LIFE Training on the West Coast (20th & 27th August 2016)

A Project Worker & Professional VolunTEAr from The TEA Project recently traveled to a partner school in SL's Western Province to hold our LIFE Programme (Leadership - Independence - Futures & Empowerment) with a group of Prefects. The aim was to help them realise their future goals and aspirations.

As is common, on day 1, children were initially shy but by day 2 had grown in confidence with support & guidance through the LIFE Programme by our expert TEAm. There were lots of group activities & presentations to help children fuel their personalities; and for the first time in there lives they were made aware of their rights as children.

At the end of training it's a requirement to set personal goals & pledge a commitment to realising them. A collective plan to create a 'Vegetable Garden' mini-enterprise was initiated to inject some fun and self reliance into the school. Also Prefects highlighted a need to assist in improving discipline & appearance at the school and will take an active part in managing assemblies. On a personal level the children all recognised the importance of attaining high grades and focused on reaching University. They all identify a good education as the most effective and sustainable method of improving their lives, the lives of their families & communities.

Read more about the empowering work of The TEA Project

theteaproject.org

TEA Internships

The TEA Project is very happy to welcome two new interns to the project. Both are in their 4th & final year of psychology studies at a nationally renowned, local, University. Both students will gain 6 months experience of direct work & project planning; a research project on the effectiveness of TEA's 'L.I.F.E Training Programme' on a study group of 125 students & staff from a school supported by the project will also be completed.

If you think you can support the work of The TEA Project with vulnerable children then please get in contact via our website 
theteaproject.org

Empowering Mannar Girls

In August TEA's Director Racheal and Project Worker Sachini traveled to Mannar Island to stay with a girls orphanage that TEA supports for 3 days & nights empowerment training and workshops.

They arrived after a long 10 hour journey from Kandy rather exhausted; carrying training resources and donations including clothes & sanitary towels.

Mannar Island is located in the Northern Province approximately 100 km from the Northern capital of Jaffna.  The people of Mannar are predominantly Tamil. Mannar was heavily affected by the recent civil war and the loss of life in this region was tragically high. The region suffers high rates of poverty and many families are headed by single women due to mortality rates of husbands during the conflict. 

We ran a 2-day leadership programme with 25 teenage girls.  The girls learnt leadership skills, identified personal goals, learnt about children's rights principles and reviewed how to apply learning from the programme to help their future plans and aspirations.

The girls are so colourful and had such a lust for dancing. Each evening we ran creative arts workshops & talent shows before the communal dinner of rice and curry.

The girls inspired us everyday and helped us to adapt the training to cater to the their calls for performance.

Training was delivered in English and translated into Tamil.    We now have L.I.F.E translated into English, Sinhala and Tamil - good practice for future training.

On our first day we received a surprise visit from the Probation Department to observe training. The TEA Project was subsequently invited to return and run our L.I.F.E programme with 5 additional orphanages under her management. 
Representatives also arrived from the Local Lions Club. Impressed with the programme they offered to contribute to The TEA Project's training costs in Mannar.

Training was a huge success. We made new partners & friends and the girl's excelled in training. The TEA Project has promised to return to the girls orphanage to run a Girls Independence Programme in the future and we plan to return in December to run a tailor made leadership programme for a local boys orphanage.

If you would like to find out more about the work we do or contribute to The TEA Project then visit theteaproject.org

LIFE ECHO/SPARK

The TEA Project is excited to announce an innovative partnership with groundbreaking UK research programme 'LIFE ECHO'. 

LIFE ECHO/SPARK will set out to map the impact on learning, behavior and mindfulness that personalised sound triggers have in educational situations. 

LIFE ECHO - THE FUTURE OF MEMORY 

''FOSTERING MEMORY HEALTH THROUGH PHONIC WEALTH''

Life Echo is an art based enquiry of sound and memory by artist Justin Wiggan (UK). http://www.bom.org.uk/bom-fellows/justin-wiggan/    

Life Echo is the provision of a personal phonic map created from memory trigger points, sentimental two dimensional / three dimensional objects and nostalgic recall from individuals. 

Life Echo is a therapeutic sound narrative experience based on shared memory.

A Life Echo is a safe, shared, deep listening space.

Life Echo will attempt to change how we interact with our own memories.

Life Echo has the potential to become a provision of service in ground breaking creative care. 

This partnership research project will engage in education and behavior – to monitor the impact on individual focus and improved learning in schools, positive behaviorist change and conscious reflection.

LIFE ECHO/SPARK will focus on gathering new data with children of from a Sri Lankan government school supported by TEA & Year 4 students from a UK School in Cotteridge.

SPARK - (SOUND.PREPARE.ACTION.RESPONSE.KNOWLEDGE)

Based on a recent observation of a case study in UK it was noted that the Life Echo Process had substantial positive effects on a school pupil with ME. The pupil had a 30 minute Life Echo "interview" carried out before going to school; (*the pupils attendance at school was part time and erratic in terms of concentration and delivery). After wards both teacher and parents noted a dedicated focus and engagement. LIFE ECHO has also shown signs of improving well being in elderly dementia suffers.

Over the oncoming weeks & months we will be reporting back & posting our adventures about The LIFE ECHO process.

Champions!

"Hi Everyone!"

I'm Sachini. I am a Project Worker at The TEA Project.

Following a suggestion from the Principal of a local school supported by TEA i developed a plan to make a debate team. Secondary children participate in these sessions which started in June. 

I use techniques such as voice management. Students are split into two groups and give a talk according to a chosen topic. 

In the first session some of the children were a little bit shy to talk in front of others; I saw they were sweating, trembling, having some tears in eyes and couldn't talk properly. Therefore I practiced with them to talk for one minute about any topic. 

I focused support on them and allow children to think nothing is impossible.The sessions have been a great success. All of the children are very keen on debating and try to find debate topics. 

Some students from a nearby orphanage who attend the school debating club recently took part in an Inter-Orphanage Debate Competition. Children from 36 orphanages within the Central Province of Sri Lanka represented their respective homes.

I am proud to announce that these students from the school's 'Fast & Furious' debate team' came 1st place; winning the competition.

Congratulations to all the children on your empowering achievement from everybody @ The TEA Project; we are very proud of you. 

I am looking forward to more exciting debates in the new term.

Sachini