Reflections on returning from OST trip to Sri Lanka, October 2010

Kat

Having now returned back to the UK after our trip to Sri Lanka I am, for a start, FREEZING, and reflecting on all that we have seen and done over the past ten days. I feel so lucky and privileged to have been able to be a part of the charity and to witness the impact Ocean stars has had on so many families. I will cherish all that I experienced out in Sri Lanka, and having seen how the charity can improve people’s lives and having felt the people of Sri Lanka’s warmth and kindness I am inspired to do all that I can to continue helping where I can, and raising money for the charity. I have been so touched by the way the people welcomed us into their lives with such generosity whilst they have so little.


Carolyn
We’ve been home for 3 days now and my head is still so full of faces, sights and sounds from the 10 days we spent in Sri Lanka. Beginning to process it all and settle back into the routine of life here is quite a task!
On Monday morning I found myself searching online for the Tamil “Happy song” which Sudha had introduced us to and which brought back such fond memories, and I began to realise how much of my experience over the trip was captured in that song. As I’ve thought about this it seems a bit of a contradiction as in many ways I met people who live in poverty and have experienced trauma such as I’ve only encountered maybe once before in my life. I remember the second playgroup we visited where I played with a little girl with Downs syndrome who had open sores on her foot which the flies were clustered around. In the same playgroup the children and teachers had nothing but an empty room with a concrete floor full of potholes and a few plastic chairs. In their village there were still large tracts of empty land which served as a reminder of the destruction of the Tsunami and the trauma which so many families had suffered.
A visit to the family of 1 of the playgroup children on our first morning gave an insight into the poverty of some of the people – this family had a concrete shelter of 2 rooms for a family of 7, with nothing in it but a couple of plastic chairs and 2 cooking pots. How the mother managed to send her son to playgroup immaculately turned out in his Ocean Stars uniform is completely beyond me! Meeting some of the Deaf and Dumb families at dinner on Wednesday was very emotional for me, as I saw something of the struggle they have as people who are outcast by their race and their disability. In a similar way it was very moving to meet the 3 young women teaching at a new Ocean Stars playgroup who are part of a community which has been displaced 4 times during the Conflict – I cannot begin to imagine the pain and horror they have experienced.
So why on earth does the “Happy song” feel like a fitting theme for our trip? I guess this is something about the impact of Ocean Stars on so many lives, as well as the resilience of the human spirit in so many people we met. There was so much joy and happiness as old friendships were renewed, and as so many people felt cared for and encouraged by the very fact that somebody had come to see them, I remember the bright colours of the children at Trinco meeting us in the intense sun, and the happiness and transformation to the lives of the 10 families who received their new fishing boats that day. I was also struck that day by the simple but happy way in which the community lives there, with children playing safely and running in and out of each others’ houses.
In the playgroups we visited 1 or 2 of the children cried to start with as they were frightened by our strangeness, but by the end of the mornings it was always lovely to see them laughing and having fun – and to see them later in the day out in the village still wearing their fish hats! When we met the girls who are sponsored at St. Vincents it was a joy to meet such lovely young women who all take such pride in their work, and who have hopes for their future because of the opportunity they have been given to continue their education. At Dilanee’s birthday celebration and again at the Teacher Training morning it was brilliant to see all those young women having fun and to hear
them screeching with laughter, despite the hardships that I’m sure they have all endured. It was also a real joy to see them in their Playgroups and to witness the love and care they give to their children, as it was to visit one of the groups where children and teachers of Hindu, Christian and Moslem faith were able to work and play together happily. And how could I forget the friendship, fun and endless hard work of Ranga, Janaka and Sudha?
So, all the above as well as the happiness amongst us as a team, the sight of elephants, peacocks, herons, processions, fantastic fruit and vegetables, beautiful brightly coloured clothes, and so much more leaves me with really happy memories of my time in Sri Lanka. Thanks so much for taking me Dilanee, and thanks for sharing it with me all you other Ocean Stars!

On return...

My head is a kaleidoscope of images; the children at Trinco as we walked up the steps between them; the excited faces of the parents as they crowded round the classroom to share in what was happening; the frail figure of Mrs Nadarajah as she watched over her boys and the almost palpable love they feel for her; the laughing faces at the Deaf and Dumb Association as they created signing names for each of us. I shall remember the skill and tirelessness of the drivers, Sudha and the Happy song, Janaka, always smiling as he helped Danny and especially Ranga constantly looking after us. Most of all I feel privileged to have shared in a small part of these people’s lives and humbled by the contrast between their meagre material possessions and the huge joy and generosity they show.

Chris

The final day of playgroups 28th October 2010

Urani – Nursery and lunch project
Our last day working with the children found the four of us at Urani Nursery where both Amali and Kate had visited in 2008 and Helena in 2009. The difference between 2008 and 2010 was marked in that the teachers were much happier and really involved with the children, and the children themselves well disciplined.
They have a lovely nursery with pictures and decorations all around the two rooms that they use. We spent the morning with The Rainbow Fish and his friends, threading, colouring and glueing until the children finished at 12.00pm for lunch.
This Nursery has a lunch project attached to it and the children all eagerly washed their hands and sat patiently on mats while their lunch was served up to them. After a short prayer they tucked into savoury rice with an egg on top. They all seemed fit and well nourished, thanks to the generosity of those people who sponsor this project.
The Team were then invited to have lunch at one of the teacher’s houses where we were served by a ‘Great Grandmother’ with impeccable English. She had been brought up in a Convent from the age of 4 when both her parents died.
It was a lovely morning and a really fitting way to finish – and we did think that if we stayed for another couple of months that we might actually become quite good teachers.

This evening was spent celebrating Dilanee’s birthday (not until December) with a big party for all the Ocean Stars Family – Teachers, Office Staff, Joseph and his family, the drivers and the ‘English Contingent’. Lots of games, singing and dancing, and good food was had by all. All we can look forward to now is the Teacher Training day tomorrow before heading back to Colombo in the afternoon.
Kate, Helena, Amali and Ben
Kalkudah Nursery
Another early start!! The bags under the eyes grow bigger each day.
We were up and away by 7.30am for the long drive out to Kalkudah. On arrival the children greeted us warmly and we again received beautiful garlands of fresh flowers They were a lively bunch - great fun and full of energy. The pre - school itself is small – a room not much bigger than most sitting rooms and today it was filled with 28 children all of whom were seated around the edges in their plastic chairs. It was very humid and stuffy inside so we moved some of the children outside in to the shade and Matt and Georgia entertained them with bubbles, puppets and assorted games. Inside we collaged fish, sang, hopped, jumped and sweated a lot!! Then the rain came and cleared the air somewhat and we all drew sigh of relief.
Early in the day Ranchan abandoned us and went off with Danny, Janeke and Preema the nursey teacher to buy wood etc for repairs to the slide outside and the fence. As there was no-one else around for the rest of the morning who spoke any English, Suzi and I had to become very dramatic and expressive when trying to sort the children. We survived however and the children seemed happy and pleased to be able to go home with their fish, teddies and some sweets.
Another yummy curry lunsh followed and we even managed a swim at the local beach before heading back to Batti and the party!! Packing followed…it’s been a very long day. Off for some rest now….
Maureen, Suzi, Georgia, Matt and Danny

Poonachimanai Nursery
Team C set off with slightly flagging energy this morning with the addition of Dilanee and Rangini, as well as Sudha who was a brilliant interpreter as well as extra teacher all morning. We were greeted with lots of lovely garlands by one of the teachers and her assistant – the other teacher was away at a meeting with the local Minister for the first couple of hours.
There were 45 children at this nursery, in a lovely room which the teachers have kept decorated with displays of the children’s work. Every child had a chair and sat in groups of 4 at round tables so movement was quite restricted. Outside was a small fenced off play area with some play equipment. The children were a little shy at first and 1 particularly was very frightened, but as we sang our hello song and did some circle time activities they gradually relaxed. We had a busy 3 and a half hours with the group, and again they really enjoyed the outdoor play and making their fish hats, as well as listening to Chris, Sudha and their teacher reading the Rainbow Fish story. By the end of the morning they were all smiling and laughing, and went away happily with their teddies.
We shared lunch in Batti with some of the sponsored girls from St. Vincents. They were delightful young women who enjoyed chatting about their schooling and their ambitions, as well as very obligingly helping us with Collingwoods eco questionnaire.
This evening’s celebration was a wonderful affair, but as it’s now 12.30 am and we have another early start tomorrow you’ll have to wait until we can tell you about it in person!
Chris, Kat, Carolyn

the day for alternative blog entries

The Adventures of Kaptain Kate and Team BAM – Eruvil nursery

E ighty children (or thereabouts)
R ainbow fish + associated activities
U nder the fans the scales went flying
V ictorious, Kaptain Kate and Team BAM emerged in one piece – without a tear in sight
I nspiring teachers worked hard, hand in hand with the Team
L eaving with teddies and smiles on faces, a morning of much joy was had by all
Kate, Ben, Amali and Matt





Lone Worker
So they all set off in their teams
To work with kids and feed them dreams.
Whilst I was left to work alone
With help if needed on the phone.

We travelled down a long causeway
With lagoon and paddy either way.
The village is so very small
Upon an island far from all.

In fact it was a lovely day
With only five youngsters to play.
Out came the fish book and the games
With teacher’s help to learn their names.

I went with memories from last year
The littlest girl is still a dear.d
They all chased bubbles round and round,
Laughter and giggles, such a great sound.

The homes there may be made of brick
But one kitchen’s just a pile of sticks.
No bed, no sofa just bare floor
And a mango tree outside the door.

Helena




‘Alternative’ entry by Carolyn, Chris and Kat in the style of Abba singing ‘Does Your Mother Know’

It was so hot, we had such fun, visiting karankulan was a day which we’ll never forget, the lovely teachers we met.
The room was small, the cupboards bare, but the smiles on the faces of the children made us feel so aware, of all the teachers that cared.
We danced in the courtyard, Kat made Carolyn work hard, and then we made a rainbow fish hat. We played with the bean bags, we all wore our name tags, and enjoyed circle time when we sat.

Heads and shoulders knees and toes how we love that song, and the children dance, and they sing along.
Lots of teddies and some biscuits and a little drink, what a lovely morning, we all really think!


27th October Maureen Georgia Dilanee Ranga and Suzi – Veluvil Pre School
“Just a short drive into the countryside….”
..Or a marathon drive deep into the countryside, across a causeway and down bumpy tracks!
The village was very poor with the majority of the residents having been deeply affected by the civil war, but the children at the pre-school could not have been better turned out or smilier.
The school was impressive, with lots of stimuli in the classroom for the children and swings and slides outside. They loved the bubbles that Georgia was blowing for them, and Suzi’s choo choo train , which the parents and teachers also joined! Playdough was a new experience for the children and they loved making snakes with it, and scaring the wits out of Maureen.
So a busy morning, but a very enjoyable one.
Visiting the homes was a different matter; to actually witness the conditions in which these people have to live both humbled and moved us all. It feels so unfair.

Nursery Visits - Batticaloa

Thirukkovil Visit Featuring Carolyn, Chris, Kat and Danny!

After a fascinating and rather long journey over half made roads we were garlanded with sweet smelling jasmine presented by the children. The nursery itself was located in the grounds of a Methodist church. Danny fitted two fans which really transformed this spacious but extremely hot space to make a more comfortable area for the teachers and the children.

Although initially shy, the children did warm to us and thoroughly enjoyed the games and activities we had planned for them. It was so pleasant to see how happy the children were and what a fantastic job that the two lovely teachers were doing with virtually no equipment. The children were so well behaved and at ease in their company.

The collage was a great success because the children were able to work with materials that they would never normally have the opportunity to use. They also loved the fish hats which they had made and it was so touching to see them later on throughout the day still wearing their hats!

Ranchin and the two teachers kindly introduced us to some of the families of the children, who invited us into their homes. They have very little but were so welcoming, we were humbled by their hospitality.

Driving back we passed the projects which have replaced the devastation of the Tsunami which brought to mind the horror which the communities must have experienced at that time.

Mandoor 2 – Helena and Kate

This was the first time an Ocean Stars Team has visited Mandoor 2 so the poor teachers were unaware of what chaos would be caused. Our bags of supplies took up the vast majority of available floor space in two very small, hot rooms. Luckily only 22 of the 41 children turned up so we were able to carry out a few of our laboriously prepared activities.

Unfortunately the “5 Little Monkey” masks caused so much excitement that the song had to be abandoned after the first verse when 22 children grabbed for one mask. The rest of the morning was more successfully spent threading, colouring, sticking and eating ‘string hoppers’.

Hopefully Ocean Stars will be able to equip this new nursery with many exciting things for the children to do, as at the moment they literally have nothing. No paper, no pens, no storage space and no loo.

One of the teachers kindly escorted us to visit three of the children’s homes where we saw the families living in very poor conditions: families of 10 living in two rooms, and a family living in a mud walled shack on the flood plain of the lagoon. When it rains the waters from the lagoon flood into their house.

This brought home to us how much effort the parents must make to get their small children to the nursery looking beautifully truned out in their new Ocean Stars uniforms. It also showed how essential, for these families, is the support provided by EOST.

Kurumanvely – Maureen, Georgia, Suzi and Dilanee

“A day of puddles and plops”

It all began well, Sudha got us there on time and the children gave us beautiful jasmine garlands. At that point all our best laid plans went out of the window as we were suddenly presented with two groups of children who had to be taught in separate locations due to lack of space. As a result, Dilanee was roped in to teach, ruining her plans for a restful day! Despite the difficulties, our activities went to plan and the children enjoyed the “triangle fish”, collages and singing. After the break Dilanee and Georgia were given the Duplo to play with, and Dilanee found the Playdo that had been lost 3 days earlier – melted all over the Duplo, the floor and Dilanee’s trousers!!! (puddle no.1) Simultaneously, some poor little boy had an accident (plop) and Maureen and Suzi were melting in a puddle of perspiration!

The children went home smiling, armed with a teddy, their fish collage and a triangle fish.

Here’s hoping tomorrow is puddle/plop free!

Maureen, Georgia, Dilanee & Suzi x

25th October 2010 - The Lull Before the Storm

Today was the day to ‘rest’ and transfer from Dambulla to Batticaloa. To start the day we split into two, either visiting the fruit and vegetable market or ( for the more cultured amongst us) visiting the Golden Temple at Dambulla.

At the market they apparently saw: mangoes, papaya, mangoes, jack fruit, mangoes, pineapples, mangoes and some more mangoes. Apparently it is the mango season.

For the cultured few we saw statues of Buddha, Buddha and Buddha. However they were truly amazing. Danny and Ben, having committed the faux pas of arriving in shorts had to some how manage to lower their waist sufficiently to allow a slight covering of the knees, thus preserving their dignity and that of Buddha. Passing the fabulous Golden Buddha which glowed in the morning sunlight we climbed higher and higher to reach the caves both natural and manmade. Words cannot describe the wonder of the sight. A picture or two may help. Suffice it to say that it was a beautiful and enlightening. Should you ever make it to Sri Lanka, this is a ‘must see’ site.

Then we started the long journey to Batticaloa broken only for CHIPS at Polonnaruwa.

This year the distance seemed to have shrunk as a huge amount of road construction has taken place and it was possible to travel at twice the speed of previous years. The vans suspension units heaved a great sigh of relief.

Sadly the military presence both here and on the road to Trinco is still in evidence. Road blocks have almost disappeared and we were waved through the ones remaining, but it must be a continuing reminder to the local people that the conflict has only recently ended. Hopefully the rebuilding and reconstruction work will lead to a more stable future.

Arrival at Batti and Joseph’s marked the start of the ‘storm’. Bags are unpacked and repacked, teddies, fish, crayons and gifts are all sorted and counted ready for our first real challenge……playgroups full of wonderful little people.

BTW we have changed our comment settings now so please Comment! matt loves it.

24th October 2010 - From Trinco to Trunk-oh!

Great start! Today the team were allowed a lie in until 5.30, when we were all bundled into our buses and off to the little village of Vellaimanal. One of the buses had a wonderful packed lunch prepared by the hotel whereas the others were allowed to enjoy the leftovers!
First impressions of Vellaimanal community: when we arrived, the younger children were lined up in their pink uniforms with tissue paper shakers, and seven of them were each carrying a sign with a letter, spelling ‘WELCOME’. They were all very sweet! We were greeted with handmade shell necklaces; everyone in the community seemed so excited to see us, too. The children performed a dance and sang for us, and then we joined in with them singing the hokey kokey!
All the team were very moved by the presentation of five shiny new fishing boats bearing the ocean stars logo! These boats, along with the nets and lanterns also provided will provide a livelihood for 10 families – this really brought home the power that these gifts have to change lives. The five boats, along with the new vegetable garden (announced open today by Dame Dilanee), were all provided by the money raised by Helen and the Ocean Stars team in Scotland.
After this, sew to the sewing project (please appreciate this pun, it means a lot to Carolyn). We met the women who are involved in the Trinco sewing project. They laid out all their work for us to browse through and purchase. At this point we were given some King coconuts to drink which provided a refreshing break in the HOT room.
We all went to visit some sponsored children in the village. Chris visited her newly sponsored child, having had 2 ‘snatched away’ for various reasons. She enjoyed walking hand – in – hand with her sponsored child who took her to his home down a lane. Although the language barrier was there, we got around it with pictures and songs.
Fish, crab, mussels, prawns, rice, beans, potatoes, popadoms, ladies’ fingers and drumsticks. Nom. Nomnom. Shout out Janabdeen and the fam for hooking us up with the boom ting curry. Respect!
We then made a visit into the jungle where we sat on a pride rock-esque rock and watched the sunset melt over some strolling elephants. Kate exclaimed “Oh it’s got a trunk, and flapping ears”, yes, thanks Kate. We were again treated to another scrumptious meal. On our way out of the area, a guide joined us in the safari truck bearing a massive torch. Yasmin explained that he was on watch in case an elephant charged the jeep. Kat was greatly concerned that perhaps a torch was not a sufficiently large weapon for a charging elephant. However when a mother and baby elephant crossed the road behind us ,the torch was an ample enough deterrent and the pair strode on back through the jungle.! It was lovely to see them so close up.