OceanStars :: Friday 23rd October 2026 :: Latest Blog Posts
The way that the children radiated joy when they saw all the resources we had was amazing, and seeing the impact thr preschool has had on the children and their families was indescribable. Their joy was infectious, my face genuinely hurt afterwards from smiling so much!
We had the warmest welcome on the planet in Yatiyanthota with flower garlands and incredible smiles. It was lovely to see even at such a young age the children's talents shining through with the dancing, singing and the craft - so many interpretations of the crocodile character. The children were wide eyed and seemed so keen to learn and interact, though at one point during the songs I did get that knowing look I am familiar with from close family when I try a bit of dad dancing!
I loved the energetic and enthusiastic welcome from the children, all lined up at the gate.
I enjoyed the whole morning of activities and fantastic to see the children genuinely having fun.
I learnt a lot about the impact Ocean Stars Trust support makes, three perspectives stood out for me:
1) Individual child: OCT gives an opportunity to each child to come to school, be part of a community and what struck me is the strong friendships they formed which otherwise wouldn't be possible without this school being accessible for all.
2) Parents: so humbling to hear parents regard this school to be very high quality. Free food, free uniform and good quality teaching because of the training teachers get. Some move close to the area and rent so that their child can attend this school.
3) Child's all round well being: I now appreciate how important free nutrition is, children physically, emotionally and mentally feel good, allowing them to pay more attention to the lessons and socialise with friends better. Food programmes enable so much in each child's development and I now appreciate how much of a strong foundation it is.
I loved to see how excited the children were to see us, and how smart they looked in their OST uniforms, I was really impressed by their colouring skills, the teachers are are amazing, and I loved hearing from the mothers how the preschool helped their families
I loved how cute and excited they were and surprised by how well they could colour. It really made my day and excited to see more.
