A Welcome Relief

A month ago, a horrendous storm hit Sri Lanka, killing many fishermen at sea and destroying homes: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22837768.  We had been in contact with people in the village and although nobody we knew personally lost their lives, we knew that the impact on our fisherman and their families had been severe.  As a result we had no idea what to expect when we arrived in Sri Lanka late on July 10th. 


Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we had been in a position to send immediate relief to the families in our village for food, and also because of the lunch-programme at the school none of the children had gone hungry.  So thank you on behalf of our fishermen and their families!  Sadly, there is still no fishing as it is far too dangerous to go out.


In spite of the recent hardship, we were delighted to see full-attendance at the school when we visited in the afternoon. All of the improvements that we have made over the years mean that the school is now a clean and safe environment. And because of our recent O-level successes, the children now have real goals to strive for and realise the value of education in giving them hope for a better future.  We spent a really useful couple of hours speaking to the Principal and the teachers, as well as playing with the children.  Overall, a great start to the trip! 

Working hard

Mary, Lucy and Caroline handing out the school lunches