Hi, this is Shyla.
Yesterday we went to Athidiya with Harpo’s team to conduct the interviews for the Job Training Project. 12 young people turned up, so not as many as we were hoping for but it was a good start at only 2 days notice. Before doing the interviews the team talked to the young people about what the course will contain and explained what a great opportunity this is. They then did the interviews fairly casually, just taking each one to the side. The team were very encouraging to all the young people, taking every opportunity to give positive feedback. They have taken on 7 of the 12 interviewed because the others were too young, which means we still have 8 more to find. Three of them are girls, so we definitely need some more, but of course Sister has the successful applicants recruiting others.

This morning I went to the Koralawella school to find out some things to pass on to Mayespark School in Redbridge which is linking with it. As I arrived the whole school was outside and lined up, singing the school anthem accompanied by their band. I did a few things with the kids and then rushed back to meet Anita with Sister and Dad. Anita is a psychologist working with Samuthana a charity that deals with trauma. Anita and her colleague Laura, are interested in the drugs problem in Athidiya and want to talk with Sister to see if there is anything they could help with.
While Dad went off to have a meeting in RCCI, a special needs school we work with, Sister and I went to meet 2 of the girls who will be on the Job Training Project. I took the video camera and asked questions about their lives and why they want to do the Job Training. Both girls Fathers are drug users, one of them has a Father in prison, the other ones Mother is in prison. As I walked around Athidiya with Sister we met a few people who had recently left prison for taking or selling drugs, as well as several drug addicts who Sister would tell to go to the doctor or search their pockets. It just shows what a massive problem it is in the area. In fact a few days ago we saw 2 men who had been caught selling drugs being marched down the street by soldiers as members of the community watched, vaguely interested, and then told us it happens all the time.

Tomorrow we are having the opening ceremony for the building, the ground floor is almost done and just needs a few finishing touches before we can start using it.