August 2014 Week 3 Blog

The medical clinic we fund has now been open once a week since May 2005 and the doctors have seen nearly 16,000 patients in that time.  As ever we were welcomed by the committee who we have worked with since the beginning.  We went through the accounts and were surprised to see how much the cost of drugs has increased in the last 12 months.  We are delighted that we can continue to support them as they do an amazing job supplying free advice and medicines to people who could not otherwise afford them.

On Wednesday July 30th we visited the sewing machine project near Hikkaduwa.  We bought the women their first sewing machine over four years ago and we subsequently bought two more machines which now support over 100 people.  On our last visit in February they asked us to buy an overlocking machine so they could make their saris to a more professional standard and this trip we were pleased to be able to go with them to buy the machine. 

Visiting the Sewing Machine Ladies in their shop

The following day we had been invited to open an art exhibition at the village nursery school.  The kids had made fantastic sunglasses, drums and hats out of yoghurt cartons and coloured paper.  Della can be seen  which Della can be seen modelling.   The nursery school is on the premises of the local temple, run by Ananda (the monk who divides his time between the temple in Mount Lavinia and the jungle nursery - see previous blog).  We discovered that he had a treasure chest of artefacts in the temple, which included a compete bound volume of Singhalese newspapers from 1934.  

Cutting the ribbon

We went immediately to the school to watch an end of term cricket match.  We all presented trophies to the winning team and best players, which was a nice to way to end the term and say goodbye to all the children. 

Presenting trophies

The next day we met with Wishwa whose letter many of you may will have read in May of this year (http://wwwfriendsofdellaanddon.blogspot.com/2014/05/from-boy-to-man.html).  He has started his A-Levels and we agreed to pay for his extra classes and uniform.  His dream is to go to university as his parents are incredibly poor, and we will do our best to support him in fulfilling his goal. 

Many of you will have read about Doreen who is confined to a wheelchair after an accident last year. We support her and her two boys whom we have known ever since we have worked with the school.  We took her youngest son, Smith, to buy clothes for him and his elder brother.

On Saturday night the fishing village threw a magnificent party for us on the beach, with some of the best fish we'd ever tasted, as well as amazing music.  We ate and danced into the early hours.  An enjoyable end to a busy week...

Party time

July 2014 Week 2 Blog

One of the highlights of our trips to Sri Lanka is taking the girls from the orphanage to the beach for the day. However, because it was Ramadan we were unable to do this so we visited the orphanage instead.  They treated us to a programme of dancing, singing and comic sketches, one of the funniest being a Della and Don tribute act, which was hilarious and scarily accurate!  We gave each of the girls some material to make dresses for Eid.

The Della and Don tribute act

Handing out Eid gifts

Receiving Mehndi from the girls at the orphanage

Without Father Mahendra, whom Della and Don met early in 2005, many of our projects would not have gotten off the ground.  Due to his heart surgery last year, we had not seen him for some time and so we were delighted to be able to visit him in the Archbishop's Residence, and to see him looking happy and well.

Don, Father Mahendra and Della

The generosity of our friends means that whenever we come to Sri Lanka we have clothes, shoes and toys to distribute in our village.  Word spreads quickly, and it is an effort to manage the resulting enthusiastic surge of people that suddenly appears. 

Clothes distribution

The FODAD team! 

On Sunday we visited Doreen.  We have known Doreen for 6 years, as she is the mother of two boys we support, one of whom is now completing an apprenticeship in an air-conditioning firm and the other who is at our school.  Doreen met with a tragic accident 18 months ago when she was run over by a three-wheeler.  As a result, she had a leg amputated.  We support her as there is no welfare available in Sri Lanka.  Her refusal to indulge in self-pity, her constant smile and her devotion to her children is truly humbling and extraordinary.

Doreen and her children 

Yesterday we visited Kukuleganga, which is an extremely remote area in the heart of the jungle, where the Jungle Nursery we support with uniforms, bags, shoes and books is located.  We had been invited to attend their Perahera by the Buddhist monk we have known for some years, and who divides his time between Mount Lavinia and Kukuleganga.  The children, parents and teachers and put a tremendous amount of effort into making imaginative costume and decorations.  One boy was dressed as a demon, and was so realistic that he frightened many of the other children. 

The demon! 

Perahera procession

Today (Tuesday), the kids from the Children's Home came to the beach in Mount Lavinia for the day. It was the third time we had done this and we were told they were so excited about coming that they barely slept the night before.  They had even made their own kites, and drawn beautiful thank-you cards which were very moving.  As on the two previous occasions, we had lots of fun and a lovely meal. 

Kite-flying

Cricket 

Meal time

Week 1 Blog

The majority of the first week was spent introducing our visitors, Carol and Ellen (the Head and Deputy Head of the Village School in London) to our projects.   The parents, teachers and children of the Village School in London have been long term supporters of FODAD; they have funded the school meals at both the Village Nursery and the School which have been provided daily since mid-2005, as well as paying for the playground, which was opened on the first anniversary of the tsunami, and its recent refurbishment.

The School

Our first stop was a visit to the Village Nursery so that Carol and Ellen could meet the teachers and the children.  The children put on a small 'Perahera' (a Buddhist festival procession).

Carol, Ellen, Della and Don with the Nursery School teacher

Mini Perahera

Next stop was the school, where Carol and Ellen were able to hand out the food to the children, which they were pleased to see was healthy and nutritious.  In the afternoon we were all treated to a performance of dance and songs.  They gave several different sizes of cricket sets to the school, which were immediately put into action.  They also managed to persuade a visiting UK school to donate three netballs which the girls at the school were delighted with.  We also had the privilege of being able to watch one of the English lessons given by the teacher employed by FODAD since February.  We were hugely impressed with the quality of his lesson and the enthusiasm  shown by the class.  The teacher, Ishan, also teaches English on the beach twice a week on the beach.

Ellen watching the English lesson

English on the beach

The new netballs

On Saturday afternoon there was a game of 'Elle' (A Sri Lankan sport similar to baseball) on the beach which became fiercely competitive, with Udaya's team winning by a huge margin (see picture below of the winning team).  The sporting event also gave Lucy and Udaya the opportunity to hold a rematch of the famous 2012 100-m sprint competition.  

The wining team!

The race

On Sunday we visited the Children's Home to see the two boys, originally from our village, in Siyambalape.  It was great to see Sanjaya and Sanjeewa again, looking well and happy, and all the other children too, who were delighted with the cricket bats brought by Carol and Ellen. 

Lucy, Sanjaya, Sanjeewa and Harry

The Children's Home 

Monsoon crisis hits the village

Della and Don managed to make brief contact with Udaya, our man on the ground, on Sunday 15 June following reports of deaths caused by terrible monsoon conditions. The situation is grim.  He reported that they have had one of the  worst monsoon seasons in years.  Firstly, the rains inland have caused significant destruction and as we know from the news, several deaths but secondly on recent days, the monsoon sea has been the worst in Udaya's living memory.

In the village, the sea is almost up to his house and there is no beach.  Most houses have survived but were full of sea-water, leaving huge piles of sand in its wake.  Those who normally work are at home protecting their possessions from the sea. 

FODAD will send some emergency funds to relieve the suffering but will use the forthcoming visit in July to see what more can be done on a sustainable level.

Again, it is the the lives of those least fortunate who suffer the most. 

From boy to man

Wishwa first came to the school in early 2011. You can read his story in our blog. We paid for extra tuition and he has now passed his O Levels and is determined to go on with his studies.

This is his extraordinary letter to FODAD:

Mrs. della, Mr don and  their friends

   you have helped me  around 3 year's for my education. you gave me money for extra classes. you have donated us school uniforms,shoes anually and you have donated us food daily. you provided us facilities to learn at school.  i dont know how to thank you for all these i have no words to thank. when we had money and when we had our own buisness, there were lot of friends of my father but after the fall down of  our  buisness there were no one with us. you came like a god and helped me and when i had no money to buy school uniform you  gave me . i can't forget all those and i will never forget it till i live...

And now my ordinary level results has come out with the bless of god and the help of you  now i have the chance to sit at advance level class. i chosed business studies,economics,accounts and english language  as my A/L subjects and the 6th of may i started my extra classes with the help of my father and mother. At that day my father advised me saying that " i and your mother  will give you money in anyway even without eating and he said say bye to your friends say bye to your mistakes and forget your past . go to the temple go to the chruch worship to lord buddha take the bless of jesus,god mother worship your mother. keep your foot forward never backdown make your ambition to go to the university and come out with the degree.. " that was  the first time i saw tears in my father eye's my parents told me take  us out from this hell.    

I will do it . now my ambition is only takeing high marks at A/L and  try to go to the university.. here after i will never give cry to my parents. thats my promise to my parents, god

MR don & MRS della again and again thank you very much for all your donataions i will never forget you guys still i die

School Trip

Just before we left Sri Lanka on our last trip, we provided funding for the school to go on an educational trip to Kandy. Starting at 06:00, it was a long day as they wanted to pack so much into it and see as much of their country as they could. Looks like it was very worthwhile as well as a lot of fun.  And the cost to FODAD? Just £2 per student, and a great example of how a little can go a long way.

My personal highlight...

I've been back from Sri Lanka for less than a week but have had time to reflect on our brief trip.   Even in the short period of time we were there, we crammed a lot in and there were many highlights which underlined the difference that FODAD is making to so many lives.  Taking the orphaned girls out for a day seems insignificant but it reminded me that we shouldn't underestimate what it means to them; looking round the school and seeing kids working on laptops or playing in the band is inspiring; and understanding the reach of the medical clinic and the number of beneficiaries continues to amaze.

But there was one particular highlight for me which is at the route of one our key aims - giving people access to learn English to improve their prospects.

At the end of 2013 we identified someone who was willing to come into the school and teach English to the kids. He started in January so I was keen to meet him and see him in action.  So on our last day, this young man turned up at the school after lessons had ended. I was amazed at the number of kids that had stayed behind especially for his 2 hour lesson and the rapport he had with them.  No one was forcing them to stay behind but there were almost 40 in his class, all hanging on his every word.

After-school lessons

The next day he turned up at the village on Saturday morning and did another 2 hour stint for around 30 children from the village in a small, cramped, hut.  So keen were the kids to attend that apparently, two brought chairs from their home at 07:30 in order to guarantee a space for the lesson which started 2 hours later. 

Teaching in the Village

This really marks the fulfilment of a dream and offers a step change in the opportunities we can provide the youngsters in the village. A tutor full of enthusiasm and enthralled children was an amazing experience to witness.  I don't think it's exagerating to suggest that this one guy could have such an impact of the the kids' lives and that he offers so many the best hope they have for the future. It costs us quite a lot, but given the number of people whose lives could be affected, he offers remarkable value as well as hope.

To me FODAD has been about making a difference and I've always said if one life is changed, then it's job done. But along with the other improvements at the school, the take up of medical facilities at the clinic and the joy and happiness of the orphans, the English tutor, and FODAD is making a massive difference to so many. 

Gav