I was extremely grateful to have the opportunity to travel back to Sri Lanka and spend some time visiting the different projects that Ocean Stars Trust supports.
OceanStars :: Tuesday 14th July 2015 :: Latest Blog Posts
It had been 6 years since my last visit and so I was able to see how the charity’s work has progressed over that time. The work of Ocean Stars has grown considerably since my last visit and it is clear to see how much of a difference the charity to makes to the lives of many Sri Lankan children.
I was fortunate enough to be able to spend 3 days at Mahadeva Children’s Home in the heavily remote and poor area of Killinochi. It was a humbling experience to spend time with these children who have lost one or both parents during the civil war. The children have very little possessions to call their own, a lot of them undoubtedly have had tough upbringings during the war. Despite this, the children seem happy and playful, and there is a real community feel about the home. They look out for each other like one big family. The Children’s home is also very impressive in the fact that they grow almost all of their food onsite, which will hopefully one day lead to the home becoming completely self-sufficient. For now, it is clear they benefit from the help of Ocean Stars, with 2 nursery schools already having been built by the charity.
We also spent a week in Batticloa with the Ocean Stars Lanka team. It was great to visit the a small number of the numerous nurseries Ocean Stars supports, which enables the children to get valuable pre-school education. Diana organizes and leads her team very successfully and is respected by the nursery school teachers. Kitika and herself also have a special relationship with the children and are very hands-on during the visits to the nurseries. It is a wonderful sight to see all the children at the nurseries neatly wearing their Ocean Stars uniforms and carrying their OST rucksacks. Ocean Stars Trust should be very proud of all the work they have achieved in this area of the country.
Yasmin
Tim Rubke reports on his first visit to Ocean Stars in Sri Lanka
This was my first, but hopefully not my last visit to this beautiful country. During my time in Sri Lanka, I had the privilege to get a close look at some of the different projects in Trincomalee and Batticaloa and was amazed by the work OST has done in these areas.
Through OST's help, many children get the chance to make something out of their lives by educating themselves and build a new future for their families.
I wish OST all the best for the future and hope for another ten years of life-changing work.
Tim