Busy time visiting projects in April!

Founder Dilanee and Chair John visited almost all OST activity in April and found all projects pretty shipshape and in good order.

OceanStars :: Friday 8th May 2015 :: This Story

Let's divide it into 3 phases.

Phase 1 was the long trek to the North of the island to the Mahadeva Achchirama Children's Home in Kilinochchi. Here under the guiding hand of Chairman Mr Rasanayagam some 400 children are being nurtured. OST had provided funds for a second classroom for the burgeoning numbers of pre-school children. A lavish Opening Ceremony was laid on in our honour, with speeches and colourful dancing, and we left in good heart, knowing that we had contributed more to this needed safe haven for young people.

Phase 2 took us southeastewards to Trincomalee. Our colleague on the ground Janapdeen took us to the Vellamainail playgroup and we took some new photos of the many sponsor children there. A very happy bunch of pre-school children here, splendid in their tartan uniforms and OST shirts. At Janapdeen's lunch we had a fascinating talk about the present political situation in Sri Lanka, since the change of government. best to get it from the horse's mouth!

Phase 3, and next, and our longest stop, in Batticaloa. It was coming up to schools' closure, because of the Sri Lankan New Year, but we had time to visit a new Secondary Partner School for Calthorpe Park School, the partner school of Connaught School, Bagshot (delighted with their gift of lighting for the school), and one or two playgroups, including formally opening one of these - the Barathi - which we had just helped to complete.  Our Ocean Stars Lanka team, Diana, Bavan and all, had also assembled a number of people here to receive gifts from our Catalogue. To add to the two boats we'd donated in Trincomalee, we gave another to a family in Batticaloa: also lined up for us to present were a number of sewing machines, chickens, and bicycles.  We thank our donors in the UK for being so generous to make real differences to these families.

The OST projects in North and Eastern Sri Lanka are therefore, we can report, in good health. It is clear however that there are further calls on our generosity: sponsoring a teacher, securing funds to rebuild a delapidated pre-school building, and ever more children in need of sponsors.

Our workers, children and teachers are all looking forward to the next visit in October!