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.