Introducing the Ocean Stars Blog Series
Naomi Booth :: Friday 17th September 2021 :: This Story
Introducing the Ocean Stars Blog Series...
Ocean Stars Trust (OST) is excited to announce a new bi-monthly blog series, featuring insights into our ongoing projects, our staff in Sri Lanka and the UK, as well as content pieces about culture and life in Sri Lanka.
Our blogs will be shared on our social media channels twice per month on Fridays. Visit our website www.oceanstars.org.uk for more information about our mission and our work.
About OST
OST was founded in 2005 following the devastating Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004. Founded by Dilanee Bunter, a former teacher who was born in Sri Lanka, OST has gone onto rebuild communities devastated by the Tsunami and the Sri Lankan civil war through provision of quality early years education, community empowerment projects and child educational sponsorship.
OST's projects are primarily based in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, but also has a presence in the Northern province and Colombo. Currently, OST supports 26 preschools with teacher salaries and educational resources, 3 community empowerment programmes and 150 children supported with education sponsorship.
Our two offices are based in Fleet, UK and Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, where the charity employs 5 full-time staff to manage operations in Sri Lanka. In the UK, OST has a small volunteer team who support the work through organising fundraising activities, managing social media and communications with supporters. OST has a Board of Trustees who oversee the financial management, strategy and governance of the charity.
OST and the Pandemic
Like many organisations, the last 18-months throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have been incredibly tough. With flip-flopping lockdown policies in Sri Lanka causing major disruptions to the early years education programmes, the halt of our international volunteer programme and the ability of our staff to work together at an office, times have been difficult. However, as a result of long-term investments in staffing and technology we are certainly a stronger, more resilient and more adaptable organisation than before the pandemic.
Whether it be through communicating with our teacher network through WhatsApp groups, creating online fundraisers and having remote teacher training sessions, we are still able to deliver high-impact and high-quality programmes and continue to serve the needs of our communities.
Our Plans
Now in its 17th year as an organisation, OST is always looking at new ways to connect with our supporters as well as engaging new people into our work and the magic of Sri Lanka. We hope this blog series provides interesting and thought-provoking insights and encourages you to learn more about us as an organisation and maybe inspire you to get involved!
OST is at an exciting stage of growth as a charity. Over the last few years, significant investment into the capabilities of Sri Lankan staff has enabled the charity to establish a strong, highly functioning Sri Lankan team who have created a strong supportive network of early years education teachers. Our teachers are highly motivated to bring high-quality education to some of the poorest and most remote areas of the country.
So, watch this space and we look forward to sharing content with you.
OST TEAM
The beginning Boxing Day Tsunami 2004