Day 6

4 preschools visited, two link schools with over 1000 students visited, and sponsorship evening attended by around 170 people

Dilanee Bunter :: Tuesday 24th October 2023 :: This Story

Another action-packed day with 4 preschools visited, two link schools with over 1000 students visited, and sponsorship evening attended by around 170 people. Here are some reports from some of our team members.

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Julie and Scarlett:  It was lovely to revisit a pre-school I had been to previously and see the teacher again, as well as be in familiar surroundings. The teacher was pleased to receive a bag full of resources that had been collected in the UK.
The children were so full of joy and loved throwing beanbags to each other and popping bubbles. Scarlett did a great job reading the story and as usual the stickers were really popular. As we left the children were sitting down to eat together.

Lorna: This morning we went to Little Stars preschool. This one has a special place in my heart. I visited it 7 years ago. It was a small building with a crack down the back wall that you could put your hand through. It now is a brand new building.
The money that was collected at Richard's funeral was given to Ocean Stars and Little Stars now have some swings from that money. The preschool have done a memorial plaque for Richard and we had a short ceremony at the beginning of the session.
(The photo has changed somewhat but you can see it's Richard).
When leaving the preschool I felt quite emotional as if I was leaving a part of him behind; however, he will always be remembered at Little Stars, Sri Lanka.

This afternoon and evening (Tuesday 24 October 2023) we had Ocean Stars Trust sponsorship evening.
Children are sponsored by people in the UK at £15 per month. This sponsorship helps educate, feed and clothe a child.
To date some of the children who have been sponsored have become doctors, ICT experts and running their own businesses employing many staff. So these sponsorships really do change lives.

This evening we had an activities with Calthorpe School. Children and parents were able to join in the craft activities. Remember many parents have never had the opportunity to do crafts like this. We also sang songs - a favourite being 'The Hokey Cokey'.

We then finished the evening by having dinner together. There were approximately 160 people. Many families having travelled an hour and a half on the bus to join us.

And some student reflections from Calthorpe Park School Team 2023

Esmé:

I have had a brilliant time here in Sri Lanka so far. It has been so rewarding to see how much the children in Sri Lanka have enjoyed the lessons we prepared for them. I am absolutely loving this experience. It has definitely inspired me to continue helping others in the future.

Jonnie:

I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet so many people who are living in difference circumstances from me. It has been really amazing to teach and learn from all the children we have met, especially this morning, when we watched a young dancer at Chenkallady Pre School. I also enjoy dancing, so it was wonderful to watch someone from another part of the world enjoy something as much as I do.

Ruth:

I really enjoyed learning about all the difference cultures here and how not everyone shares the same culture or religion. It has been really amazing to meet all the different students and how excited they are to see us, and how willing they to get involved with what we have prepared. It has been a really amazing experience in Sri Lanka so far.

Alice:

I have really enjoyed experiencing the different culture in Sri Lanka and realising the people don't need lots of money to be happy. I like how open and friendly everyone is here and how welcoming everyone has been to us. Visiting the schools has been eye-opening as it showed me how grateful the students are and how ready they are to have fun with us. I have enjoyed making great friendships and also seeing where the money from all our fundraising has gone. I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to enjoy such a life-changing experience.

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