day 4

Each day is easier than the last as we become more and more familiar with what we're doing: what works, what doesn't and what they love (it appears anything with a ball or some music does the trick!). Structurally today was the most successful; the morning ran with English classes and the afternoon was packed with a variety of different activities. Parachute and other outdoor games ran in one area- the parachute is adored by the students even if getting the games to work properly is practically impossible. In another area is art and skipping- the last two afternoons have seen those volunteers emerge triumphantly holding a fantastic piece of artwork that's covered in multi-coloured thumbprints, all made into different faces or animals. In the hall dance and drama games run, where pandamonium inevitably eventually descends as, after several hugely enjoyable games, the children's begs for 'dancing! Dancing!' are given in to. Elsewhere people play cricket and netball which is highly successful due to the Sri Lankan love, and aptitude for, sport.
Another advantage of this being our third day is that now we've started to build relationships with the children. It's far easier for them to remember our names, with their being far fewer of us (and our names being far shorter!) but we're slowly improving. There great demonstration of this during our break when, as the girls were playing netball, they started chanting people's names to come up a shoot a hoop. It was a wonderful scene of cohesion between our two groups, with the Sri Lankans cheering and, if someone couldn't get the ball in, our lot hoisting them up to the hoop.
“Run won parti sum-mun-nel-a-ya
Rosa malay panni bee-lag-ee-ah
Ai-eth ay-vither ay sum-mun-nel-a-ya
Mul vella panni bon tah”
As we walked down the back to the hotel once finished at the school, a gaggle of children walked beside us, singing loudly. A visit to Sri Lanka with Radhika guarantees 'Run won parti...' (a Singhalese song about a butterfly) will be learnt and so, with children clutching on to arms or running alongside, we sang several renditions. (In line with tradition the Eston Park volunteers have been taught the song on the coach today!) Old MacDonald's Farm put in an appearance, a song about aliens flying around the earth (excellent resource for teaching numbers from Middlesbrough) and of course the favourite 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'! In scenes very reminiscent of the Pied Piper some students from the school had taken to following us up the road back to the hotel at the end of the day. The last three days must have been quite a sight for the residents of Vijayah Road as we trooped up it, hot and sweaty but all having a great time. It's great, not only because it's fun (and educational- we now know how to count to 10 in Singhala!) but because it shows us that what were doing is making an impact. We're trying to bring some fun to their day and it is clearly working; they wouldn't be chasing us up the road grinning otherwise. A few girls have twice bought a few small ice-poles and given them to some of the group. It really touched us because it was such a lovely gesture of appreciation, and it's just great to know that they'd had a good enough time to warrant it.
We especially appreciated the girls' gifts because, as we neared their homes, we were reminded of their situation. Gifts from those with few always seem to mean more and this struck us they parted from us, after countless handshakes and kisses, and skipped off down an side street. Glancing down we saw something resembling a shanty town. Lots of people commented at our daily discussion how poignant they felt it was to see them so happy, yet returning to homes in such a poor condition. 'Money doesn't buy happiness' is as cliché as it gets, but this is the perfect example- the cheerfulness, exuberance and generosity of these children wasn't hampered by their living in poverty and it's just wonderful that they want to share this with us.
Katherine