Day 12 - Fri 1 Oct

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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