Day One

Things didn't go quite as smoothly as planned today. Though the cloudy sky helped make acclimatising to the weather much easier than expected, it might have been the only thing! Hardly Sri Lanka novices but still we managed to get lost... three times! Thinking we knew Colombo like the back of our hand might have been a little premature.
Nonetheless, it was a good day. When we (eventually) arrived at the Asha Centre in Athidiya we were met by a group of about 35 children with Sister Concepta, Mrs V and Rosemary (a new teacher/assistant who we hadn't met before but was lovely). We were presented with a beautiful few flowers and the children seemed as pleased to see us as we were them, although we couldn't help wondering why there were 25 more than we'd been told to expect!
A quick revaluation of plans and we split into two groups: years 1-5 in the room with Shyla and 6-11 in corridor with me. Poor Shyla had only a few minutes to plan the next hour and a half before everyone was settled and looking very expectant. Introductions done with we both launched into games, writing, drawing and a few bemused rounds of consequences.

After we had finished at the centre we set off in a tuk tuk who ‘knew the way’ to the Korulawella convent, where we were meeting Sister Priyani to make arrangements for tomorrow. Sister Shaira, who works at the school we'll be at was actually away at a computer class when we called, apparently all the teachers are getting a paid for course to learn IT proficiency which sounds great, so although we didn’t find out much new (what does it matter, we’ll only get lost anyway!) we heard an amazing story of another of the nuns.
She works at a school for disabled children that she set up after visiting the homes of local people in the area and seeing how little quality of life these children had. The parents were largely unable to cope and even, in some extreme cases, had tied their children down while they went out to work. Despite the complete lack of space to help these families, she was determined to do something, even if it meant teaching them on the beach, which is exactly what she did. From there she has progressed, now running a school with five teachers and over one hundred and fifty children, albeit in a small space. Transport is arranged to get these children from their homes as in the majority of cases their parents are unable to bring them, therefore giving them access to learning and stimulation that was previously inaccessible. She told us proudly that she’d recently had a room built for the severely disabled, allowing them to leave their homes and provide for them and give respite to their parents.

We had been invited to visit this project, along with the Montessori nursery of another of the nuns tomorrow before we start work at the Korulawella school.

A tiring day ahead then, but it all sounds very exciting and we can’t wait to start… as long as we don’t get lost that is!

Katherine and Shyla