Today’s main event was the School Sports & Games Day but even before that started, there was a trip back to the Clinic which FODAD supports. A number of the children which are directly receiving benefit from your support had come and Della, Don and Saul had the opportunity chat to them. Again, the visit highlighted jst how desperate some families are and not necessarily through any problems of their own making. One family we help are just really, really poor; the father, who is a labourer/brick layer, earns just 300 Rupees a day when he can find work – that’s just £1.60 or about $2.80. Consider my fish and chip meal last night cost 900 rupees and you can sense how much of struggle it can be for many families. Even some of the hotel management where we are staying earn just £60 a month so it’s easy to see how relatively small amounts can make a serious difference.
Back at the Village School, we arrived to set things up and were heartened to hear that attendance today was the highest it has been in the 2 weeks we’ve been here – 120 pupils. With very few resources, we were ready to go with 8 teams of 15 children, each managed by one of us. Della’s Black Horses were a very enthusiastic bunch with a mean, determination to win whilst unsurprisingly perhaps, Don’s team were the loudest and as it later emerged from video evidence, had a tendency to interpret the rules to suit them!!!
The first event was the 3-legged race and as we started, in true English summer sports day style, the heavens opened! This did not dampen sprits and it was a bizarre to see 16 kids of all sizes charge off the starting line to rapturous cheers and shouts from their team mates.
Next was the Sri lankan version of the egg and spoon race. This differs from the traditional game as we know it... the egg is replaced by a lime but the spoon is clenched in the mouth. Some of the teams took the speed approach but it was clear, a more cautious approach worked best.
The third event was a sack race in which Saul and Steve led off for their respective teams. The sacks came to
their knees whilst some of the smaller team members were almost engulfed with just their heads peeking out of the top. At the end of the this event, Della’s team were streaking ahead closely followed by Gav’s Red Bulls.
As the heat and humidty grew, the next event was pass the tennis ball under the chin. Classic comedy moments all round as 10 year olds struggled to reach down to receive the ball from children of 5 and girls reluctantly having to get close to boys!
The penultimate event was a Sri Lankan favourite, apparently. Five of the smallest members from each team had a balloon and had to blow it up until it exploded... It soon became clear that with balloons reaching 3 times the size of the kids’ faces, some assistance might be needed so the scorers ball point pen proved useful in putting the smaller kids and onlookers out of their agony. A most bizarre game but actually, really funny.
With just three points separating four teams, there was all to play for on the final event – again another Sri Lankan favourite – dancing with balloons. Ably demonstrated by Della and Don, couples simply had to dance together but keep the balloon off the ground. So, we were faced with around 20 couples dancing to some ring-tones played through a PA system which had already been left open to the elements; numbers were whittled down quite quickly until we got to a hard-core group of balloon-dancing pros who it seemed were prepared to dance all day.
Eventually, the scores were collated and, thanks to their success at ballon dancing, the WHite Bears came from behind and stole the title from Della’s Black Horses. And Don’s team...well, they didn’t rack up a single win despite his manipulation of the rules.
The event ended with Della handing our prizes for the winners and then a handing oit soft toys, books shoes and clothes to all the kids from the donations from New York and the UK. The joy on the face of the girl who recently lost her mother when she received as special teddy bear will live with me forever.
After a brief pause, we piled up about 5 boxes into a tuk-tuk and headed for the Fishing Village.
As we arrived an expectant crowed was beginning to gather but we’re managing to keep a respectful distance. It didn’t last long though as the crowd surged forward the moment the first box was opened. Clothes, books, shoes, flip-flops and bed linen were all handed out as fairly as we could but the feeling of desperation was overwhelming. At least almost everyone got at least something.
Finally, we saw the fishing boat which Della and Don bought immediately after the Tsunami to help the villagers’ livelihoods being launched for only the second time whilst we’ve been here.
Until now, the monsoon conditions have made it to rough to fish and consequentially, the fisherman haven’t been able to earn anything for their families for about 3 weeks. We learnt later that that day’s haul netted them 1000 Rupees.
