Schools out! Summer is really here, well we think! Sri Lanka
doesn't do seasons much, only sun & rain, rain & sun...and mosquitoes.
We're missing the events of an English summer & suffering from a stubborn dose
of the Kandy flu; but it seems to have hit the whole population so we're not
alone. In true British spirit we don't complain (much) and the work goes on...(with
antibiotics).
It's a pleasure to write the TEAblog and describe back what
you are helping to create but keeping it concise is proving more of a
challenge; but we will endure if you can. Your support is making a difference
and we need your continued support & action to make that difference a
lasting one. Your literary stamina is
1st class.
End of term was rewarded with a TEAparty at MB school with
the compulsory balloons, Jelly and sweets (and fruit salad of course made by
the children). The term end marks some of the busiest preceding months The TEA
Project has experienced so far. It culminated with the completion of our 2nd
successful L.I.F.E Training & 1st Peer Leadership programme at RIS School in
Kurunegala and also the release of our new awareness video. Did you have time to
check out 'The TEA Challenge'?? If you haven't seen the video or made plans to
'Take the Challenge' then visit www.theteaproject.org.uk and have a look https://vimeo.com/132092894. *Thank
you for all the hours of video production & web building which was donated
for free from generous techies (geeks&oddballs) in the U.S. & U.K.
The events signalled a transition into the second half of
the year for us where new innovative projects and even bigger challenges lie ahead;
projects to compliment our current growing schedule of programmes.
..........LIFE/ECHO is coming....
School's out.....for a while at least. So enjoy yourselves. Summer
holidays are a particularly vulnerable time for the young people we work for.
Without school to occupy them, the absence of consistent care and with an
influx of tourists to the city children are loured back onto the streets and
exposed to the subsequent dangers of abuse that follow. Throughout August we
are running creative workshops with a local charity that will provide a
distraction the children need; keeping them safe and entertained. Friends have
been recruited and are keenly recycling everything we can get hold of in order
to provide materials for the workshops. Recycling is an alien concept in Sri
Lanka so the exercise is really valuable but more importantly it helps to
subdue our Western guilt; having to continuously throw recyclable materials
away, which for a family from London, is too traumatising for words.We are also planning to 'Train the
Trainers' for the charity to compliment the August workshops. Managers and
children from all four of the charities projects in Sri Lanka will attend. At a
recent event hosted by the charity we were reunited with some of the young
people who attended our 'Youth Volunteer Training' in Nuwara Eliya last year.
We are so proud to see the confidence they have continued to develop and hear
about how they still volunteer and help in their local community.
.........30/30 is coming......
Following the summer break we hope to have in place a school
network in Kandy called 'Joining Hands'. There are 5 government run schools in
the area serving the very poorest children. This month we secured a new school
partnership making a current tally of 2 schools and we are in discussions to
recruit the remaining 3 schools into the group. The idea behind 'Joining Hands'
is to enable a supportive school network which provides mutual benefit and
assistance to all students & staff of the member partners and allows them access
to The TEA Project's Youth Empowerment services. The weekly assistance we provide
to MB School through workshops, art regeneration projects like the recently
completed 'Cloud Steps', PenShip-Pal Programme and school partnering are used
to promote the benefits of 'Joining Hands' and establishing the network.
Please take time if you can to share TEA Project awareness
whenever possible and visit the website to see how you can 'Take the
Challenge', watch your new video and 'Help Change a Life'.
Enjoy the summer; we'll catch up again in August.
Happy camping.
C&R
