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Before and during our tour in August, we are really looking forward to our volunteer project (painting job) at a small primary school in ‘The Knuckles’; a forested mountain area north of Kandy, centrally located in Sri Lanka. And today, Thursday August 8, is the day!

Through the Sri Lankan Hope for Children Foundation, we have already contacted Natasja and Nishantha, our guide for the coming days, via WhatsApp and Facetime. Following this contact, we decided to recruit donors in our neighborhood. In 10 weeks we managed to raise a nice amount for ‘our charity’.

Nishantha is one of the volunteers in Sri Lanka who is affiliated with the foundation. Professionally, Nishantha organizes multi-day tracking through the mountain area, but he has a different agenda in the coming days. Nishantha knows the area like the back of his hand and has extensive knowledge of the many plant and animal species in ‘his homeland’.

We arrived at our meeting point ‘Oak Ray Restaurant’ in Kandy around noon. We drank some coffee and talked a bit. After the introduction, Nishantha and the twins took a tuk-tuk to his house to temporarily store our backpacks and the buckets of paint (and brushes + rollers) we had bought (which was quite an adventure for the boys because they had just met Nishantha met 😊).

We left Kandy around 1pm by public bus, and made a transfer to our accommodation in The Knuckles mountain area for the next 3 nights.

Because we had enough time, we made a stop at the primary school that we will be renovating in the coming days. What a warm and impressive welcome we received from the children and teachers! In fact it was a ceremonial event which made us feel very welcome and special. After introductions, tea and some local delicacies, we continued our bus journey over the hilly roads.

Due to the reconstruction of one of the bridges in the area, we walked the last part of the transfer 🥾 to our accommodation ‘Nipuna’ in the Knuckles. We were soon welcomed by an unexpected tropical rain shower. We were completely soaked from head to toe. 🌧️ We were relieved that our passports and other belongings we had with us did not get too wet by the tuk-tuk, which drove the luggage and the children the last 2 kilometers or so to the accommodation. After arriving, freshening up and changing clothes, we had a nice barbecue. We went to bed early: the journey had made us tired.

After breakfast we walked back to the small village to take the bus to the primary school. The weather was good: sunny and clear skies. The surroundings of Knuckles are really beautiful 😍!

Because a number of parents had prepared the classrooms (filled holes in the walls and moved furniture out of the way), we were able to start painting quite quickly. These are two buildings that we paint inside and out. With the help of the children and parents, I think we have done a good job.

Before the schoolchildren went home, we gave them a stroopwafel and we also handed out the toys, the filled pencil cases and other items that we had brought from the Netherlands in a large suitcase. They seemed very happy with it! 😁

At the end of the afternoon we cleaned ourselves in a small waterfall and headed back to Nipuna, just like yesterday. At 8 p.m. we had dinner: Kottu with BBQ chicken 🍗: delicious! We went to bed early again for the last full day tomorrow in the Knuckles area, hopefully to finish the painting project!

We got up early to start at school a little earlier than yesterday. We walked again the approximately 5km to the bus station in the village and arrived at the school around 10.30am. Since it was Saturday, the children and teachers were not present at that time. We immediately started brushing and rolling the walls of the smaller building, finishing the job today. Also today we received help from a few parents, including a professional painter. At 3 pm we finished the parts of the building we had planned for today. I think we can be really proud of what we have achieved. And it seems that the teachers and children were also very happy with the result. Very satisfying!
Since we couldn’t finish the entire project, we arranged with the professional painter to finish the job in the coming weeks. We pay for the paint and other supplies.

After saying goodbye we went to a waterfall to swim and wash. A welcome refreshment after a few intensive painting hours. On the way back we treated ourselves to a few cans of King Beer and a bottle of Arrack (local SL whisky): cheers to a unique experience! 🍹

This evening Rémi became a little ill. He had stomach ache and fever. He went to bed early without having eaten much. The rest of us ate with the crew and other Dutch family who had planned some hikes in the Knuckles. The crew surprised us with folkloric music and songs: also a great, entertaining experience. Thanks Nishantha & crew!

After packing our bags and eating breakfast we said goodbye to the wonderful crew. This time two tuk-tuks took us to our next accommodation – for 1 night – in Kandy: Sky Lodge. The location and views here were breathtaking. Nishantha invited us to go to a local Buddhist festival that evening called Perahera. After a cooling dip in the pool and a few hours of relaxation, the tuk-tuks drove us back to the center of Kandy to witness the Perahera. Some explanation about this event:

“The entire event of the Kandy procession lasts for weeks, starting with planting a jackfruit tree, wishing blessings on the land, to a water cutting ceremony in Sri Lanka’s longest river, Mahaweli. The entire process is packed dancing, music, drumming, waving, waving flags and carrying of the sacred casket by the anointed tusker, which is adorned in beautiful clothes. The reason behind this is to pay respect to the relic of Buddha and it is one of the most devotional celebrations of the culture. The entire fortnight is busy with devotees, spectators and tourists.”

After eating some pizza (here we met the same family we met on the bus from Wilpattu to Anuradhapura 10 days ago 😄) we came across the first elephant on the street, while Nishantha took us to the festival. After an hour of waiting (mandatory sitting on the sidewalk), the event started. An impressive event!

After seeing the Peharera we drank a milkshake in a bar and said goodbye to Nishantha. Now for real! It was a great pleasure meeting you. We had a very special time, which will hold a special place in our hearts. And again: thank you for your hospitality, kindness and care over the past few days!!! 🙏🏻

Good luck and have fun in SL in the coming weeks!

Greeting,
Bas, Mirjam and children

01-Bas-en-Mirjam

Getting to know Nishantha

A few short videos

My name is Guusje (28) and in January 2024 I spent a month in Sri Lanka. For two weeks I spent the night with a host family in Kandy and did volunteer work. An unforgettable experience.

A few weeks before I was due to leave, the Sri Lankan government had changed the school holiday schedule, meaning the schools would be officially closed. Still, I was able to help at two schools: Dambawela Primary School and Girls’ High School Kandy.

The school in Dambawela was a small village school with few resources. The English teacher had decided to paint the walls with images that they could use during English lessons. With money from Sri Lankan Hope for Children we bought paint and started working with the children. We painted animals, the English alphabet and the map of Sri Lanka. The children were super enthusiastic and even stood painting in the pouring rain with a smile on their faces.

Every afternoon I was served a Sri Lankan lunch, prepared by the teachers. This way I was able to taste a lot of dishes (with my hands, as is eaten here). I also really enjoyed the conversations with the teachers. It was really nice to get to know them better and exchange stories about our different backgrounds. For example, they were genuinely surprised that there were no monkeys in Europe and thought it was fantastic that there was snow in the Netherlands at that time. We accomplished a lot in a short time, and yet I would have liked to stay longer.

The second week I went to Girls’ High School in Kandy, a prestigious school with more than 5,000 students, where they had set up a project to introduce the Grade 4 students to other cultures. That was a completely different experience.

The first day there was a kind of welcome ceremony and I was treated to shows by the children in traditional clothing, in keeping with the different cultures and religions in Sri Lanka. Very impressive! The following days there was a different group of students every day with whom I did games and activities to practice their English. The language level differed greatly per child, but they all tried to start a conversation.

On the last day they had a surprise for me: one of the teachers had arranged a bright red sari for me. It turned out to fit, so I was allowed to keep it on for the rest of the day; also during the traditional dance lesson with which we ended the last day. I was inundated with drawings and thank you’s from the children and I was truly sorry that it was over so quickly.

These were fantastic weeks in which I learned a lot about the extremely hospitable and rich Sri Lankan culture. Not only during the work at the schools, but also thanks to the conversations with Nishantha and Madhu (the host family) and the trips during the weekends. I hope to be able to return to this beautiful country again.

Guusje

01-Guusje

painting the outside walls with pictures of animals with kids

This year I was nervous to go. First of all, I still had a very painful knee and secondly one of the volunteers refused to speak to me for more than 3 months. If that was not bad enough all the boxes were at his place.

I arrived on Thursday morning; taxi was waiting for me and took me to Christima Residence where I always stay for the first 1 or 2 nights.

I went to bed and after a swim in the afternoon Johncy and her grown up children came to pick me up and to get me straight to the tailor for my working clothes and afterwards we had a great dinner.

The morning after I had my first visit at a new town school at the outskirts of Colombo. Normally I don’t help town schools. There are too big (between 3.000 till 6000 pupils is normal) but I do help with hockey projects. They picked me up and I had a wonderful morning getting to know the school.

The day after I left for Kandy after a short coffee stop at my friend’s place.

It was great to see Ramani, Sameera and Henk again the family where I normally stay. This is the place where my cupboard is positioned and in my little cupboard is my life. (clothes, books, shoes, jacket, underwear etc.)

The next 3 days were awful. I had to do the boxes. There were big arguments with the volunteer, there was silence and he ignored me. His wife tried to look after me and got my food but all together I had no energy, and I was crying a lot. Is this what I really wanted to do? Is it time to give up the project I worked so hard for so many years. Is this a sign? I was confused and very sad.

I was so much looking forward to my 2 days away, it almost felt like a holiday. It gave me energy and the people gave me energy. I went with Kanchana; my friend and volunteer and we were on a mission.

We had 3 projects in 2 days and did some of our favorite things.

1. We gave a jungle school at Mahaoya area 8 big white boards and explained the educational materials they didn’t understand last time.
2. We visited a village in the same area and gave 300 children, exercise books, a rubber, pen and they could choose a toy.
3. We gave again in the same village 2 cupboards for a library (so that the minibeasts wouldn’t eat up the books) and we gave 250 euro worth of books for the children to read. An interesting project set up by welfare organization to teach the children that the world is wider than their village.

The other things we did are our yearly sightseeing trips. We will always go and see the elephants in the wild and we always go to thermal baths. It all cheered me up and ready to finish my last week in Kandy.

Unfortunantely, I heard the schools were closed again (quite normal in Sri Lanka where the government decides when it is holiday and when it is not, and I can tell you that children in Sri Lanka are more at home then at school. Quite sad.

So, what else did I do?

• I visited the Absent school for English camp and did some English games with the children.
• I visited the Absent school again to give clothes and educational materials on a Sunday.
• I visited 1 hockey school to see how the hockey projects are getting on and to give one school a keeper’s outfit.
• To give a nursery school pretend play. Teacher was surprised to see me.
• I visited a nursery school together with Desiree, to see if she looked after the given toys (she got a warning from us)
• On the last day Ayesh (from the town school in Colombo) came to pick up many sports outfits from the hotel
• Johncy came back on the last day to pick up educational materials for her nursery.
• I left sports outfits at Ramani’s place, and she and Sameera would take them to the last school (at this moment) to help with hockey equipment. I was running out of time and couldn’t do everything myself.
• We visited and gave educational materials to a special needs school in Kandy. This was the first school I helped when we started.
• We visited the school which Wendy and her family painted during their trip to Sri Lanka. They were visiting the country but also wanted to do some good work. We gave clothes to the parents and children. Cuddles to all children and every child got a T-shirt.
• We visited a new primary school in Mahaoya area. A cute school and I gave some educational materials. All projects around Mahaoya we do with the chief of this area.
• We visited another town school around Wettagama for hockey project and we gave already some sport outfits and yes also some educational material.

The last project was a project in the Knuckles where I stayed one night in a kind of hotel. Very basic and not to do again. We had 10 boxes of warm clothes with us which were carried by the local men to the hotel as this hotel was off the main road. The next day lot of people could come and choose some items. In a half hour everything was gone and for me it was quite sad to see that more people came later, and we had nothing left.

Because of the other good experiences, I decided to keep on doing the projects, but it is time to move on and find some other partners (volunteers) who want to help me to bring the projects to the next level.

I will be back Autumn of 2024.

Natasja Lammers

Autumn-2023-01

a part of the boxes

It was not only awesome but also unforgettable!

Let’s start at the beginning. Sri Lanka was high on our wishlist, and this year, it finally happened. A fantastic 19-day tour of this beautiful country! But we wanted more, and by “we,” I mean three adults and three teenagers.

We all agreed that we wanted to give this trip more depth. We thought it would be good to get a different perspective on education (especially for the teenagers 😊) and to remind ourselves how privileged we are in the Netherlands. But how do you do that, give it more meaning?

In the end, I just started emailing and calling various volunteer organizations, which ultimately resulted in a wonderful connection with Natasja. It’s truly amazing how she runs the ‘Srilankan Hope for Children’ foundation. What started with a simple question to Natasja… “Hey, we have extra space in our suitcases; can we bring something for you to Sri Lanka?” Eventually turned into Natasja’s question to us… “Are you open to painting a school and donating the paint to the school?”

Well, we were definitely open to that, but how were we going to do it?

So, we came up with the idea of an online fundraising campaign. It was astonishing to see how many websites there are where you can promote and share your campaign. The advantage of this was that we could make many people aware of our campaign in an accessible way. It was super to see that the first donations came from teachers. In the end, we raised over 1100 euros! All of it intended for an elementary school in the remote Kandy area, known as the Knuckles Hills. I still get emotional when I think about how many people want these children to have a beautiful future.

And that money was much needed; we only realized it when we flew there in August. We had already bought school supplies and pencil cases in the Netherlands; the rest, like paint and notebooks, we would buy in Sri Lanka. This was to support the local economy as much as possible. Once we arrived in Sri Lanka, we took two days to acclimatize and then continued our journey to Kandy, a major city in the center of the country, by train.

Here, we were warmly welcomed by Nishanta, an incredible Sri Lankan who tirelessly works for the community. It was a good thing we had those two days of rest because from that moment on, we embarked on an unforgettable rollercoaster ride lasting three days. In no time, we had dropped off our suitcases, bought more than 70 liters of paint, and stocked up on water for three days. Before we knew it, we were on our way to Knuckles Hills with Nishanta and an abundance of (paint) supplies, a journey that took several hours and involved tuk-tuks, buses, walks, and countless memorable moments.

Upon our arrival in Knuckles Hills, we were in for a surprise: the mud house. A simple accommodation made entirely of mud and wood, surrounded by nothing but beautiful nature and impressive rice fields. There was no electricity here, and our bathroom was simply the nearby waterfall. But the view? Incredible. The food? Sublime. And the people? Words cannot describe their hospitality. And the wine we had brought… was highly appreciated. Alcohol is unaffordable for the average person in Sri Lanka.

After a delicious meal (oh, how delicious those curries are), we prepared for the next day when we had to fill 65 pencil cases. The next morning arrived, and while the tuk-tuk delivered the school supplies to the school, Nishanta took us on a beautiful walk through the rice fields. What a perfect start to the day!

Upon arrival at the school, we were warmly welcomed by everyone. After a brief conversation in the principal’s office, we armed ourselves with rollers, brushes, and paint to tackle those walls. What we didn’t expect was the help of 30 children between the ages of 6-7. Managing that was impossible… so we had to let go and work together to create something beautiful, which was our purpose after all! Where those little children’s arms couldn’t reach, we took over. The height of our teenagers led to some amusing situations. Many parents were also actively helping, and the lessons continued in the meantime.

During the distribution of school supplies, we had another special surprise from the Netherlands: syrup waffles and licorice! Priceless were the faces of young and old when they tasted the licorice 😊 But it wasn’t just us giving; we received plenty in return. Some parents had prepared a delicious lunch (did I mention how delicious those curries are…), and we later received homemade treats. Moments of cultural exchange like these are priceless. These small gestures made our experience in Knuckles Hills even more special. And for us, it emphasizes the power of connection and kindness across borders. Wow, what a remarkable day!

Our teenagers also did a fantastic job and played actively with all the children, in addition to painting. The ball and frisbee we had brought were a big hit, and after some practice, the children were excellent at frisbee.

In the end, we learned from Nishanta that the school had been looking forward to this renovation for a long time, but they had no idea how to approach it. Money was an issue, but they also lacked organizational skills. And that’s understandable because in such a poor area as Knuckles Hill, people live day to day, and it’s difficult to plan far into the future. Fortunately, Nishanta has a great organizational capacity, and the project was completed in just 1.5 days! The icing on the cake was the words of a student to his teacher:

“Teacher, from now on, nothing should be stuck on the walls.
They are so beautiful; it’s a shame if tape damages them again.”

That warms your heart, and you know you’ve achieved your goal.

In the end, we found out that the school was a bit larger than it appeared in the photos. The paint had run out, but fortunately, the money had not. In consultation with Nishanta and the parents, it was agreed that they would receive new paint once some walls were renovated (which was urgently needed). As part of the renovation, aluminium curtain walls were installed, providing both durability and a modern aesthetic. Additionally, thermal window installation was completed to enhance energy efficiency throughout the building. You can also click here for more additional information on thermal windows. And I can tell you now that this project was also a complete success! The school is now beautifully painted inside and out in a lovely soft yellow color.

We concluded our time at the school with a group photo, music, kind words, and the last syrup waffles and licorice from the Netherlands. What an experience… I shed a small tear… so proud of everyone who made this possible and so grateful that the six of us could do this.

I don’t need to tell you that this work is invaluable. It not only creates better educational opportunities but also unforgettable moments of mutual appreciation and connection between different communities.

I also don’t need to tell you that it’s important for this work to continue. The work that Natasja does with the people in Sri Lanka must be continued.

If you’ve become enthusiastic after reading our story and want to organize something similar yourself, I’d be happy to help you get started. You can always email me at wendy@msnosy.com with your questions.

Together, we can bring about even more positive change!

Blog-WVdL00

arrival at Kandy

Two years ago, towards the end of Corona time, Nishantha (one of the volunteers) did a project at a nursery school in the North East of Sri Lanka.
He took the bus (it took him 8 hours) to get there and he could stay the 2 nights at the army compound. With help of the teacher and some parents they developed a water system so the children could clean their hands, the garden could be watered and there was water to flush the toilet (well hole in the ground of course). It was hard work and they did it during the evening as the parents were day labourers.
May 2023 I had finally time to go back there again and see with my own eyes what they had done. It was also good to see the teacher again and how the village had changed for the better. I had not seen the village and school for 5 years and the transport costs to go there are very high.

We gave the nursery school in the last 10 years:
• a playground
• the outside was decorated with animals by our volunteers
• many play-items for the school
• a purifier for clean water
• 2 cupboards
• water stock tank and a new watersystem. (see also the photos)

The resettling village (where the nursery is) got:
• 65 bikes
• a clean water system for all the people in the village
• a repair shed for the bicycles
• some machines to repair the bikes.

All by all this has been a big project over the last 10 years. It was then great to see how the place changed from a few huts into to a village again.
This village was torn apart during the war and with help of the government and the army the people could build simple houses again, and so form a village again . It was and is a special project to help this village.
On the end of our visit we were invited to come to eat at the teachers house. She lives there with her husband, son and her mother/father.
Very special for them and me.

Natasja Lammers

First ever visit to the village and they were building a nursery school funded by Sweden

It was great to be back in Sri Lanka. It was Autumn 2022. 
I was curious how the situation would be after the bankruptcy of Sri Lanka. I saw that life was very expensive.
It is getting harder and harder to get by everyday.
This time I didn’t have to unpack the boxes and repack again as I had done this last May. 
So immediately I could start to go to the schools with Nishantha. He hired a car when was needed and this was cheaper than going by tuk tuk.

The first week we visited  2 schools which we gave all the given hockey items from Holland.

The schools couldn’t believe their eyes. The first school went from 8 hockey sticks to 50 hockey sticks with training outfits and a keeper’s outfit. They were overwhelmed and they gave us each a bag with goodies. So sweet. 
This school had to wait a long time, because when we met first was during Corona time, then 1 year afterwards I had to cancel because of the lockdown so 2 years after our first meeting they  finally received the items.

The second school was a huge town school with 2000 girls and a PE teacher who really wanted to set up hockey. They already selected the pupils but there was no equipment. So, we stepped in there. There was a show, lovely food and parents assembled together in the hall to say thank you. My friend asked me to give a guest lesson on English which I did. It was fun but also hard as those pupils don’t speak very often English at school.

We met up with Mr. Mahinda, an educational officer, who brought us to a school where he promised the school that I would provide a library ( which he had seen but then given by Robin Handleman). I told Mr. Mahinda that I only would come for an half hour to meet up and to have a look at the situation but what happened next Nishantha and I did not expect at all. There was a huge show, all the teachers were there as well as the parents. In the speeches the pupils said a thank you to me for giving them a library. We’re in shock. I did not promise this at all. It was somehow a bit embarrassing situation. They thought I would pay the carpets, tables, chairs, bookcases etc. I told them I will only pay the books. Ouch!

In the meantime, there was another school waiting too long for us. The children had to wait 2 hours for us as what happened at the other school. Those situations are not so good. The flowers looked sad but their show was fantastic. They got English books and I looked at their new English activity room. After a lovely meal and a great present, we left.

I collect warmer clothing for the mountains where we finally could go to.  It was a rainy and cold day and I  wore 3 layers to keep a bit warm. I visited a nursery school where I still could see the stuff from 4 years ago. We went to several places to hand out warm clothes. It was great to see how the Children ran behind the car through the rain. They knew something was going to happen. I was humbled by this experience. So poor but so happy.  They asked for jackets and chocolate but those 2 we did not have with us. We had clothes and baby toys.

Afterwards Nishantha hired a car again and we went to the  east and from the   east back to  the west to visit several schools. I revisited a nursery school where I had not been for 5 years. It was great to see that the  water project which Nishantha sat up with the parents during Corona time. Now there is a water system in place and the children/teachers can wash their hands, flush the toilets, have tea and water the plants. We were invited to have dinner at the teacher’s house. Which we did and that was so great to be with her mother and  her son.

Near Negombo we went to a concert of a richer nursery. Normally I won’t do this but I was the advertisement of their school ( a white skin) Of course I needed to speech again and as a early childhood teacher I told the parents how important it is for children to play. Later in our trip, we also participated in an event production organized by the school community, showcasing their achievements in early childhood education.

The last schools we visited , were 2 nurseries near Desiree’s home.

Afterwards 1 day rest and I left to go back to the  cold Dutch weather. 

Natasja Lammers

Organizing hockey sticks

Robin Handleman, an American lady, visited Sri Lanka twice, through our charity.

She stayed each time quite a few weeks and helped special needs school and primary schools. The children loved her, and she prepared very good lessons.

The last time she was there, she told me she wanted to set up two libraries in the schools where she had helped. I have to say I thought she would not pull this off. I thought it would be impossible with the customs, but Robin made it happen. Wow.

First, we had to wait quite a long time because of Corona but towards the end she told me she would be coming over at the same time as I would be there as well. That was great because it would be the first time, we would see each other in person.

There was some trouble on the way, and it was not easy for Robin. She worked very hard to get money from the Kiwanis (aid organization) and with this money she could then set up the libraries.

One day she phoned me as said that she could pick the books up. Robin could choose all the books herself. Then she had the difficult task to send them to Sri Lanka but she managed and found a Sri-Lankan man who asked her not too much money. In Sri Lanka the books were picked up by Saman who had to take lots of paperwork with him. It was not easy but with some to be paid at the customs the books were on their way to Kandy.

There were so many books that not one, but two schools could have their English library. We chose an unknown school and a school where Robin had taught before. Then the work started for Robin as I had my own projects. Sometimes Nishantha went with her as well. She bought chairs, tables, shelves, paint, mirror, carpet etc. The unknown school had a whole classroom which could be a library. They all worked very hard to finish it in time (ten days). The other school found it very hard to find a space and they did not work so hard. That was a pity and very frustrating.

There was a deadline as well, as Robin had to fly back to America … At that time course we also faced curfews and power cuts. Riots in the country. It was a not easy time … I had already flown back but Nishantha came to the opening of the libraries.
But the result is there and it looks fantastic.

Thank you so much Robin!

Picked up boxes by Robin

The trip report of Natasja in May 2022 is on the website.
You can find it under the Trip Reports tab in the Main Menu or click here

Recently Kanchana has done several projects for us.
She has used a donation from the Dietzel family, for which we are very grateful to the family, to purchase Solar-lights and folding tables for the students in Mahaoya.

Food parcels have also been distributed in the Maha Oya area. The poorest families also received a package for the children with underwear, socks, a T-shirt and coloring pencils.

The residents use the same water source as the school.

So, a very nice project has been realized here, thanks to the Green Heart Campaign.
We are very happy with this.

October 14, 2021
After 2 years of absence due to de Corona, Natasja and Ingrid went back to Sri Lanka last Wednesday.

October 16, 2021
Message from Natasha
We have finally arrived in Sri Lanka. So nice to be back.
Although the schools are closed, there is plenty to do.
First 2 days hotel (quarantine Corona) and then we stay with friends.

Travel report will follow later this year.