Medical Magic

The Medical Clinic is a project which we've supported since 2005 which provides free advice, prescriptions and drugs to the most needy in the area, regardless of class or religion.  On Friday we went along to see it in action, to meet up with those running it and provide funding for the forthcoming year.  It was a busy day and we learnt that in 2011, 1800 patients had been treated in the last 12 months - a remarkable figure and one which means it costs us less than £1 per patient visit. In terms of impact on the community, this is the one project which has the highest number of beneficiaries and is testament to the organisers and doctors who give up their time for free.  They also told us about the various special awareness clinics that they hold to educate on preventing disease. One held last July (see pic) attracted over 800 visitors alone and more will take place in 2012.

We also met with the 15 families who the organisers have identified as needing special assistance, be it to support the families in covering the costs of educating their children or for specialist drugs.  Five new cases were added.

The Medical Clinic is a jewel in the crown of projects we support - it has such a mass impact across the community, represents remarkable value for money and is very efficiently run.

Mother's Pride

A mother called this morning to say that despite all her attempts, her 3 year old son had refused to take off his new uniform, shoes and back-pack since we handed them out to him and 30 other children on Wednesday morning at the nursery school deep in the jungle.  He resolutely refused to be parted from his newly acquired possessions and she was only able to remove them, shoes and all, after he eventually fell exhausted into bed at 9pm that evening.

The jungle nursery is in a really remote part of the country and the families are especially poor. Many of the new intake had not seen “white skins” before and for some it was all a bit too much to begin with. But they still managed to perform their dances for us before receiving their new uniforms which they immediately put on before their proud parents. 

A shed - for seven

We reported earlier on the progress that the street kids had made in such a short space of time - from being almost feral, uneducated and unruly to now becoming model students, disciplined and well mannered. 


We wanted to know more about their backgrounds and how they lived. Our journey took us to a suburb of Colombo into marshland. Although it's the dry season (today reached 38 degs), there were still patches of lying water and mud and it was easy to imagine conditions after a typical thunderstorm but much more difficult to understand the conditions endured during the two sustained monsoon periods a year when the rain is relentless.


We were taken to five of the boys houses. All were atrocious but this one left us dumbfounded - a shack housing 2 adults and their 5 children  (all of whom went to the school project) with no running water or mains electricity.  Words aren't necessary - the pictures speak for themselves - well, they would if they didn't leave you speechless. Suffice to say, I wouldn't think of leaving the lawn mower in a shed like this. But this shack is home to a family of seven...

Lost Boys - Found!

We're really pleased to have eventually found and met up with the two boys from the village who were taken into care and then disappeared after being beaten by their drunken father and then their guardian. (see the previous blog post).


It took a two hour drive but eventually we tracked them down to a childrens' home on the way to Kandy road, some 90 km from the Village.  As we drove down the the road on the approach to the building, we were all silent, fearing the worst. But as we pulled up, first impressions were favourable and we caught a glimpse of Sanjeewa, the eldest of the two brothers.


We so wanted to see the boys but had to go through the formalities of being shown around.  It is a really nice place with just 19 children and was set up by a German couple in 2005. The place was spotless, the rooms were clean, light and modern, and it seems really well equipped - a far cry from the squalid prison we secretly feared. It's run by a married couple who seem very fond of all the children.


Eventually, we got to see Sanjeewa (14) and Sanjeew (11).  At first there was a moment of hesitation as they wondered why these people had come all this way to find them. But we spent an hour with the kids and found out more about the home and their new school.  Both boys seemed really happy with their new life, together.


Before leaving, we made a donation to the home, agreed to set up a bank account for the brothers which only they can access when they reach 18 and pay in 500 Rupees (£3) for each boy every month, and bought both of them new shoes for school and some cricket bats and balls.


As we left both boys were beaming and a few tears were shed from relief and happiness that both boys were still together and happy in their new home.

Orphan fun!

Normally, we take the 100 girls from the orphanage out for the day on each visit to Sri Lanka.  But as the last one was in July, this time the girls decided they wanted to hold their very first sports meet. 

As soon as we walked into the small area in front of the orphanage we could see just how much effort they had gone to with each house creating a different themed base decorated by the girls themselves.  A small running track had been marked out and we were shown to our seats, thankfully under a canopy shielding us from the strong sun.  There were nine events in all (including the lime and spoon and balloon burst races and amazingly the bun eating contest!) followed by races for the staff and visitors and a fancy dress competition.

The girls’ band kicked the event off including a synchronised dance display which was truly impressive.  We fund the bandmaster and it’s clear just how dedicated he is when we witnessed their performances. 

As the programme of events progressed, the hotter it got but the girls’ enthusiasm and cheering showed no sign of diminishing.  We had to judge the best decorated house which was an unenvious task as all the girls had surpassed themselves so it was difficult to choose a winner but at least we ensured that the others were joint runners up.

The fancy dress completion was also a real eye opener with a stellar performance buy the “fortune teller” but less convincing portrayals of “Colonel Qaddafi” and “The English Queen” but it was amazing fun and again, the girls had worked so hard.

This was the first sports day for the girls and we were humbled by being invited as guests of honour to a very special event.  We pay every month towards non-curriculum classes such as art, dress-making and needlework and these skills were very much on display throughout the day.

The day was so enjoyable and we left on a high after presenting all the prize winners with medals and cups because you just felt that each and every girl, no matter their circumstances, we’re enjoying spending time supporting each other – their only family, and being with us – their extended family.

We sincerely hope that there will be another sports meet next year and look forward to supporting that event and all the girls in the future.

Finally, three of  the old girls who we had sponsored to do some further education came back to join in the events and it was great to hear that two had moved on and now work in a hospital in Colombo and another is teaching and has got married.

PS – Della came a dignified 2= in the female visitors race; Don triumphed in the men’s race against Steve and Gav despite crashing to the ground and receiving first aid for scratches after trying to be just a little too competitive!

Funday Times

Today was an early start as we had so much to fit in: presenting 25 children at the Village Nursery School with new shoes and socks, a quick visit to the Medical Clinic for Michelle and Rich who are spending their last 48 hrs of their holiday in Sri Lanka seeing the projects, the Annual Fun Day at the Village School and handing out a further 120 pair of shoes for the students.

At the Village Nursery, we were greeted with garlands of fresh flowers and each of the children lined up – as patiently as 3-4 year olds can!  After their initial shyness, they soon got into the swing of being presented with their own shoes and socks.  Sadly, we know that for some, it may be the only pair they get until next year’s visit.

By 0900 we were on our way for a flying visit to the clinic; a further one is planned for next week but we wanted to show Michelle and Rich the clinic which FODAD funds through our generous supporters.  Quietly, it gets on with providing free medical advice and treatment to locals, with no fuss.  Each year, we get an annual report on the clinic detailing how the money was spent and each time, we’re staggered just how many people benefit from this service.

An hour later and we were back at the Village School for the annual fun day event and presentation of more shoes to all the children.  Although some of the games were different this year – we definitely didn’t want to include the “eat a dry bun on the ground with your hands tied behind your back” completion – the format was similar to previous years with Della, Don, Gav, Steve and on this occasion, Michelle and Rich managing a team of about 25 kids from 5-16.  It has to be said that there had been various degrees of preparation by the managers: Gav came armed with Scooby Doo blowers hats and balloons which he’d bought months earlier off eBay.  Others chose a more casual approach and had party supplies from the local supermarket including a beautiful set of wings for Della’s Queen Butterfly team. The action was preceded by another demonstration by the school band and this time, both the Sri Lankan and English national anthems (cue embarrassing mumbles by the time we got to the 3^rd verse of ours).

And so on to the games…  Steve’s Lanka Lions took an early lead excelling in the lime and spoon race – similar to the egg and spoon but the spoon is lodged between the teeth.  Don’s King of the Ring team put in a spirited performance in the sack race but by the time of the third event – “pass the water by hand in a relay to fill a bottle” – it looked like the Don and Della’s team were going to be competing for last place. However, musical chairs proved to be a hidden talent for Della’s team and the competition was still wide open by the time of the final event: balloon dancing.  Luckily, whatever talent Gav lacks in this department, was more than made up by his team who ended up taking the honours.  By the closest of margins, the Scooby Doos were victorious and all proudly received their medals from Della and Don.

With the excitement of the games over, it was now approaching 2pm and getting really hot so when it came to handing out over 120 pairs of shoes, the planning and preparation proved its worth and nobody had to stand around too long.

The Scooby Doos

Day’s like today are really worthwhile; whilst we constantly try and improve the quality of the education that the children receive, today hopefully also demonstrated to the kids and teachers the value of teamwork and that coming to school can be fun.

Waiting in line for new shoes

It's such a Prefect Day

Sarath de Mel was Della and Don's guide when the Tsunami hit back in 2004.  Unfortunately he passed away several years ago but believed that every child should have access to the best education possible.  In his memory, we provide prizes at the Village School for three children who have excelled in discipline, performance and attendance and these are presented by his widow and children.


This years winners were Ruwani (Grade 5), Shahin (Grade 9) and Vishwa (Grade 10).  All were worthy winners but it was particularly pleasing to see Vishwa make it because last year he asked how he could win; "work hard, turn up and be good", we said.  All but Ruwani chose a bike; instead she chose a melodica and we made up the prize by buying brand new clothes and towels.

The ceremony at the school also marked the annual Prefect's Day when the new ones are sworn in and the blazers which we supplied 18 months ago are handed out to them. And then, we handed every child in the school with a new uniform - 124 of them - a task which was completed in about 20 minutes but had taken days to set up, with multiple trips to the suppliers and each individually sized and signed.   

It may seem indulgent, but today was a great day to see the culmination of our ongoing efforts actually pay off - a smart, impressive school band; prizes for those who have excelled and recognition and pride for the new prefects.  Things are never perfect and perhaps progress is slower than we'd like, but today we can reflect on just how much of a difference FODAD and all its supporters are actually making. 

Toy Story

Between us, we had probably had 20 kgs of soft toys which had been collected for us - all packed into vacuum bags so we could squeeze as many in to our suitcases as possible.  So, you could almost here the sighs of relief from Woody, Snoopy and all the other toys when it was time to release them and find new homes with children in Sri Lanka.  There were two loads for the youngest children in the Village School and a further bag full for all the kids at the village nursery.


We do quite a lot of things out here, some quite ordinary, some more ambitious, but seeing the poorest kids' faces light up when each was given a small cuddly toy, something for just them to own, is incredible.  Many of the families live on subsistence levels and so for lots of these kids, it is probably the first possession they can call their own.


And I'm sure I saw Snoopy, Big Ted and the rest of the gang smiling just as much as we were in the arms of their new owners...

..but terrible frustration

After the elation of the success of the street kids project, we then embarked on a mission to try and find the boys from our village who have been put in a children's home.  The back story is tragic one - their mother went to work in the Gulf but is untraceable so heaven knows what has happened to her.  Their father is a drunk and incapable of looking after his sons and subjected them to terrible abuse.  They spent a while living in squalid conditions before being taken to a childrens' home.  Regular followers of our visits to Sri Lanka will instantly recognise them.

Frustratingly, we did not have the correct information and drove around for about  3 hours without being able to find them or anyone who knew of them.  We will continue in our search as we do not want to leave Sri Lanka without finding them and ensuring that they are being taken care of.

Wonderful successes

Proud Father

Today we visited Father Mahendra.  For those of you who don't know, he was the Parish Priest to our villagers at the time of the Tsunami.  He is still much loved by everyone here. He is now in Kandela where we have been supporting his street children project for the past year.

He is the most incredible man and has had wonderful success with the children.  Whilst their cheeky, smiling faces are recognisable they are completely different children to those we first met. They are supplied with a really nutritious meal every day by  the fund and they are clearly more healthy.  We were told that they did not really know how to sit and eat as they had furtively found food wherever they could.  The all sat and ate together.  We saw their exercise books and they proudly showed us their paintings. This all with one dedicated teacher whom we supplement with $30 a month. 

Meal time

He has had so much success that 15 of his original group have now been accepted at the government school and he has also been able to get  8 of the children in to a technical school.

Proud kids

Not only that, with the money we give him, he also helps support 20 children whose parents are too poor to keep them at school and we are apparently also supporting a teacher for 50 incredibly poor children in rural Sri Lanka.  He said it was a bit like loaves and fishes and that we are now 3 charities in one!