Saturday 4th July

It’s the weekend so today was largely a more relaxed affair which was just as well as Gav had fallen victim to a 24hr virus. But the magic potion that is Lem-Sip proved he hadn’t succumbed to Dengue Fever. What we did achieve was agreement from the family of the late Sareth de Mel to present a yearly award to a child at the Village School. At dinner at their house, the family suggested their father had believed that education was crucial so we will set up an annual award for the child that reaches the highest level of attendance. Their name will be added to a plaque in the school and they will receive a gift.

Friday 3rd July

This morning saw us visit the medical clinic that we’ve been supporting for 4 years and is the one which is probably the least known project or gets less exposure than some of our other projects simply because of it having less visual impact. But if it were considered purely on the tangible benefits that the project is delivering and the real change this is making to lives of ordinary people, this would probably headline as a major success story.

For one, it is extremely well run by a team of dedicated individuals and we started by going through the accounts so that we could see, line by line just how and where the donations were being spent: providing medicines for the clinic, paying for a doctor and also helping out genuine families who had fallen on hard times through no fault of their own but were keen to seek assistance in ensuring their children received support or assistance for education.

We were briefed on two particular success stories which had happened solely down to the donations from the Friends of Della and Don fund. In one case, a young boy had suffered from a growth hormone deficiency; we have paid for the drugs necessary and the boy is now of normal height which has boosted his confidence and as a result he achieved mostly grade A O-levels and is now working hard on his A Levels. His father was there to thanks us for the opportunity we had given his son.

As well as providing a doctor and drugs for the clinic – which is attended by about 80 people per day - we’re helping 10 similar cases, some of whom we hope to feature on the website in the future. Their stories might be heart-breaking but the difference being made to their lives is heart warming.

After we left the clinic, Steve and Gav visited the local Village school again where we were able to meet with the Principal. We now have agreement to hold a fun sports day for all the pupils on Tue 14 July involving various games and race such as the egg and spoon race. They seemed very keen on the idea and it’s something we’re all looking forward to.

We also had the chance to chat directly to some of the boys in the school and start off with a few conversational sessions in English. There is a lot to do to improve the basic skill levels but some pupils show real promise.

As we headed back to reconvene at the Beach Bar, our route took us through the edge of the village next to the main Colombo – Galle railway track. It’s easy for us to forget just what a struggle it still is for so many people here and understanding the squalid, basic existence they still have.

Thursday 2 July

This morning was a trip to the Ratmalana Village School where many of the fishermen from the village send their children. The main purpose was to distribute new school uniforms for every single child and which we have to thank the Village School in Hampstead for helping make possible. As we arrived, the children presented us with floral garlands and had lined up along the driveway, almost in a guard of honour which was very touching. The heat and humidity was building so we were quickly ushered into the main school assembly hall which also doubles as a classroom. The deputy Principal conducted proceedings and it took all his authority to keep the excited children in order. Then, we were invited up to the stage to hand out the shorts, shirts, blouses and skirts to the children as their names were read out. All beamed with pride as they came up to receive their uniform. Sadly, one girl was called up only to find that there wasn’t a uniform for her so had to retreat empty-handed. As I looked back, I saw her desperately trying to stop the tears rolling down her face and her lip quivering. A quick tip-off to Udaya who spoke to the deputy head quickly resulted in her being called back up and presented with a new uniform and her smile alone has probably made the whole trip worthwhile.

We also presented brand new cricket bats and balls and during break-time, there were 3 different cricket matches taking place which even included a girls match.

After, we watched as the daily meal was handed out to all the children and were then invited to meet with some members of staff and the vice-principal. We chatted about how we might help the school further and Saul, Caroline and Steve are going back to help with English lessons next week. One of the teachers was very keen to seek our help in providing the school uniforms for a band (school bands seem to be very prestigious in Sri Lanka). We agreed that if the Government funded the musical instruments, we would look to see if we could raise the money to buy the uniforms.

After school ended (in Sri Lanka the school day runs from 0730-1330), we all met up to discuss amongst ourselves how we might continue to provide assistance and think of different ways to help. We have been invited to go to the school at anytime and will chat to the children and teachers to hear their ideas.

Wednesday 1 July

It’s almost impossible to believe that it’s been just over 6 months since we met the girls from the orphanage and even harer to believe that they wouldn’t have left the confines of their home since that trip. But today we had the pleasure of taking them to beach again.

As usual, the trip started in typical, noisy fashion with all of them singing, clapping and beaming for the entire 3 hour journey despite being crammed into every available space. As we travelled down the coast Mrs Mohammed, the Principal, revealed that the girls had been so excited at the prospect of the day out, they weren’t able to sleep and were still giggling at 0130 that morning! She also told us about two new girls who had joined the orphanage in the last month. Both were only 5 years old and had been rescued from a house where apparently they had been enslaved by their “owners” . Both were still visibly shaken but were clearly being looked after by the older girls.

At the beach, the day kicked off with songs, dancing and games and the pictures show us joining in the fun and Steve monkeying around! But before long, the lure of the sea proved too much we and about 85 girls all rushed into the ocean. Given the dire weather so far, we were so lucky that the sun had been shining all day.

After an hour or so, the sky turned black and the heavens opened so we started the journey back, stopping at another beach after the weather had cleared. We were presented with gifts which was very humbling and had another chance to thank the girls and staff for making our trip so enjoyable. We’ve now decided to visit the Orphange next week to show them the many photos we took and also to hear their newly formed band play.

Tuesday 30th

After a night of torrential rain, we headed this morning into the chaos that is Colombo. The weather today was particularly oppressive with little sunshine and extreme humidity. Today’s mission was to secure and pay for the 159 uniforms for the Village School which will be presented on Thursday. Thankfully, the shop was better prepared than last time yet something we would take pretty much for granted, still took about 2 hours. But thankfully, Udaya had already provided them with all the measurements of the uniforms. That said, in order to try and ensure value for money, the negotiations over the final price became a little strained at one point!

After that, back on the “high street” narrowly avoiding death by oncoming traffic and asphyxiation in the stifling heat and exhaust fumes, we found a small sports shop where we were able to buy the promised cricket equipment for the school. For just £8, our personal donation will stop the kids having to use inadequate kit for something which is so popular.

Tonight we’re meeting up with Shahan, the son of Sareth who was instrumental in helping Della and Don identify the causes which needed the most help but who died tragically last year. We’re hoping to be able to set up a yearly prize for best improved student of English at the school.

And then it will probably an early night before the very long day ahead of us - The Orphans’ Day Out!

More Work

After this we moved on to the Ratmalana Village school. We discussed the ongoing work and made arrangements for the presentation of new uniforms for ALL the children later this week. Whilst we there, we witnessed firsthand the delivery of the daily meal for the children which only happens due to the generous support and close links with The Village School in Hampstead, London.

At break, the boys rushed out into the school yard and picked up the cricket bat and ball; we say “bat” but it was actually made from what appeared to be a piece of old skirting board. Steve and Gav were invited to play and having experienced the difficulty of wielding a plank of wood against some pretty mean bowlers, decided that they would personally go out and buy new equipment for the school.

Meanwhile, the youngest of our party, Sophie, aged just 8 months, was a definite hit with all the school girls.

After a hectic morning, we jumped in Tuk-Tuks and reconvened at Bubas for a ginger beer or two! Don had been feeling a bit stiff so had his head massaged by one of the locals. Despite claiming it was a pleasurable experience, the photo below suggests otherwise!

In the afternoon, we walked along the litter-strewn beach to the village which afterall, was where this whole story began. We were greeted with customary hospitality – the ginger tea just doesn’t taste the same back home – and caught up with the local news. Despite the frequent, heavy downpours, the village boys couldn’t be put off playing their cricket game though the main Colombo to Galle railway line doesn’t make for the prettiest nor safest venue.

Wandering back, we all reflected just how gloomy things seemed; whether it was the dreary weather, being more attuned to current pandemics, the stagnant lying water, or more buildings crumbling as a result of the monsoon, we really felt slightly down. To add to our discomfort , that day’s local newspaper had reported that Dengue Fever was raging across the area with 12,000 confirmed cases in Colombo, just up the road which had already resulted in 180 deaths. As if these people didn’t have enough to contend with...

First Update

Sunday 28th

Arrived late on Sunday after a relatively stress-free and comfortable flight from Heathrow via Bangalore. Met up with Saul, Caroline, Jacob and Sophie who had moved up the coast. All enjoyed an early night.

Monday 29th

Business began early after an 8am breakfast at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, our base for the next 18 days.
First port of call was the Nursery school where the Project provides food and uniforms. And it’s typical Catch-22 situation: if a child has no uniform, it can’t attend the school but as you can see below, they look incredibly smart!

Thanks to the Village School

We're now a Registered UK Charity

Friends of Della and Don is a UK Registered Charity. The UK Charity Commission has now granted us official charitable status. This is fantastic news because it will allow us to receive Gift Aid on any donations received from UK taxpayers which is the equivalent of us receiving an additional 28 pence in every £1 received. This will help enormously given the current financial climate.

Planning starts again for next big trip

Use this nifty little tool to add this blog to your facebook, myspace, twitter of favourites. That way you can keep up to date with this blog whilst we're back in Sri Lanka at the end of June.