visiting UK school to donate three netballs which the girls at the school were delighted with.  We also had the privilege of being able to watch one of the English lessons given by the teacher employed by FODAD since February.  We were hugely impressed with the quality of his lesson and the enthusiasm  shown by the class.  The teacher, Ishan, also teaches English on the beach twice a week on the beach.

Ellen watching the English lesson

English on the beach

The new netballs

On Saturday afternoon there was a game of 'Elle' (A Sri Lankan sport similar to baseball) on the beach which became fiercely competitive, with Udaya's team winning by a huge margin (see picture below of the winning team).  The sporting event also gave Lucy and Udaya the opportunity to hold a rematch of the famous 2012 100-m sprint competition.  

The wining team!

The race

On Sunday we visited the Children's Home to see the two boys, originally from our village, in Siyambalape.  It was great to see Sanjaya and Sanjeewa again, looking well and happy, and all the other children too, who were delighted with the cricket bats brought by Carol and Ellen. 

Lucy, Sanjaya, Sanjeewa and Harry

The Children's Home