Danny and Helena Carter will be heading to Sri Lanka with Ocean Stars Trust
OceanStars :: Friday 18th November 2011 :: Latest Blog Posts
A Grayshott couple are setting off to Sri Lanka to help people whose lives were devastated by the 2005 tsunami and are asking for the community’s help.
Danny and Helena Carter will be heading to Sri Lanka in just under two weeks time. It will be te couple’s third visit and they will be taking with them gifts to give to some of the poorest families and schools.
The Carters take part in this expedition with the charity Ocean Stars Trust, who were set up soon after the tsunami hit.
Every year 12 volunteers from East Hampshire make the trip to Sri Lanka to help rebuild the lives of those who lost everything.
When the Boxing day tsunami hit in 2004, millions of lives were devastated as homes, schools and businesses were destroyed.
The group from the Ocean Stars Trust have worked tirelessly over the past few years to help rebuild the towns and villages of Sri Lanka.
Ocean Stars Trust supports a wide range of projects across Sri Lanka but has a special interest in child education, especially that os pre-school children, as there is little government support in the country. Donations of school supplies are always gratefully received.
The charity was set up in 2005 by Dilanee Bunter, a teacher from Fleet in Hampshire.
It is through Mrs Bunter tat Helena first heard about the charity. Helena said: “I worked with Dilanee when I was teaching in Fleet, she spoke so passionately about her work that I felt really inspired and wanted to do something to help.
“So me and my husband, Danny, flew out to Sri Lanka and got involved with the teaching and building work.
“We now go over every year, this is our third trip and we’re very excited about it. The country is so beautiful and the people we go over to help are simply amazing. Even though many of them have absolutely nothing they will still go out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable in their homes.
“Even though most of them sleep on the floor and have to walk miles for water, the women always dress In their finest clothes and would just look exquisite – it really puts us to shame in our scruffy old T-shirts.
“We do a wide range of things when we’re out there. Right now I’m cutting out thousands of elephants for the children to colour in when we get out there.
“We normally take over a primary class for a few hours and colour, sing songs and have some real fun.
“I have been volunteering at PK Pre-school in Grayshott one day a week so that I can get a better understanding of how advanced children are at that age.
“I would also like to say how wonderful the school has been, helping to raise money with various race nights and other events, they’ve been fantastic.
“Grayshott Books have also been a wonderful help and donated more than half the books needed to take to Sri lanka.
“We know the economic climate isn’t great at the moment, which is why it means so much to us when people are so generous, even at such a difficult time for business.
“Though there’s more to it than teaching, we do try and rebuild homes, that’s part of my husband’s job. He’s a very good handy man and will do a lot of that kind of work. The whole group really pitches in.
“The whole experience is very humbling. We have everything, but moan endlessly. It really does put things into perspective.
Helena and Danny will be flying out on October 16th, and are still accepting donations to take with them.
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Wed 5 Oct 2011