Sams Trip July 2007

The visit to Sri Lanka this time was not as smooth as it should have been and was marred by illness, short tempers and an ever changing schedule . The coordinators struggled too to keep up with the gruelling daily tasks and the complicated arrangements most of which wree planned back in the UK.

Having 2 others en tow creared some tensions and on reflection I think we had too many things to do and not sufficient help and resources to work efficiently.

It was damn hot too !!!

That being said we managed to handover all the donations ( some were lost / stolen by customs) buy all the equipment for the schools, sort all the books , toys and art materials for the mobile library.

Nalinda and his team of helpers were magnificent and very patient with me rearranging and rerranging books etc again and again until I was satisfied.!

The art work was fabulous and the opening ceremony went well despite me being late and keeping the Governor waiting !!!

Getting ready

The planning and preparations are complete and we are nearly finished packing the many items for Sri Lanka. My fellow travellers Keith Hall and Nyssa Frank are excited and exchanging travel strories. For me its returning home but also this time I feel we are going to be doing something to really make a difference - launching the mobile library and also handing over 12 houses to the homeless. Its been an emotional journey this library - hard work and frustration, carrying , lifting, sorting , arguing and sending 4000 books from here to Colombo..they are all waiting for me to sort these and place into the newly painted racks ready, expectant and waiting to be thumbed through by eager little fingers this time by children 5000 miles away !

For Keith its also a return to a country he loves but for Nyssa ( from the U.S. ) it's a maiden voyage of discovery and I think a trip that will change how she perceives things and also provide some new challenges and experiences. We will be giving our separate accounts to you in the next few days/ weeks......

We have a lot of stuff to take for our programmes ranging from paints, pencils and CDs to face paints, glitter and juggling balls....

After a few days we will be joined by 15 students from Richard Huish College in Taunton and then we will take the mobile library to schools, orphanages and childrens centres.

Well I am promsing not to make this boring and will try and keep it short ....

I want to also tell you about what is happening in Sri Lanka on the ground and what children there think... I also want to share the sights and sounds of this wonderful country.... and although we will be working hard I want to make sure that particularly Nyssa nd Keith see a little of the country....