The Friends of Della and Don

School Sports Day

2012-01-29T10:39:00.001Z

As we finish packing ready to fly out to Sri Lanka for a month, it was heartening to receive photos from the Village School of their annual sports day held last week. All the kids look really happy and like they're having a lot of fun. And given it's 2012, we particularly liked the Olympic-inspired flame.

We'll send more updates on all our projects over the course of the next four weeks so keep reading!

Progress on all fronts!

2012-01-04T19:00:00.001Z

Today we received some photos of work which has been completed over the Christmas holidays at the Village School which we're really excited about.

Firstly, new drains have been installed around the rear of the school which will help drain away stagnant water and help remove the risk of dengue fever. The issue was highlighted as a big health issue during the last trip in August 2010 and you can read more about the risk in Lucy's blog entry.

As a result of that trip, all of the money raised by NPG at last September's 10k run was put towards the cost of installing the drains and providing new taps and effective drainage in the immediate area as well as a brand new, large capacity water tank. This is an amazing achievement and we have to thank all the runners and those who supported them at NPG for making this happen. It will have a fundamental effect on the children's health by reducing the risk of them contracting deadly dengue.

Our new water tank!

During the work, the contractors were able to clear the back of the school, remove the rubbish and flatten the area. This has allowed the installation of a new badminton net, giving a much needed new facility.

And finally, it looks like work which has been ongoing for over a year to make the school secure with metal mesh doors and new window frames has been completed, hopefully drawing a line under a long-standing issue for us. Hopefully, when we visit next month, we will see all the improvements for ourselves and confirm that all the work has indeed been completed.

Before...

The secure metal gates

during..

and after!

So thank you to everyone who has helped us over the last year in so many ways. Hopefully you can see that from your donations and support, real things do happen and they all make a huge difference.

Good news for the Street kids!

2011-12-13T18:14:00.009Z

We received a text this morning, from Father Mahendra whose Street children project we support. He informed us that 10 of the Street kids have been accepted by the Government school! This is wonderful news, since no school would accept them before as they are considered feral.

This is such a great opportunity for those 10 kids as it will provide a real chance for them to progress even further than they already have since starting school.

This picture shows the kids when we saw them in July. They had come on so much and had developed social skills and communicative skills which was such a change from our previous visit. Being accepted in the government school will help those children to have the same opportunities as other kids, despite their extremely tough upbringing.

If you want to support the street kids and our other projects, then don't forget to check out our Light Up A Life page.

http://www.friendsofdellaanddon.com/page10.htm

Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas from the school

2011-12-10T20:10:00.010Z

Today we received some pictures from the village school from their Christmas nativity party.

As you can see from the pictures it was very festive and it looks like they had great fun!

Everyone at the village school wishes us a very happy Christmas. If you want to wish them one too, don't forget to visit our Light up a Life page!

http://www.friendsofdellaanddon.com/page10.htm

Happy Holidays!

Light up a life

2011-11-29T20:32:00.001Z

Hundreds of lives have been changed as a direct result of your generosity in supporting Friends of Della and Don over the past 7 years. . With not a single overhead, every Dollar, Pound or Euro collected goes directly to those who need it... Please click on the link to look at the different projects you have supported, read about them and if you are able, make a small donation, leave a holiday message and help us light up lives! . http://www.friendsofdellaanddon.com/page10.htm

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing – Happy Holidays.

Della and Don

NPG vs Biomed Central 10k

2011-10-19T19:21:00.001+01:00

September 28^thwas a day of unexpected and unprecedented sweltering heat. It reached almost 30 Celsius on the Regent Canal, London, where 43 runners gathered together for the 2^nd Annual Nature Publishing Group v Biomed Central 10k competitive run. For the second year running the members of the NPG team (23 in all) had agreed to run in support of Friends of Della and Don.

The aim was to pay for a contractor to put in drainage around our school in

Sri Lanka

and defeat the dengue mosquito. The female mosquito breeds in stagnant water and unlike the malaria carrying mosquito bites during the day. Dengue has been responsible for several deaths and many seriously ill children and adults in Sri Lanka and South East Asia during this past year.

The runners were all heroes – the fastest Nature Publishing Group participant completed the course in 48 minutes. An amazing achievement in such heat. So far, nearly £3,000 has been raised by the runners from their sponsors Thank you so much for anyone who took part in any way at all.

Loads more pics on flickr.

Dengue Fever - Lucy's final blog

2011-08-07T10:15:00.001+01:00

A school mural warning of dengue

Dengue (n. den-gee) As suggested by the title this last blog is about the dangers of dengue fever and how easily breeding grounds for that type of mosquito are created. On our final visit to the school we were shocked to discover the condition of the area around the taps at the back of the school. There was rubbish surrounding the taps and stagnant water collecting around the bottom. It was the perfect site for dengue mosquitoes to breed. We also noticed how quickly the area could become dirty as the previous week it had been pretty clean. This is why it is important to find a long term solution and not just a quick fix. I had been reading about the dangers of dengue in the newspapers since our arrival but seeing this filthy water made it clear to me how important it is to stop sites like this from being created.

As a result of this we met with a maintenance contractor who is going to supply an estimate for laying pipes and supplying drainage; this will prevent pools of stagnant water accumulating thus eliminating the risk of dengue. FODAD intends to devote the rest of this year to collecting money to pay for this essential and life saving work.

More about dengue fever:

The disease has symptoms very similar to severe flu and can easily cause death through a complication called dengue haemorrhagic fever. Dengue fever is spread by the bite of infected female mosquitoes. Worldwide, there are an estimated 50 million cases of dengue fever annually. Most of those infected live in Africa and southeast Asia, where the disease is particularly prevalent and is the leading cause of death among children in certain Asian countries.

The Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka has made the third week of August 2011 ‘national dengue prevention week’. The campaign is being advertised on billboards, TV and through the schools, where children are learning the importance of keeping home and community spaces tidy. This is because the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which carry the disease throughout Asia breed mainly in man-made containers, such as metal drums and concrete cisterns used for water storage. But any waste items, however small, such as plastic food containers and jars, or larger items such as old car tyres, provide ideal breeding grounds.

Children and their parents are being urged to make special efforts to clear and clean areas which might offer breeding opportunities for the mosquitoes. An official from the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit felt that with public health, as well as the involvement of the military and police, the spread of the disease can be controlled.

Power to the People

2011-08-04T07:48:00.001+01:00

Regular followers of our trips to Sri Lanka will know how concerned we have been about bare electricity wires hanging from the walls at the Village Nursery. So as Della, Don and Lucy embark on their last day of good-byes and wrapping things up, imagine how delighted we were to receive this picture this morning. It looks like after nearly 2 years, the hotel has fulfilled its promise to make safe the wiring. So this gesture just underlines how busy and successful the three of them have been this trip. Apart from any last minute update, we're expecting a final blog entry by Lucy to be devoted to the dangers of Dengue fever which she will write on the 13 hour flight back to London on Friday.

On our trip in September 2009, a last minute thing we did was donate $50 for an old man to buy a coconut trolley to help support his family. We dashed off to catch our flight and never caught up with him. But Della, Don and Lucy managed to track it down on their last day. It looks like business is good and he is able to still support his family.

Uniformally Proud

2011-08-04T07:39:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we had the wonderful opportunity of seeing the band play at the school followed by lots of dancing and performances by the different grades at the school. When we pulled up in our three-wheelers I couldn’t believe it; the band were waiting for us at the school gates in their brand new uniform and it was clear by the expressions on their faces how proud they felt. It was so amazing to hear them play and from what Della and Don have said it seems as if they have come a long way since February. After this the children did many dances and songs; one of which was the English national anthem which caused us some embarrassment as we didn’t know the words past the second verse! Then there was lunch for us, provided by the some of the parents; I had my first try of eating with my fingers which actually did add a lot of flavour to the food!

Later in the day we went to buy some more energy efficient light bulbs in order to reduce the energy bills of the school. We also bought 2 bins to stop the area around the back of the school from getting so covered in rubbish. I was surprised at the cost of a simple black bin which cost around £40 and explains why there is so much rubbish on the street!

We also gave the pictures done by the Village School in Hampstead to the principal and they are already displayed on the school walls. All in all, it was an amazing day and seeing the kids at the school who were so enthusiastic and welcoming really made me realise how important all the fundraising is to continually support them and ensure that they have the best education possible.

Food & clothes - life's essentials

2011-08-01T13:32:00.000+01:00

Today we started work again, following a wonderful weekend travelling. First off was the school where we negotiated with the principal various issues such as the price and quality of the school meals and the lack of security at the school. It was especially confusing when the teachers started talking in Sinhala whilst we tried to understand what they were saying from their facial expressions! I was surprised at the complexity of these issues – with all sorts of politics involved in what you would think to be a simple decision! We also saw the children preparing for the end of term celebration that will take place tomorrow.

After this we went to the bakery to agree a new price for the food for the school; the price of staples in Sri Lanka has risen by about 30% in recent years and this led to a decrease in quality of the food at the school. We negotiated a new price to allow for the increase in price which will hopefully result in better food at the school from now on. (The picture shows Lucy and Udaya negotiating the best price at the bakery)

Later in the afternoon we gave out the clothes donated by people at home to the people of the fishing village. It was a bit of a scrum with several people trying to hoard clothes for themselves but overall it was a fairly controlled event! It was great to see in particular 3 young boys who changed into their t-shirts as soon as they got them.

Lucy & the Orphans

2011-07-27T19:54:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we went out with the girls from the orphanage; we took them to Leisureworld which is Sri Lanka’s first theme park and is rather like a very dated version of an English theme park. I was looking forward to this and I was excited to be taking them out since the money from my first ever fundraising for FODAD went towards taking them out for a day. The girls only leave the orphanage when Della and Don come to Sri Lanka (i.e. a couple of times a year) which explains how excited they were when we were approaching the bus!

The first thing I saw was about a hundred smiling faces followed by screams of ‘Hello how are you?’ I was amazed at the crowded conditions of the bus which involved girls sitting practically on top of each other at the back. The whole way there was filled with the girls singing and dancing whilst we sat at the front looking on in awe (this was not the case on the return journey though, when I dared to sit at the back of the bus....). When we arrived we went on various rides which the girls thoroughly enjoyed; they found watching their teachers go on the rides especially amusing.

After lunch we sat down and the girls did some singing and dancing; we also did some games which somehow resulted in Don and I dancing in front of everyone as a prize for winning! It was amazing to see the spirit among the girls and the sense of community that they have. After this we were presented with presents and one girl gave a very touching speech in English, expressing their gratitude towards all of us. At one point she thanked me and my friends for all the fundraising that we have done and how they really appreciated going on these days out; it was very moving and really made me aware of how worthwhile all of our fundraising is. The rest of the afternoon was spent on pedal boats and taking numerous photos.

For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of the day was sitting with the girls at the back of the bus on the way home. It’s difficult to put into words the relentless joy and spirit of the girls; this was really clear when they did not stop dancing for the whole of the return journey. When I say dancing, I mean proper Sri Lankan dancing; however it was being done in a square metre of floor on the bus, with the occasional sudden jolt resulting in a pile up on the floor.

I was extremely sad to leave the girls who I had become so friendly with over the course of the day. All in all it was an extremely enjoyable day which I will remember forever and I would love to come back and see the girls again.

Slumdogs Revisited

2011-07-27T19:46:00.000+01:00

We actually came upon the "street children project" by chance when in September we visited our old friend and originator of so many of our original projects. Father Mahendra had been the man behind our clinic in Ratmalana and before he moved to the other side of Columbo had become a great friend.

He started a school for street children (slumdogs) last year on the premises of his Church and we visited him again in February of this year with the promise of funding daily meals for the children. We were overwhelmed when we saw them today. They still look poor and dirty but they also look healthy and smiled all the time. They are shown such love by their teachers that for the first time in their lives they have learned to accept it and return it.

They were so excited when our friend Lucy gave them the cricket bats she had brought with and Father Mahendra was most amused as they are better than the bats the other school children have. They sat quietly at their desks waiting for their meal and were even entrusted with raffle tickets to sell for their new school building. They are still illiterate but are trying to learn and next week will go on their first trip outside their slum to a couple of heritage sites. If ever we needed proof that what FODAD does really makes a difference, this is it!

Nichola & the NYC marathon

2011-07-27T06:51:00.000+01:00

In 2009, Nichola Bennett, a long-time supporter of FODAD ran the NYC marathon and raised over £2,500 for FODAD. She has kindly agreed to run again in this November's event and will no doubt be aiming to beat both the amount raised and her time of 4hrs 43 mins. Please support Nichola by visiting her JustGiving page:
Nichola Bennett is fundraising for Friends of Della and Don

Jungle Fever

2011-07-25T17:31:00.000+01:00

When we visited Sri Lanka in September 2010 we took on a new project. In 2006 a nursery school in the jungle had been set up by an American working in Sri Lanka. It is the only free pre-school in a poverty stricken area dependent on farming. The average salary for a farmer is 500 rupees (50 US cents) a day and if the women are lucky they may get jobs in a garment factory which is 2 hours walk away.

The Buddhist Monk who ran the project had run out of money, the American had left Sri Lanka and he was, with great regret, about to close the project. We had known him for 6 years as his temple in Mount Lavinia is where the fishermen went as refugees directly after the Tsunami.

We took on the project together with the restaurant owner on our local beach. We have visited them twice to take shoes and uniforms. Today, we took nothing other than a promise of continued help but today was more moving than any of the other visits.

The kids put on a special procession for us together with an elephant they had made themselves. They danced and sang for us and we were all very moved.

We promised commitment, for as long as we are able.

Our Latest Trip

2011-07-24T18:34:00.000+01:00

Della and Don arrived in Sri Lanka last Wednesday accompanied by Lucy, aged 16 on her first visit to the country. As ever, the schedule is proving to be hectic and already they've visited the Village Nursery, Medical Clinic and Village School.

Lucy has kindly written an entry for the blog on her impressions to date:

"I am Lucy, aged 16 and currently travelling in Sri Lanka with Della and Don. We arrived last Wednesday, following an extremely turbulent flight, in Colombo and I was amazed at the traffic and the atmosphere. It was hot, muggy and there were people everywhere as we were driving through the city. I had no expectations before I came. I had some vague ideas but since I have never been to the third world before they were just from what I had seen and heard.

As we were driving I saw many people walking around with no shoes on and on some evenings we have seen people sleeping wherever they can. I found this shocking as personally, unlike places such as India and Bangladesh, even since the tsunami, I do not associate Sri Lanka with extreme poverty. This was really brought to my attention when we passed over a bridge into Colombo, underneath which there were slums that overran to the edge of the railway line. The next day we went to the fishing village and I was amazed at the destruction that had been caused by the tsunami. People were living in shacks, literally, many without running water.

This was also the case when we went to see some ladies that Della and Don had bought a sewing machine for. They had their homes rebuilt by a charity as they lived in a place that was heavily impacted by the tsunami; they were living without electricity and running water. We decided to buy another sewing machine as the machine was supporting 7 families; with another machine they will be able to support themselves even more and it will mean that they can make more items. Another aspect that has really intrigued me is the pure chaos that surrounds everything. As I said, I came with some loose ideas of what it would be like but I cannot put into words how crazy everything is; there are hundreds of tuktuks and the driving is extreme; for me all the beeping is very strange, coming from a place where beeping is only used when really necessary and even then it is looked upon with shock!

The highlights so far have been visiting the nursery and the clinic. The nursery children have one small and dangerous room with exposed wires and at the moment I would really like the money that I raised last term at school to help with building them another room to use. The clinic was very eye opening as I got to meet the mothers and some of the children that FODAD sponsors. Here, especially, I saw how much the families were benefitting from the use of the clinic. Without it they had to travel all the way into Colombo where they would have to pay for the drugs and medical treatment themselves.

We also visited the school where they were taking their midterm exams; it was great to see the children so focused and dedicated on their work. So, all in all it has been a very exciting and eye-opening trip and I will write some more soon!

Lucy

More updates to come soon!

Fete & Art

2011-07-02T13:59:00.000+01:00

Don talking about FODAD's projects

FODAD's friends at the Village School in Hampstead, London have come up trumps again! Last Saturday they held a traditional summer fete with face-painting, stalls, a raffle and the chance for the children to throw sponges at their dads. Della and Don went along and had a great time chatting to old friends and new.

And then earlier this week, the school held another charity art auction which saw some of the paintings done by pupils at The Village School in Ratmalana sold off in a bidding frenzy with procedes going to FODAD. On the night over £400 was raised and with a contribution from the fete as well, we reckon the staff, parents and pupils have raised enough to feed the children in Sri Lanka for another two terms, which as weve reported before, makes a real contribution to their well-being and is helping improve results.

And on that note, we had an email from the Principal recently confirming that 3 students have now gone on to start their A Levels which has never, ever happened before! One student, Gihan, who was previously the head boy and band leader comes from a very poor family and we've offered to help his family so that he can complete his studies and Della and Don will hopefully be able to make arrangements when they're out there later in July.

So thanks again to everyone at the Village School; every penny you raised goes directly to the School and as you can see, is making a real difference.

Lisa's birthday gift

2011-06-20T15:47:00.000+01:00

Our friend Lisa, who joined us in Sri Lanka with Lawrence and Callum last February, recently celebrated a special birthday. Rather than gifts, champagne or flowers, Lisa instead asked her guests to donate money to FODAD, specifically to fund the clearance of the back of the school to make a new safe, play area. Thanks to Lisa's kind gesture and the generosity of her friends, we have now raised over £700 towards that goal and hope to be able to make start in July when Della and Don visit Sri Lanka again.

So congratulations to Lisa and thank you to all those that donated. And if you still want to wish her a 'happy birthday' you can do so on Lisa's JustGiving page or by sending a text to

LISA40 £5 to 70070. Thank you.

Picture perfect

2011-06-04T09:14:00.001+01:00

One of the things we did on our last trip was leave materials for the school to paint murals on the exterior walls - it's a Sri Lankan tradition. Having taken advantage of a break in the monsoon weather, the pupils and teachers have made a start and sent us some pictures of their latest efforts, and we have to say we're very impressed.

We can also report that our supporters at the Village School Hampstead kindly donated money so that the playground which FODAD originally provided 6 years ago could be renovated . That work has been completed and we hope to be able to share more photos after D & D's next trip in July.

Grave news (in a good way)

2011-05-01T17:44:00.000+01:00

Fran Woodcock and John Hewitt from the Wadham College Development Office helped organise a tidy-up of the overgrown church yard of St Peter's Church in the lovely village of Wootton, Oxfordshire on Saturday 30 April. A large group of villagers all pitched up to help with tools, rakes and other garden paraphernalia on a glorious Spring day. Della and Don turned up to help, too and the results of the make-over were remarkable.

If you remember our trip back in February, you may recall that we provided a new sewing machine to three ladies who were overwhelmed by the generosity and couldn't stop smiling. It was Fran's mother who first met the ladies and asked us to find them.

Thanks to the support of people in Wootton and at Wadham College, this spring clean of the churchyard has raised close to £3,000 - you can still donate via Fran's JustGiving page - which is a phenomenal effort and will make a huge difference to so many people.

Fran Woodcock is fundraising for Friends of Della and Don

2011-04-14T22:19:00.000+01:00

Fran Woodcock is fundraising for Friends of Della and Don

School makes the grade

2011-04-01T09:11:00.001+01:00

It's sometimes hard to measure the impact of the work we do - especially when you're 5,500 miles away. But recent indicators have shown us that FODAD really is making a difference to the children at the Village School. At the end of our last trip a team of government inspectors visited to check on the health of the students. They commented that they had never seen such healthy children from such a poverty stricken environment which must be in part down to the fact that we have been feeding them a nutrious meal every day for over 6 years, and for some it is the only meal they get. And kids who aren't hungry will concentrate more.

This, combined with the changes we've made to the school such as the introduction of partitions, has led to 4 students passing enough O Levels to go onto further education and study for their A levels. This is a fantastic result and the first time ever that any pupil from the school has made such an achievement. We will try and actively encourage those who passed to continue their education by supporting them in some way.

And finally, the school has recently undergone its annual inspection and the report noted the discipline of the students, the cleanliness of the school and how well turned out the kids were.

So, we really are making a difference and providing hope for a better future! Thank you.

The school band has given teachers and students pride in their school

The introduction of an annual merit prize has given the children something to strive for

Partitions have helped reduce distractions during classes

Slum Dogs

2011-02-28T14:55:00.000Z

According to official statistics, over 54% of the population of Colombo lives in huts, slums or unauthorised dwellings. The city’s infrastructure was built 100 years ago to cope for 35,000 inhabitants but with the migration of people to Colombo in search of work – and particularly from coastal areas after the Tsunami – it cannot cope and many of those in the slums live in dreadful conditions with inadequate sanitation.

Dwellings often house multiple families in single rooms and when it rains, the properties can lie under water for many weeks. Disease spreads rapidly and the conditions cause all kinds of social problems. In 1995 there were estimated to be about 10,000 children between 6-14 years old that were sexually exploited for commercial purposes. A major source of childen for exploitation are the slums and shanty towns in and around Colombo. People say that children just disappear.

Many do not attend school and never know when their next meal will be. So it is comforting to know that Fr Mahendra, the priest to whom Della and Don first turned to for advice on helping after the Tsunami, is now trying to make a difference in one particular slum area. He wants to educate the children – both academically and to improve their understanding of social and health issues. Originally 30 children turned up when he started; this number has already swollen to 70 who come every day to a building adjacent to an existing school.

We know the children at the Village School which we already support are from mostly poor and under-privileged backgrounds but these are in a different league; all are under-nourished and the school uniforms are deceiving – these kids really do have nothing. So FODAD has agreed to fund this new project by contributing to the cost of food which will provide them with 3 nutritious meals a week.

Jungle Book

2011-02-26T05:53:00.003Z

Drive for an hour due south and then another 45 minutes inland, and the landscape changes dramatically. Amongst the rubber plantations and paddy fields are a number of small remote villages hidden by thick vegetation. In the middle of this is the home for a new project which we’ve begun to support – the Jungle Nursery. During this trip visited the school twice: the first time to hand out new uniforms and the second to donate new shoes, socks, paper, craft materials and exercise books – hence the rather tenuous title of this post.

View Larger Map

On the first visit, some of the children were rather frightened of us as it was the first time they had seen light-skinned people; the school is well off the tourist trail. But on both occasions it was obvious that the teachers and parents were appreciative yet curious. The Jungle Nursery serves 5 surrounding villages and offers free pre-school learning for children regardless of class or religion. It is overseen by the same Monk who looks after the Village Montessori school back in Rathmalana – this one is in his home village.

We toured the school and were amazed at the artwork and crafts of the 3 and 4 year olds and even the rudimentary smattering of English. Here, there are 4 teachers and as usual, we were staggered by the distance some of the teachers have to travel each day – in one case 40km each way. Ok, back at home that’s not much but by three-wheeler or dusty bus, that’s dedication.

44 pairs of shoes & socks

On the second trip where we handed out shoes, I was asked to say a few words to the parents and teachers; after the initial panic, I was able to contrast the two Nursery schools: one is very small and the new one much more remote. But the things they both have in common are dedicated teachers prepared to give children the very best start in life. And it’s great to know that it only takes a little to change a lot.

View Larger Map

Little things..

2011-02-24T12:37:00.001Z

The Village Nursery school is always a delight to visit and requires little effort from our part. The teachers are some of the most dedicated we have met and clearly love all their children. FODAD provides them all with a meal every day and each year, hand out new shoes and socks as these kids mostly live alongside the railway tracks and come from the poorest of families. In return we get to spend time and play with some of the happiest children we have met, despite their circumstances.

The teachers themselves also received vouchers for new shoes and we handed over clothes for them and their own children that had been kindly donated by people back home. A local hotel pays their wage which is very low, even by Sri Lankan standards so this year, we have decided to also help them and their families by paying for extra lessons for their children. So for just £4 a month, their children will now get additional tuition too, which seems the very least we can do given their hard work and commitment.

Meanwhile, working with the local monk, we’re continuing to push the hotel to fund alternative and more suitable accommodation for them.

Vishvan's story

2011-02-24T12:22:00.001Z

Vishvan introduced himself to us while we were at the Village School. His English is amazing so we asked where this new boy had come from. The Principal told us that he and his family had recently arrived from an area in the south of the island. They were hard workers who had a farm but for reasons we haven’t yet been able to determine, were driven from their land and left with few possessions.

We asked Vishvan what he wanted to do when he grew up; without hesitation he said he want to be a doctor and explained that his father’s family were doctors. Now his English is so good, he really could give the school’s only English teacher a run for her money so we are concerned that such a bright boy who has obviously had a head start in life will miss out on opportunities in the future if he cannot continue to build on his excellent English language skills.

Initially, we have agreed to pay for extra advanced English tuition which will cost us under £4 a month and look forward to hearing about his progress in July.

Fun Day Times

2011-02-23T16:13:00.001Z

For some of us, it’s the highlight of every year’s visit and we’re sure the children get almost as much enjoyment out of the annual fun and games day held at the Village school as we do. This is the third event we’ve held and 6 teams competed for winners medals: the Lanka Lions; Scooby Doos; Raging Bulls; Sri Lanka Sharks, Red Dragons and Kings of the Ring.

As well as being great fun, it also allows the children to demonstrate their creativity by making a themed "house" or "base" relevant to the team name; it promotes leadership and teamwork, especially for each team captain who has to encourage and control the younger kids; and competitiveness alongside good sportsmanship.

The games this year took an unusual twist: the “find the toffee hidden in the flour with a wet face” was particularly good fun while the “eat a dry bread roll with your hands tied behind your back” probably won’t feature again next year!

Eating dry bread rolls - don't try this at home

Balloon Dancing

Loads of parents turned up to watch and joined in the ultra competitive musical chairs competition which was great to watch. And the school excelled itself at the organisation of the day this year putting on a truly remarkable event.

The victorious Raging Bulls

Four hours chanting, cheering and urging your team to win was great fun, but we were drained afterwards. However, Lawrence led the Raging Bulls to a deserved, if narrow, victory ahead of the Scooby Doos which would have won the prize for most creative “house” complete with Scooby kennel and polystyrene bone!

All sewn up

2011-02-22T14:57:00.001Z

For a long time, one of the things we’ve tried to do is set up a women’s co-operative with the aim of providing a long term, sustainable income for them. A while back we were approached by Frances at Wadham College who knew of the work we do in Sri Lanka and whose mother had visited Sri Lanka before the 2004 Tsunami and several times since. They knew of a group of women who made clothing using sewing machines and operated outside a hotel in the south of the island but who lost everything in the Tsunami.

They asked whether we could try and find them and provide them with a new machine on their behalf. Udaya, whose family still live in the region, made few phone calls and astonishingly, discovered that the four women were indeed still selling clothes from the same location. When told that a group wanted to provide them with a new sewing machine, they sighed “oh, another false promise by tourists?” Two days after making the original call, the ladies got on a bus for two hours and were then presented with a new machine on which they can make their own clothes to sell on. They were seriously overwhelmed!

With Frances we will try and help raise money for more machines - which is rather fitting given the origins of the FODAD was to provide lasting relief to those affected by the Tsunami – and give local women their own chance to succeed in business.

Si Lanka is a remarkable country, and remarkable things can happen

Painting by numbers

2011-02-19T13:50:00.001Z

The tatty desk and chairs

0930 - The time we called the Principal to ask if we could come and paint the school’s chairs and desks

0.6 - nanoseconds for her to say yes

3 – the number of her children who ended up having to make their own lunch

1100 – the time painting began

34 – degrees Celsius in the shade

12 – willing children from the school who answered the call for help at short notice

10 – unhappy mothers who will have to try and scrub paint of their child’s hands this evening

10 - paint brushes

12 - litres of paint

120 - desks and chairs now re-painted in fetching lavender and cornflower hues

About 1.5 – hours drying time

Unknown – the numbers of bottles of water consumed

5 – hours to do the job

1 - happy School Principal

And hopefully, about 140 happy children who on Monday morning will see that the paint fairy has once again re-visited the school!

Paint me, paint me!

Only another 102 to go...

United Colours of FODAD

The final result

Growing Up

2011-02-18T13:09:00.001Z

Children seem to grow up so quickly these days and this really hit home when we took the girls from the orphanage out on their twice-yearly day trip. Four of the girls whom we remember giggling like, well, girls, have blossomed into young women. They each achieved 3 A Levels last November and FODAD is now funding them to attend a nursery teaching course lasting four months which will qualify them to look after the girls in the orphanage in the short term and in other schools in the future.

For all the others, it was business as usual: sing, clap, dance and cheer for the entire 2 hour bus journey to the beach on what has been the hottest day so far; and run, scream, laugh and smile as they rush into the warm sea and enjoy the amazing feeling of freedom, if only until the next time. It is only when we visit that they ever leave the orphanage.

Throw in some games, singing and dancing, and all the girls seemed to enjoy a blissful day out. And while the four older girls looked on, we played with three of the youngest girls, holding hands as we raced into the sea shouting at the top of our voices. The youngest is now seven, and we remember how painfully shy and traumatised she was on her first trip out just 18 months ago, perhaps still haunted by the circumstances which caused her to join the orphanage.

The two youngest girls, aged 7 yrs

Those three girls seemed not to have a care in the world on Thursday but very soon they too will grow up and hopefully, be looking out for the latest intake enjoying their first day out at the beach.

The girls who are going to college but will stay and look after the the younger ones

Pride

2011-02-16T05:49:00.001Z

Sri Lankan culture is very big on the formal, ceremonial events. So when it comes to a day to combine the award of the annual Sareth Memorial prizes, Prefects’ Day and receiving new shoes and uniforms it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that our poor, little school would have tried to push the boat out.

So we were met at the school gates by the Village School band and escorted in to the podium made from school chairs and banana boxes. Given how little they have, it’s amazing how resourceful they can be.

The first part of the day was the appointment of class monitors, prefects and new Head Boy. Each child was accompanied by a parent and it was impossible to tell who was brimming with the most pride. Gihan, the outgoing Head Boy took his O Levels in December and should get the results next month. He is our best hope in getting good results and going on to further education and we hope his successor, who lives in the Village on the railway tracks does as well.

The new Head Boy receives his blazer and pin badge

And then, to mark the handover of Band leader, the band marched with the rest of the school in an astonishing display of pride. For some, it’s hard to understand how significant a school band is, but for Sri Lankan schools it is very important. So we were all almost moved to tears as we witnessed the progress the band has made in the 12 months or so since we first provided them with instruments.

The 2011 prefects take their oath

The Sareth Memorial prize was conceived last year to recognise achievement and encourage attendance. This year there were 3 prizes up for grabs for those who met the criteria. The two younger winners chose bicycles as prizes whilst Aseena, the older girl and a winner from last year, chose instead an equivalent amount of money to be deposited to her education bank account which she cannot access until she is 18. Very shrewd and we think she will do very well. We managed to get the winners to pose momentarily for a picture before they whizzed off with huge grins. And interestingly, we heard how a new boy to the school asked a teacher, "How do I get to win a prize" and when told, vowed to work hard so he could be a winner next year!

The 2010 Sareth Memorial Prize Winners

Finally, and after 3 hours under a hot sun, we handed out the new shoes and uniforms for every child. The fact that some of the children had obviously borrowed shoes for today’s event highlighted how worthwhile this is so we’re indebted to those who make it happen.

Contemplating 135 pairs of shoes to hand out

Pride – to see the school children and parents proud of their school, acknowledgement of their achievements and appreciation of their smart new uniforms was amazing. And also, for FODAD, just to see how far the school has come in recent years was overwhelming but looking around at the smiling faces and across to the school, we allowed ourselves just a little bit of pride, too.

Monday 14 Feb

2011-02-14T12:53:00.002Z

First day at school

First stop was a short walk down to the Village Nursery school, or Montessori school as they are called in Sri Lanka. Regular readers will know that “school” is rather a grand name for what is basically a single room. We introduced our friends to the teachers and soon balloons and bubbles which Lisa had brought with her, were causing great excitement. We caught up with the two teachers who told us that this year, they had 23 children registered on their books. We also learned that one of them, got up each morning at 4am and travelled for 2 hours from her home to start work each day – and then caught two busses back at the end of school. Della had also established that she was paid very little and had only recently been re-housed into Red Cross supported accommodation. Given her talent as a teacher and her obvious devotion to the kids , we were all moved by her dedication and hard work.

And so we hope that at some stage later this year, a new school will be built in the grounds of the existing school to house them in a joint venture with the local nearby hotel and the Buddhist monk. He himself is keen to see progress made and it is him who runs the Jungle Nursery in the village where he was born. We really hope to be able to get down to see it next week; Della, Don and Tess visited last week and handed out new uniforms to the children, many of whom we’re rather surprised and somewhat alarmed to see white faces for the first time which isn’t perhaps so surprising given its remote location.

The final act was delivering over 20 soft toys to the children. The little ones, especially those for whom it was their first day at school, were comforted by the bears, dollies and other furry creatures and their tears soon dried up.

Furry Friends (thanks to Jan and friends)

Next, we went to the Village School. In the bright sunshine and strong tropical heat, it was hard to imagine the really poor weather the region has recently suffered. But we desperately wanted to see for ourselves the new roof and guttering which was completed last month via our kind supporters who “Raised the Roof”. It is a really good job, well done and tops off the old building which we painted to freshen it up on our last trip.

After some initial shyness, Callum soon made friends and started playing cricket with the boys in the playground – by the way, Sri Lanka is going Cricket World Cup crazy. We meanwhile spoke to the Principal about lots of different issues which had arisen since our last trip in September. Hopefully, we’ll be able to address many of them but, with a new roof and metal grilles on all the windows, the school will very soon be completely safe and secure.

And there were lots of other preparations to do for the next fortnight which will involve handing out new uniforms, shoes, painting desks and chairs, games days… it’ll be lots of fun but a lot of hard work.

Sunday 13 Feb

2011-02-14T12:44:00.001Z

Having arrived late on Saturday night we caught up with Della and Don over breakfast to discover all the hard work they and Tess (a fellow trustee out on her visit) had been doing the previous week – no wonder they were exhausted. As well lots of preparatory work for the next 2 weeks, they had visited two new projects which we feel compelled to support: one is the Slumdog Street Kids of Colombo and the other the Jungle Nursery. Both are in desperate need of our support and we’ll write about them later in the week and include lots of heart-wrenching pictures. And it wasn’t a complete rest for D and D either as they had to go and source the bicycles for the prizegiving ceremony on Tuesday while we took our friends Lawrence, Lisa and their youngest son Callum – on their first visit to Sri Lanka – down to the Village. Despite their trepidation, they soon relaxed in the company of Udaya the fisherman, his family and the rest of the community, but it certainly opened their eyes…

Callum trialing for the Cricket World Cup

Latest news update

2011-02-04T20:47:00.001Z

First of all, we did it! Thanks to so many many of you for buying a tile on our virtual roof, we've been able to raise all the money we needed to fund a new roof for the village school that we support. It's now in place along with new guttering and means the school is now completely water-tight. See more pictures on the website.

Della, Don and fellow trustee Tess have just arrived in Sri Lanka and report that the roof couldn't have come at a better time because, despite what should be one of the best times to visit, the weather continues to be horrendous. Roads beyond Colombo are flooded and the high winds are causing significant damage. They were hoping to get away for a day out this weekend but this looks impossible now.

Even more worrying is the fact that the fisherman in the village haven't been able to launch their boats for the last two months and are very desperate. This is supposed to be the quiet season before the next monsoons hit.

With Della, Don and Tess now firmly settled on the ground, we hope to be able to provide more reports on what they've been up to next week.

Finally, another thank you to those who turned up for the Moonrakers concert and raised an impressive £400 for FODAD.

Concerns

2011-01-14T14:40:00.000Z

No one can have missed the reports of extreme flooding in Australia, Brazil and now Sri Lanka.

At this time of year, the west coast - where are projects are based - has not, so far, been directly affected. But, the seas are rougher than is usual which means it has been difficult for the village fishermen to earn a living in the lull before the next monsoon period arrives. And the BBC reported the coldest day in Colombo for over 60 years earlier this week. Over 350,000 people in Sri Lanka have already been displaced and the damage to crops has meant that food prices have already rocketed.

We have managed to stave off increases to the food bill for 2 years but the most recent estimate to feed all the children every day has seen that increase by 26% on this time last year. As the cost of providing food for the kids is our single biggest outlay each year, we're very concerned that funding in other areas may have to be cut. We are also really worried that the consequential effect will see food prices increase across the island and put further hardship on the really poor communities that we support as well as increase the risk of disease such as dengue fever which was prevalent during out last visit.

And its just not people affected to. This is a really moving story on the plight of the wildlife and in particular one baby elephant.

All of this comes as we start preparations for our next trip to Sri Lanka in February.

Moonrakers Charity Concert

2011-01-07T20:23:00.001Z

Village School Nativity

2011-01-06T21:00:00.000Z

During the Christmas holidays, the school re-opened for a day so that they could hold their annual nativity concert despite the wet floor.

School Trip

2010-12-29T09:56:00.001Z

One of the things we were asked to provide the Village School on our last visit back in September, was some funding to allow the school to go on an educational trip to the tea plantation area in November. Whilst the school had managed to save some money towards the cost of the overnight stay, there was still a shortfall. So when we discovered we could send 80 kids on their first ever overnight trip to see for themselves the astounding scenery and learn about their country's history for about £200, it wasn't a difficult decision to make.

We received an email with the following pictures of the children and staff - hopefully, we can make this a yearly event given the relatively small outlay which can benefit so many.

Raise the Roof

2010-11-23T20:59:00.003Z

While we were in Sri Lanka the roof of our school was leaking terribly. When the rain comes it disrupts the children’s education as they have to leave and go home. This happens far too often.

We have obtained quotes to get the entire roof repaired and have been able to select a trusted contractor to undertake the work. The cost is £3,000/$4800 . We know that is a lot of money – but not an impossible target. The roof will keep the school dry and provide a decent learning environment. We would love to get the work completed during the December holidays. With a new roof and the grilles on the windows we commissioned in September we will have a dry and secure school. One which the teachers and pupils will be proud to attend each day.

Achieving this goal will be challenging - we know that - and that's why we're asking you to help us “Raise the Roof” in the run up to the holiday season. Rather than a JustGiving page, we'd love it if you could buy a tile and raise smile. You can choose how much or how little you want to donate for each tile and even leave a message for everyone to see and watch as the virtual roof is completed on the website.

We know that there are lots of charities to choose from and that you may have already been really generous to Friends of Della and Don in the past but this is a one-off fundraising drive which we hope you might support. Maybe a tile could be a holiday gift for a friend or relative?

If you’d like to help please donate online and give what you can. Hopefully the virtual roof will soon be available on our new-look website to coincide with the campaign.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Christmas is a coming..

2010-11-22T19:38:00.000Z

With just over a month to go and temperatures set to plummet this week, an easy way to take the hassle out of gift buying or shopping for festive food and drink is to it online - no queues, no cold, no hassle.

And by signing up to easyfundraising you can get exclusive offers and FODAD receives a percentage of your online spend. For instance, if you ordered Sky so you don't miss out on any of your TV programmes, we would receive £35.00!

To register online simple visit here and get great deals from over 2000 retailers such as House of Fraser, Vodaphone, Apple and Boots. And help raise a few pounds for FODAD too!

Day 16 – Tuesday 5 October

2010-10-05T16:56:00.001+01:00

The final day before an early morning departure tomorrow. Many mixed emotions of visiting the schoolchildren at both the Nursery School and The Village School. Some of these kids will be moving on to new schools in January when the new school year commences and for all of us who have seen them growing up, it could be the last time we see some of them. We can only hope that they have a better future ahead of them than when we first started supporting them. It seems a possibility that the Village School will have their first ever O’ Level student with the minimum amount of 7 pass grades to continue to further education. Should this be the case we will endeavour to continue supporting his further studies.

Amongst several of the final projects we had set out to accomplish today was a meeting with another bakery to find out if they could offer a better price to supply the 150 meals we provide every school day. Even a saving of 1 Rupee (0.006 pence) a day would make a big difference over a year. It presently costs about 11.5 pence to ensure a child receives a nutritional daily meal and the support that we receive ensures this continues. We found that we currently get good value as the new bakery wanted to charge 16 pence per child……..even after heavy negotiation! It currently cost about £23 a year to feed just ONE child a year. There are 140 mouths to feed every day.

We also had discussions with the Principal about ensuring the security of the school and agreed to provide new mesh windows and secure doors. This will also allow more natural light into the classroom, making a better teaching and learning environment.

Della & Gav also had the opportunity to meet with the Head of Maintenance from the International School in Colombo, where Adam is Headmaster, to give us an idea of costs involved at local prices to make repairs to the leaking and poorly maintained school roof.

We then had some very personal and profound business to complete, which left us all incredibly upset but also with the knowledge that one child had been saved from what could have amounted to a life of poverty and servitude.

Saying farewell to people who have become friends, companions and FODAD colleagues is always difficult. The tears in the eyes of hardened fishermen along with those we were fighting to keep back hopefully paints enough of a picture of the close connections that are built and how much people appreciate the assistance that you give them. When we look back and ask ourselves if we have achieved what we set out to do, we can hopefully say yes. If you’ve been following the blog, we hope you’ve enjoyed reading the experiences. Much more could have been written – only time and really slow internet connections have beaten us - but maybe those of you who know us and what we do will have the chance to ask any questions. As this is the last entry, it would be great to have any comments.

Thank you to all those who have supported in whatever way be it large or small. Every contribution makes an enormous difference to the lives of people who would shake you by the hand and give an almighty hug or the child who would run up to you and wrap their arms around your waist. Please try to experience this wonderful country and its people.

Day 15 – Monday 4 October

2010-10-05T16:55:00.003+01:00

Our last full day but one in Sri Lanka for this trip so time to start tying up loose ends. First up was a re-visit to the Nursery School where we handed over some more educational toys. We also agreed to fund a new secure cabinet for the school so that toys and educational materials can be locked away securely at the end of lessons. However, whilst we were there, a manager from the Mount Lavinia hotel visited who currently pay the salaries of the two teachers; we have long pushed for a better building for the school and this may have taken a step closer as it would seem that the increase in tourist numbers means that they are now in a position to commit to funding a new building.

After the paint job

Next, back to the Village School. First up was a meeting with a company who have agreed to quote us for a new roof for the school; we anticipate the quote will be prohibitively expensive but at least we will have a benchmark price. At the weekend we bought the school 3 new water purifiers so that the children could enjoy clean, filtered water and so we installed these. As we poured in the water direct from the tap, the misty colour of the water showed what a great investment these should be and they look pretty good against the newly painted, brighter interior. We couldn’t afford electrically cooled models which turned out to be a relief as the Principal informed us that the electricity board had visited earlier to disconnect the school for non payment of the bill. She showed us the bill and the savings account which she has to top up with any contributions from staff and parents. Naturally there was a shortfall so we have agreed to clear the outstanding amount. Hopefully the new low energy bulbs we’ve supplied might reduce the bill in the future as well as providing better light but it still seems very odd that a school should have to rely on contributions to basic utilities rather than being met by the education department.

Learning the science of water filters

Day 14 - Sunday 3 October

2010-10-05T16:54:00.005+01:00

Dan’s fortnight is up and he left to return to the UK early on Sunday morning – how quickly it’s gone. But before leaving he had decided he wanted to supplement the Village school band with some extra instruments as it had originally been established as memorial to his father. So we headed up to the music shop to place an order for 6 new melodicas and 2 tambourines to boost the sound of the school band and of course offer more students the opportunity to be part it.

Later, we met up with Adam the head of the International School in Colombo and his wife Kath, who is the brother of a colleague of Della. He asked how he could help and we explained that our priority was to make the school water-tight and secure. With a dedicated maintenance section, he has promised to put them in touch with us so we can consider the available options and whether we can afford any of them. It has been really frustrating and a bit disheartening not knowing someone in the building trade. He will call us tomorrow and with luck, we should be able to talk to someone before leaving in 2 days and be much better placed to understand the feasibility of the various options which will be a huge relief. Simply not knowing how much a simple repair would be let alone a new roof has been a struggle.

And as it’s typically British to discuss the weather, tonight we witnessed the heaviest rainfall ever imaginable. Even the fishermen in the Village afraid and hadn’t experienced anything like it.

Day 13 – Saturday 2 October

2010-10-05T16:54:00.004+01:00

What a relief – another clear blue sky to start the day – and incredibly hot even at 09:00; Just the job when needing to shift over 30 boxes of clothes for distribution later in the day! We arrived back at the school at around 09:30 (ok we were late) to find the same group of dedicated volunteers hard at it... they had even already applied the first coat inside the school. Work continued throughout the morning and the new blue pillars were looking good against the new white walls. We wanted to create a brighter environment for the kids to learn in and that’s certainly what has been done. The outside too now looks much smarter and the kids will repaint murals on the wall when the weather eases up.

This project has been a hard one physically but it has been extremely useful in allowing us to work together with teachers and parents and show what we can achieve working together as a team. By the end of the afternoon, we’d pretty done as much as we’d can just as it started raining. But we still needed to hand out the clothes to the villagers so we headed off to the heart of the village to start that operation.

Coming from far and wide...

The rain started hammering down and by the time we had walked the short distance from the Village School to Udaya’s house on the railway line, a small crowd had begun to gather. As the first box was opened, word had spread quickly and despite the hammering rain now, the queue of people was over 6 deep but remained orderly. T-shirts, poloshirts, ladies clothes and caps were all handed out and we were told that people from as far as 9 km along the railway track had come in the driving rain. It’s great that the “Don’t ditch, donate” collection at the offices of Nature had been so successful and had it not been for the appalling weather, we probably would have seen families in matching nature.com outfits parading along the tracks that evening.

Day 12 - Fri 1 Oct

2010-10-03T14:27:00.000+01:00

We woke to glorious blue skies – probably for the first time since we’ve been here – and knowing that the major task ahead of us later was painting the school, it was somewhat of a relief. But first there were those 36 boxes to sort out. Thankfully, the clothes and linen that had been collected by staff at Nature Publishing had been thoughtfully chosen so we were relieved not to find thermals and thick pullovers. After the initial sort, it was off down to the Medical Clinic to deliver a box for men, women, children and household linens. They were very grateful indeed as every item would be put to use by the poorest families.

Next, we arrived at the Village School just before it closed at 13.30 annoyingly before the paining and brushes arrived. But we were heartened by the number of parents who had turned out to help and the number of kids who stayed behind. When the paint eventually arrived, we discovered it needed to be thinned and mixing bowls were pretty thin on the ground. But, we battled on and before long people were hard at it. The original plan was to split into two teams, one to start on the interior and another on the outside. But mums, dads and their children had picked a part of the wall to paint and were sticking to it and in no time at all the entire outside of the school and the lavatory blocks had had two coats of paint and it was already a huge improvement.

No sooner had we finished and returned to base, then the heavens predictably opened again and we couldn’t help worrying about all the new paint being washed away…

Day 11 - Thu 30 Sep

2010-10-03T14:21:00.000+01:00

The Nursery School on parade

Early today it was fantastic to see the kids from the Nursery School in a pageant celebrating a feast day. They all looked so smart and happy and their mothers bursting with pride. Very colourful, especially holding what looked like enormous lollipops!!

Later in the morning we were able to visit the Girls at the Orphanage. Much has changed since our last visit to this institution as we were able to witness the fantastic creation of a new vocational centre which houses areas for sewing, needlework as well as art & crafts. The love and devotion that the Principal and staff have for these girls is so obvious and they do an extraordinary job considering the background that some of the girls come from. Dan was able to see and hear the Orphanage Band strike up the Colonel Bogey tune which was very impressive.

Some of the work in the vocational training area

During a dance performance by the younger children, Della received an urgent call from customs to tell her that if she didn’t go to the airport to check through a consignment of 36 boxes sent from the UK that she would be arrested on departure. She and Don therefore rushed off to the other side of Colombo and said that they would see us sometime later that day. We realised it could be several hours before we either saw them back at the hotel or in a prison cell!

We meanwhile returned to Ratmalana to source out school equipment supply shops. After a trawl of the Yellow Pages and Internet, we found the grandly named Office Works, several kilometres away. We jumped in a car and eventually found the not so grand garage that was piled with reams of A4 paper and ring binders. Amazing what a good website and large advert in the local directory can do for your business. Hidden away at the back were a few whiteboards which we had promised the Village School. Unfortunately the other materials we were sourcing had to be ordered and we have been promised delivery for Saturday.

The Girls' Orphanage Band

In the meantime, Dan, as the only one with any mode of communication, was receiving updates from Sri Lanka’s latest “Most Wanted”. After much shaking of hands and smiling at the newly appointed Chief of Customs, Bonnie & Clyde were released back into civilisation. By the time they returned it had been a good 6 hours of them being kept waiting after everything was completed in triplicate. Apparently the customs officer refused to believe that there were any charities still assisting in Sri Lanka post-Tsunami. Della & Don were able to show him the website and they now have a new best friend. He insisted on the shipment being delivered and cleared through as soon as possible.

After a much needed relaxing evening meal, we went to bed at 22.30 only to be woken at 23.45 to be advised that DHL were at the hotel with the 36 boxes. We each took 12 boxes into our rooms and decided that we would unpack and separate the men’s, women’s and kids’ stuff the following morning. It’s great to have the shipment here at last and that we’re not harbouring criminals. Best left to your imagination how Della or Don reacted to the threat of hard labour in a third world prison!!!

12 of the 36 boxes which finally arrived

Day 10 - Wed 29 Sep

2010-09-29T14:56:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was a big disappointment to us. Despite having paid to have the roof repaired, it was still leaking in 6 separate places which meant that classes were interrupted as soon as the rain came through. And lights couldn’t be switched on due to the danger of electrocution meaning it was too dark to continue lessons. So a priority for us now is to act and get the roof either repaired properly and to a standard that will withstand the harsh weather conditions we’ve been experiencing or to get it completely replaced – likely to be an expensive job and one we haven’t budgeted for.

It hadn’t been all bad. Earlier yesterday we had met the new parish priest as we believe it’s important to get the support of community leaders no matter what denomination they are. One idea which we might be able to develop further is using the church hall adjacent to the school for evening classes but we need to develop a plan to make this a reality.

Whilst meeting the priest we were handed the annual report prepared by the group which runs the medical clinic which made fascinating reading. We provide them with 90% of the costs to run the clinic: in 2009, the clinic had over 2,600 registered patients, treated just over 2,000 people during the 12 month period and was seeing an average of 50 patients on each Friday it was open. As mentioned earlier, the clinic tends to be overshadowed by some of the other work we do but in terms of reach into the community, it’s pretty amazing.

We had also visited the music shop where we got a quote to provide the school with extra instruments seeing as the band has proven to be very popular with the school children. Hopefully there will be 8 extra places in the band by the end of the week.

On Wednesday morning, we had a similarly productive and interesting day too. We wanted to explore what opportunities there might be for older pupils and adults who are less academically inclined to pursue courses in things like engineering and automotive repairs. So after a quick Google search we headed off just 10 minutes down the road to the Ceylon German Technical Training Institute. The set-up of this organisation was impressive and was on a huge scale; each year they take in 350 new full time students for 3 yr courses having whittled down the 5,000 original applicants. Perhaps more usefully, they also offer part-time and evening courses for students with fewer academic qualifications. This a longer term proposition but we will try and arrange for the Village School to send some students aged 14 and up to see the training facility as it might inspire them to be engineers in the future.

Next up was something we’d only learnt about this morning. Ratmalana is also home to the Ceylon School for the Deaf & Blind and we’d been told that they were always looking for additional support. It was set up in 1912 but now spreads across 3 campuses: 2 in Ratmalana – one for deaf students and one for the blindand another up in Jaffna. It is an impressive set up and looks after over 500 pupils by providing education, vocational training, food and lodging. We met the Principal of the Deaf school and the manager of all three sites and explored areas where we might be able to help. These could include providing educational materials, clothing, art supplies and even developing sporting links between this school and our own Village School. More work to follow up on but one which offers exciting new opportunities.

Day 9 - Tue 28 Sep

2010-09-29T12:09:00.000+01:00

Rainwater between the two school buildings

Today, we taught at the school. It rained. A lot.

Inside the school at 12 midday

The old school desks & chairs

An old and new light - hopefully replacing all will be a bright idea

Day 8 - Mon 27 Sep

2010-09-29T11:58:00.001+01:00

It’s amazing how easy it is to lose track of time, especially when you’re away from home. With a usual holiday of lying by the pool or on the beach you get the sudden realisation that you’ve already been away for a week and there’s so little time left to maybe get started on your 2nd book or pop to the local shops to buy some kind of souvenir or gift; maybe it’s the postcards that you need to send and hope that they’ll arrive before you return!

For us it’s the awareness that there are still so many things to do in a short amount of time. Getting things done in the UK is a relatively easy task and questions can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. The Sri Lankan way is totally different and conversations can take 4 times as long as the culture just seems to demand it. We accept this and just wish we had 8 weeks instead of 2!!

So Monday was focused on chipping away at the long list of things to do. First stop was a trip back to the Nursery School where we wanted to handover some new learning toys. These included modelling clay and a height chart so we could track progress of the children between now and the next visit in February 2011. The giant inflatable hands proved an instant hit though and are designed to improve balance and coordination – even if some of the 4 yr olds thought bashing each other over the head with them was much more fun.

Next, a return visit to the Village School where we wanted to finalise arrangements for the decoration of the school. By the end of the session we have a shopping list for over 40 litres of paint which we hope will brighten the school and make it a better place to learn.

Interestingly, we learnt that despite the old filament electric bulbs which give off such a poor light, the electricity bill for the school was 900 Rupees a month of which only 500 is met by the government. So before we go, we intend to install new energy saving bulbs throughout the school to save money and provide much more light.

We also agreed that we would continue to provide uniforms and shoes for all children, but would wait until the beginning of the next school year in 2011.

Many will wonder why we focus the attention and time on the school. What these kids lack is an environment where they can enjoy an education. Tomorrow, we’ll be spending time teaching and hoping to learn ourselves what assistance we may be able to offer to ensure a better atmosphere for all at the school.

Day 6 - Sat 26 Sep

2010-09-27T14:12:00.001+01:00

The weekend has seen us visiting the ruins of ancient civilisations, exploring caves and a sunset ride on an elephant. Oh, and there was another cake, the fourth, which I’m promised was the last!

But on Saturday we stopped by a local hospital in the area we were touring where we had arranged to deliver a large amount of baby clothes which had kindly been donated by two of Della’s colleagues. The hospital, although fairly modern, was very basic and very full. Dogs running around the maternity ward didn’t feel quite right. But we met up with Dr Somaratigne the hospital’s Director and Dr Chandradasa the chief paediatrician who had trained in the UK. They explained that the hospital served a very large rural community who were heavily reliant on selling produce from the land. If their crops failed, they instantly experienced real hardship and with that hardship came health problems.

The timing of our visit was really useful as the hospital is marking World Children’s Day on 1 October and they would be able to distribute the clothes to some of the most needy families. So what may have seemed like a bag of unwanted clothes will definitely go directly to some of those who will benefit the most.

Day 5 - Fri 24 Sep

2010-09-27T14:10:00.002+01:00

On Friday morning we returned to the Medical Clinic in Ratmalana which we support. As well as paying for a doctor and drugs, FODAD also assists 18 families who need additional support, be it for medical treatment, funding to support education or just genuine hardship.

With the clinic’s support team, we went over each of the cases and met with the children and their parents to review progress since our last visit. All were doing very well with the additional support and had made good progress.

There is one boy who we have supported for over 3 years by providing growth hormone drugs; he has now ended that course of treatment and our support now extends to his studies. He has taken A levels in three science subjects and hopes to be able to go onto university.

Another child whose father died has made great improvements at school and wants to become a doctor; we’re paying for extra tuition to help with his exams…

Another boy who we have supported for 4 years is now 18 but suffers from mental health problems. We fund drugs to control his condition and support his family with his care…

The clinic continues to go from strength to strength; this morning it was as full as we had ever seen it with many people from the surrounding area arriving to take advantage of the professional healthcare team. Chrys, the clinic’s administrator, told us that a few weeks ago, they had offered an open clinic for people to come with any health concerns or for check-ups and they had over 650 people through their doors.

Assisting the clinic with medical supplies and providing that extra support to families is our second biggest project in terms of expense yet is probably one of the lesser known ones which we support. When we get back we will update the website with more details of those individuals we help; each has a moving story to tell. But it was clear by the end of the morning that FODAD is definitely helping many more people in the local community who otherwise would not be able to afford drugs and treatment or additional assistance to help them get on with their lives.

After the clinic we headed up country for a break from the humid, stifling air for a couple of days to explore this amazing country.

Day 4 - Thu 23 Sep

2010-09-27T14:07:00.001+01:00

By Dan, on his first reflections of Sri Lanka...

What an interesting few days this has been for me. My first time in Sri Lanka with Friends of Della and Don and I’ve already experienced so many different emotions. Yesterday was one of the most amazing days, the joy that the girls from the orphanage get from the day trip is indescribable. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many smiles and laughter for a simple trip to the beach. If you could experience this just once you would know that the work of your donations is appreciated so much.

Now, this is just one example of how the charity helps the community but today was all about making things happen. Each evening over dinner all five of us review that days events and sort out a list of objectives to work through the following day. This list can cover a wide range of tasks, from ensuring the children in the Nursery school are being fed, to sitting down with the Principal in the local school to discuss any issues that have arisen.

So after an early breakfast, 7:30am (ish) we head off to the Nursery School to speak with the teachers about uniforms and shoes. Now, the trip down to the Nursery School itself gives you a sense of how poor this area is. Walking alongside the railway tracks you get to see the community, a mixture of shacks, huts and breeze block structures with corrugated metal roofs. The only thought that comes to you is “wow”, and not in a good way. After our meeting with the teachers and the head Buddhist monk we made our way across to the Village School.

I know that you are all aware of the great work that FODAD has done for the school but when you see it for the first time you genuinely think this building is used as a shed. It’s so dark inside. And where there should be windows you get bits of wood to protect the children from the elements. As we arrived there was a guard of honour with the school band marching to greet us. Seeing the band in action was particularly poignant as the instruments were dedicated in memory of my father Declan who passed away two years ago. After such a great welcome we were brought into the school where each grade put on an act. With more singing and Bollywood dancing it was then time for Gav to receive a birthday cake (number 3 for those who haven’t been counting!). It’s quite touching to see how much effort they put into this. The vice principal made a passionate speech to the students about how grateful the school is for all the help that FODAD gives to ensure that the children are fed, are given uniforms and receive assistance in cases of specific hardship. We spent most of the afternoon talking with the school children and some parents before heading off in search of a DIY store unlike any you might find at home in order to buy some paint as we intend to do some work on the school interior next week.

It’s been a busy few days so far but it’s fantastic to be on the ground and see how much good work FODAD carries out. Until next time….Dan

Day 3 - Wed 22 Sep

2010-09-26T13:53:00.000+01:00

Birthdays should be special wherever you are. But to be away in a place like Sri Lanka makes a birthday even more special for anyone. So waking up to a glorious morning in fine surroundings was a nice way to start the day; to then find balloons adorning the table, a personalised birthday cake, and singing waiters was even better. But on Wednesday, it really dawned on me just how true it is that it’s the simplest things which are the most touching. When you get on a bus full of orphaned girls who burst into their rendition of Happy Birthday as you board the coach, it kind of leaves a lump in your throat. And especially as I was made to feel like guest of honour on what was, after all, their special day – only the second time outside of the orphanage walls since we last took them out in February.

The girls’ obvious enjoyment and excitement more than makes up for the 4 hour journey on a clapped out, hot and uncomfortable bus as they sang along to their favourite songs – the “Bollywood bus”, if you like!

After lunch on the beach, the girls headed down to the sea and spent a carefree couple of hours just splashing around as the waves crashed about them. Unfortunately, as the picture shows below, Della and two of the girls were somewhat taken by surprise as a huge wave crashed over their heads – much to the amusement of all the girls. It was great to see them all so happy again. Next up was a surprise birthday party for me where I was presented with a birthday cake, huge card and gifts. There was dancing – the girls were very good, their guests less so! – singing and games. The amount of effort that the girls had obviously gone to was overwhelming but I can’t think of a more rewarding way to spend a birthday.

We’ll be visiting the orphanage again next week to hear the girls play in their band and see how far they’ve come in the last 6 months. FODAD pays for a music teacher and other vocational studies as well as their only trips out of the orphanage – all thanks to your donations.

Day 2 – Tues 21 Sep

2010-09-24T01:56:00.001+01:00

Dangerous exposure

Following a solid night’s sleep, we headed off early in the morning to the Nursery school, just a short walk away from the hotel. It was great to see all the kids again – the school hosts children aged from 3 to 5. We provide food every day for these children and new shoes so as well playing with them, we were interested to find out if the situation concerning the dangerous exposed wiring had been resolved which we had noticed on our last visit back in February.

Unsurprisingly it hadn’t and bare mains cables were still exposed and within reach of the children due to wrangling by the building’s owners and the electricity board. Dan, Don’s nephew and newly appointed trustee, and on his first trip suggested building a wooden box around the electrical board to lessen the risk of danger and following agreement, we’re hoping this should be in place and installed this weekend.

Kids at the Nursery School

Next up was to catch up with the kids and teachers at the Village school which is the largest project which we support. Even after just a couple of hours chatting with them all, we had quickly identified some new ideas to take forward to improve the effectiveness of the school as well as reviewing for ourselves some of initiatives which have been implemented since our last trip in February. The new roof is finished and means that classes can go on unhindered by rain water; the partitions are supremely effective in breaking up the large hall and allow more focused classes to take place without distraction. Some of the things we will look at doing this trip include:

The Village School

Funding the first-ever overnight field trip for the older members of the school to the tea-plantation area so that they can learn more about the diverse history and geography of their own country (it seems very difficult to imagine children never having traveled outside of their own village

Ways to brighten up the school and improve the atmosphere in a poorly maintained building which is about 90 years old

Investigate opportunities such as technical training for those less academically inclined;

Look into what would be needed to support those who are academically gifted onto the next stages of education;

The playground is starting to look scruffy - a job for next year?

We had been accompanied throughout by our minders Udaya and Colin – the former being the head fisherman who sorts out so much for us both when we’re in Sri Lanka but also even when we’re not and Colin, the fisherman who saved Della’s life. During our discussions, it became apparent that there were two areas where we might be able to assist; one would be to help them get the right nets for the forthcoming Seine net fishing season; the other being to fund one person from the village to undertake a Seamanship course at a local college. This appeals hugely as it would mean for a minimum outlay, someone from the village could graduate after a couple of months training and be qualified to work on the merchant ships which pass along the coast every day. While it might take them away from their families for periods of times, a starting salary of over $250 per month is a significant amount in this country and offers the potential to earn much more pretty soon after. We have agreed to fund one student initially and would expect that person to repay the cost of the course over time thereby enabling us to fund others who want to take the course to do so – and it fits in nicely with trying to make the villagers self-supporting.

Dan gets to see the musical instruments donated in memory of his late father declan

It was a busy first day and another early dinner, but we were soon left in no doubt that we’re still in the middle of monsoon season with the arrival of an almighty storm. As we watched the lightning out at sea, the rain suddenly started hammering down for several hours and the entire city of Colombo in the distance was plunged into darkness as one strike hit the entire city’s power supply.

Day 1 – Mon 20 Sep

2010-09-24T01:51:00.001+01:00

After 22 hours travelling from door to door, we finally arrived in the hotel at about midday with each of us trying really hard to stay awake through the day . Needless to say, after a very early dinner it was straight off to bed to prepare us for the busy week ahead. Regular readers will know that the monsoon struck early and with a vengeance earlier this year and it was clear that even our hotel was showing signs of May’s extreme weather so it would be interesting to see how the fishing village and school had coped.

The 10K challenge - part 3

2010-09-14T21:30:00.007+01:00

On a cloudy afternoon on September 14th Della's colleagues at the Nature Publishing Group took on their rivals from BioMedCentral. The aim was to see how many of the group could finish the run along the Regent's Canal in less than an hour. The team gathered in Crinan Street and Della wore her favourite outfit of a sandwich board over a green chartreuse coat to cheer them on.

Everyone did brilliantly and lots of energy was expended. More to the point, lots of money was raised to support FODAD. Many thanks to everyone who participated and everyone who both marshalled and organised it. Every penny will go to helping children have a better future.

The first three past the post

Setting off

A keen bunch of runners

Before she donned the Chartreuse coat

Success: the next 10k event is completed successfully

2010-09-04T18:37:00.001+01:00

Saturday, September 4th and Don and his trainer, Tess were up bright and early to start their challenging walk on Shotover. Luckily it was an absolutely beautiful morning and after the mist had lifted and the sun broke through, the walk was too pleasant to be a real challenge. Although they had been training for 5 months, Don had never actually completed 10k. Both he and Tess had badgered their friends and family into sponsoring them so there was a lot at stake.

They finished the walk in well under 2 hours, a major achievement in Don's case as he could not walk around the block at the beginning of the year.

On the walk the met lots of dogs some of whom they knew from their training sessions and a horse and its rider. Della, managed to do the first half of the walk but then sat in the car on the pretext that she needed to send some text messages. Thanks to everyone who gave both moral and financial support. "The lines are still open"

The next event in the 10k for 10k challenge moves on to London and is on September 14th when NPG take on BioMedCentral in support of Friends of Della and Don.

£10k for 10k - the Next Event

2010-09-02T19:55:00.001+01:00

The next event in this year's £10k for 10k calendar takes place on Saturday. Don and Tess, having been in training for months now, take to the hills in Shotover, Oxfordshire and embark on their own 10k challenge.

Tess has been a (mostly!) patient trainer for Don whilst he's made steady progress on his fitness. Considering this time last year Don was just undergoing the first of three major operations, the size of the challenge shouldn't be underestimated; 6 months ago he had only just regained enough strength to walk and neither have done more than 6k so far.

Lots of people have already been really generous supporting both Tess and Don; if you feel you'd like to show your support you can do so by visiting their justgiving page.

And keep an eye on the blog - we hope to bring you pictures of them both in action!

Schools out... but the roof goes on

2010-08-16T18:16:00.002+01:00

The kids at the Village School are now out for a couple of weeks - nothing like the 6 weeks in the UK - but during this time, the School roof is being completely replaced, thanks to all the kind donors to the Friends of Della and Don. If you remember, the monsoon struck particularly early and with such force back in May and we reported on the terrible conditions that were affecting all the villagers: rain pouring through during lessons and the fishermens homes practically destroyed on the beach.

With your help, we've funded a completely new roof for the school which should not only stand a better chance of withstanding future monsoon periods but ensure the children can continue lessons even when it's raining and mean that the computers and instruments which we've already provided won't get damaged.

The pictures hopefully show just how bad a state of repair the roof was in and the work which started today.

In the meantime, just because school's out, it doesn't mean that learning stops... these pictures also show members of the school band coming in to continue their band lessons.

We're really looking forward to hearing the progress they've made since our last visit in February and will look to see what else we can do to improve the school environment when we visit again in September. One idea on the cards is a mini-makeover to decorate the shabby classrooms and add more light to the dreary school.

New engine & new school roof

2010-07-22T20:28:00.000+01:00

We reported recently on the difficulties faced by the fishermen this year over the extreme monsoon conditions which had prevented them from fishing for more than 5 weeks. In a desperate attempt to earn some money for their families they took the boat out during a lull in the bad weather. Unfortunately the storm returned unexpectedly and the boat capsized leading to the loss of the engine and generator. Luckily there was no loss of life.

We have just sent out money to pay for a new outboard so that the fishermen can once again start earning and support their families in the village. Also, money has now been sent to replace the roof on the Village School as it was clear that they would have a long wait for the local authority to act. This will not only mean the students can learn in a dry environment but willl ensure the longevity of the instruments and computers we have already provided.

One of the great things about FODAD is we provide support and assistance throughout the year and we aren't restricted to just to the times we visit.

FODAD assists in life-saving Op

2010-07-18T14:43:00.000+01:00

One of the pleasures of supporting the Nursery School is seeing the happiness and innocence of the kids - they're too young to know just how difficult their lives will be growing up in a poor village - and they derive happiness by playing with the little they've got. The school is in pretty poor repair too; despite a number of promises to provide a new building, nothing has yet happened and this will be one of the priorities for our next trip in September.

One of the kids which has always stood out with his beaming smile was Gihan. But on the very last day of our visit in February, his parents told us that he needed urgent heart surgery. His father is a road-sweeper and earns next to nothing and couldn't afford to pay the 25,000 Sri Lankan Rupees to pay for the operation. The Government had agreed to pick up the remainder of the bill. It was a no-brainer and over the last few months we obtained the medical reports and sent the money for the op.

I'm pleased to say that Gihan has now had his surgery and is making a full recovery. Without the supporters of FODAD, who knows what would have happened to this little lad. £150 to save a live...? Priceless.

The 10k race

2010-07-13T10:35:00.000+01:00

Team FODAD - Gav, Dan, Beck, Danielle and Tom - completed the Frampton 10k event last night. After a hot weekend, the conditions were perfect and with large crowds gathering on the village green, there was a sense of anticipation as we warmed up at the start line. Some were contemplating setting personal bests; others just finishing.

We set off and waved as we passed all our followers - if there were a prize for the best supported team, we certainly would have one that! As the race continued, experience began to show with Dan and Beck striding forward and up there with the leading pack. For those of us who had never done 10k before, we were now regretting our lack of preparation!

Meanwhile, the supporters started munching on a picnic, the scale of which drew envious glances from many around. But 40 minutes later, the smoked salmon had to be put aside as Dan entered the finishing straight and, despite having been ill, was the first team member across the line followed closely by Beck.

A while later, Gav put in a final sprint to cross the line in a time much better than he had ever expected followed closely by Danielle and Tom who had put in a herculean effort and had to run the last mile with no trainers.

It was a great evening out for both runners and their supporters. There are too many people to thank individually but thanks to the generosity and support of our sponsors, we expect to have raised well over £2,000 for The Friends of Della and Don.

And there's more to come... Don & Tess doing their 10k walkathon and David and the gang at Nature.com with their 10k in September!!

Emergency Relief

2010-06-14T16:08:00.001+01:00

STOP PRESS…. STOP PRESS…

Today (Monday 14 June) the sea had calmed and men from the Village wanted to go out fishing as they hadn’t been able to since the monsoon started. 4 hours later we received a text saying that the fishing boat had gone down and that the engine and generator are lost but thankfully, NO lives have been lost.

In recent blog posts we reported on the terrible impact the monsoon had already had on the Village School and the Girls’ Orphanage.

After a brief lull, things seem to have worsened and as such, the trustees of FODAD have agreed to make an emergency donation to cover the cost of repairs to the school roof which covers the “library” where the computers and musical instruments are stored and to cover any other immediate assistance.

Over the weekend, there was a Tsunami warning for Sri Lanka following an earthquake in the Indian Ocean which measured 7.5 on the Richter scale. Ranmal described having to wake his family and move them all at 0100 on Sunday morning in appalling weather conditions because of the Tsunami alert. It beggars belief just how frightened and vulnerable the families and children in the fishing village are feeling.

A former colleague of Della has also just returned to the UK and confirms that much of the Fishing Village has been destroyed and the beach has all but disappeared. As well as damage to the school, the fishermen have been unable to fish for 4 weeks and Udaya has lost most of the roof to his house.