I’ve been visiting the young trainees on their placements in the hotels. They look so smart and every one told me they were very happy, and were determined to make a success of it. Kirthina, a young woman who we’ve known for years, is working at the Mount Royal. If you’ve been on one of our trips you’ll know that as the hotel near Tropic where we go for a swim, and Kirthina is the girl who always does the classical dance at Sister’s shows. She has been snapped up by the hotel, who have offered her a permanent job even before she completes her training. Her father is a vegetable seller and her mother works only occasionally, and she tells me they are very pleased at her securing a good job.

Sudharshan will also be familiar to anyone who’s been out here – he is the boy from Punyakami School who is a talented drummer. I remember seeing him use the school dustbin to lead singing sessions at breaktime. He is at the Concorde Hotel in Dehiwala, and his manager tells me he is learning fast, but needs to trim his hair! It’s all very strict. Sudharshan’s father used to work as a tailor, but became ill and is no longer able to work. His mother is a carer and the family only manage because his older sister has gone to the Middle East as a domestic worker, and remits money to support the family. I asked him about the drumming, and he told me he plays for his church every Sunday. He’s invited me to his church youth group on Saturday morning, where some 50 children from Athidiya attend, he tells me. I’ll try to go.

Sister and I have also been visiting the young trainees with poor attendance. One has stopped going because the manager asked him to get his hair cut and he doesn’t want to! Sister spoke to him very sternly and he agreed that this was a sacrifice he’d have to make. Sister warned him that if he did not get himself occupied, he’d be at risk of getting caught up in the drug dealing which draws in so many unemployed young men in this community. He did seem to understand. One of the young women told us that the training salary was too low, and that was why she had stopped going. It reminded me of conversations I had with Year 11s at Tom Hood who used to say that it’s not worth going to work for less than £300 a week. Sister and I had a long conversation with this young woman, and all the time there were four or five younger siblings in the room. “Did you bring any money home to help your mother today? Are you going to bring any tomorrow?” she was asked. After two months, the trainees will receive a proper salary, but two months is a long time in the life of a 17 year old. She promised to go back and Sister will keep an eye on both of these young people.

The team feel that the biggest issue for both these young people is that their parents are not able to offer them the kind of support they need to persevere when the going gets tough.

The teachers are having a great time at the school. They have taken a day off today and gone to visit Kandy.