Start at the very bottom to go in sequence

2008 GYMNASTS SCHOOL VISITS CLICK HERE

2008 LATEST NEWS. There is a 18minute DVD now made of the trips the coaches made. This VERY moving DVD has been made by professionals which also includes unseen footage of the aftermath.....is available to watch at the Club free. It has been directed and mastered by Alan and is entwined with music and footage never seen before. There are no scenes that are unsuitable for children.
Anyone wishing to have a copy can contact the club and one will be posted. In that instant the club only asks for a charitable donation to be made in return. This donation will go direct to the charity. The film clearly shows what the coaches did when in Lanka and what they saw and what they had to overcome......

Alan & Donna's
Tsunami camps Diary 27th Dec -11th January
( sponsored by the people of Milton Keynes and Gymnastic clubs in the UK)

This diary starts from the time we left. Photographes are being added and it will keep being updated with shots. 14/01/06
Please note that it was all written as it happened so spelling was not a priority on steam driven PC's.
We did not know what to expect when going out to tsunami affected areas, but then who would? We half expected to be met by ground leaders who would tell us where to go and what to do....we were strong but deeply scarred over our visits to help the children of this beautiful Island. We left children and adults alike with tears rolling down their faces, begging us to take their child. Begging us for help.....The guilt we had walking away and driving on...will haunt us both for life.
But best to of helped but one child in the world a little, than to of not helped any at all.

Alan & Donna March 2009

PLEASE NOTE: THESE REPORTS ARE IN REVERSE, SO THE FIRST BIT YOU READ IS OUR 3RD AND LAST VISIT 12 MONTHS ON. AS YOU READ ON IT WILL BE OUR 2ND VISIT 8 WEEKS AFTER AND THEN THE 1ST VISIT ONE MONTH AFTER THE DISASTER.

AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THE dvd IS WELL WORTH SEEING, IT HAS BEEN VERY CAREFULLY MADE AND IS BEING SHOWN IN MANY LOCAL SCHOOLS HERE IN MILTON KEYNES.
IT'S NOT FOR SALE

Despite hardship, children are so happy to smile                But some still struggle!

Wednesday 28th December
The journey from England all in all took 24 hours from the point of leaving home to arrival at Hikkaduwa hotel Coral Sands. Getting into Sri Lanka with all the parachutes, hoops, ropes, books and teddies stuffed within our cases was easier than in March. We were not asked to show what was in our bags! Our Driver Kuafa and friend Eddie met us at the airport which was in 31 degrees of heat, ( at 7am!!)a big change from the minus 3 and the snow at Heathrow airport .

With them they had the trampet and small landing mat in the van. Eddie said his hello's and goodbyes and said he would meet up with us in a couple of days. We then set off through Colombo which took two hours in choking heat and smog. Our driver kindly arranged for us to meet the van owner in Beruwela which was an hour south of the capital. Here we were given lunch and drinks before continuing to the hotel. The hotel was severely damaged but has recovered very well. On the way down the coastal road we tried in vain to keep our eyes open, but it was nigh on impossible. When we did stay open eyed we saw improvements with temporary buildings being erected though many are ramshackle. So so far we have seen a country trying to re-build.

Friday December 30th Diary
 Today its very very hot, I have managed to burn my forehead and i was in the shade!. We started our visits to the camps in Hikkaduwa and to the north of the town, where the now infamous train disaster took place. Before we set off, Donna was certainly feeling rather poorly, we think maybe an iff'y burger yesterday. Despite her set-back she refused to stay and rest. Our next problem was not being able to find the suitcase padlock keys...so it was  a hacksaw job!

We revisited the local Buddhist temple which was, and still is, home to many people who lost their homes and loved ones. We were pleased to see that the tents have been replaced with shed like houses, still very basic and small, but  a clear improvement.




The children loved playing with the parachute, hoops and the trampet. I also showed them my card tricks which appeared to go down well. We then spent some time looking around the basic homes, some were very pleased to show us their very small sheds they call home.







One lady had planted flowers outside to make it look pretty!

Shack is home  with flowers                Kids follow Donna                    Watching Alan's magic

We moved further north and found another camp which World Vision has supported and again we saw people have been moved from tents to basic shed like structures with metal tin roofs which are hot in the sun and noisy in the rain, but nevertheless an improvement whilst they wait for a house to be built.

Some projects are government funded but many are done by private sector. It appears the government is asking countries to send work forces in and they fund them with the money raised and given over by the DEC.
We now moved to our 3rd camp of the day close to the train disaster which took 1500 people, they appear to forget about the people killed that were not on the train but living nearby. As we could not find a way to the children by means of road, but could see the temporary houses from the main road which runs alongside the most stunning palm tree draped beach you could imagine, we just pulled over and beckoned people towards us.

We took about 25 to 30 children over the outrageously dangerous road to the beach and played with the parachute and hula hoops, the kids had a fabulous time and Donna got caught by the sea and got her trainers well drenched. By this time it was 2pm and we were getting very hot and bothered and were starting to weaken by the heat alone!

We went back across the road after 45 minutes on the beach and sat in the shade and showed them card tricks....not too sure what they thought, but what the heck.

We set off back to the base and retired with out lovey white Arabian shirts looking orange and a mess, god only knows what people thought as they saw us walk into the hotel foyer looking like two people that had been through a hedge and back!

A great day, we think things have improved a lot since March, but there are still many people living in awful conditions. We are astonished at the amount of holiday makers in Sri Lanka, hotels are full. Its stunned us and as we have nowhere to stay from the 6th onwards we are slightly worried.



Hoops on the beach                                    A teddy given            Donna gets caught by the sea

New Years Eve
Today we drove south of Hikkaduwa where we are based towards the major town of Galle. On route we stopped off at what used to be a massive tented camp, having asked a few locals they sent us about 3 miles in land to find where they have been relocated. We were amazed to wind our way past paddy fields and small village life to find a brand new housing estate of hundreds of houses being built on a hilly area. We drove into the new estate which would not look out of place on a hillside in southern Spain; very nice small dwellings.
We stopped and spoke with a family of 4 daughters and their father who have been given keys to their new home. They are to move into their new home on the 5th, at present they are in terraced shed like temporary homes.
It was a delight to see such great work and it is believed to of been many countries who have helped with the project.
Udeshi Preshanthika (19) was the eldest of the family, her sisters are 18, 17 and 16. We have found them a sponsor back home in England, we gave them 4000 rupees which to them is a big helping hand and we also gave paperwork and skipping ropes as well, but away from others. You can't possibly do everyone as much as we would like. I said to Udeshi " today is your lucky day" how much she understood I do not know, but what we understood was we made one family who lost their whole home but survived...a very happy family one year after the disaster.

We moved on to another camp closer to Galle again where massive improvements are to be seen, I gave a few hand knitted dolls out to the babies and showed my rope trick for the first time to a captured audience of children within the corridor between the dusty wooded shacks they live in, its getting hot by now too! I have arranged to teach all children at 10am on January 2nd.

We stopped and had a sandwich in Galle, it was nice to see cricket being played at the cricket ground next to the bus station where you saw the most awful footage, people seem to be re-building their lives really well, its all been so positive.

However the old medical Hospital sounds big but isn't, in fact its very very small indeed and the word Hospital is far too good a word; it is a trully awful story.  We re-visited it to see if the people have been helped out of their pit of a living area, but shockingly we found the case had not improved at all. 144 people live in complete squalor with 36 children.

This close knit community lost 72 people of which 36 were children, yet the Sri Lankan Government  allegedly that as they have accommodation they are not willing to fund them. One lady who broke down in tears on camera said she had lost her husband and daughters and is now all alone. She pointed out the concrete base that was her home. Throughout her time with me she always managed to smile, but could not hide the single tear that fell, it made me feel terribly guilty for the life I have.

The smell and living conditions were no better than when we visited in March, in fact they are worse. All the millions that have gone to Sri Lanka and yet we find such deprived awful situations that move you to tears.

Just outside Galle there is a new police station being built of three stories high,and at least two lovely new white charity 4x4 drove past us cruising around.... clearly people are winners and others are losers. It has made us feel so sad seeing this situation that the Sky TV and the BBC and the press back home don't manage to see with all their expensive cameras and their expensive researchers...what we mere gymnastic coaches find. Strange eh!

We will certainly write to the government of Lanka and point out that we feel they may have overlooked this poor community. One young lad who spoke to camera with broken English said " we did get help from the Americans and from Arabian in ways of playing and making kids equipment. But they could not build due to the 100 metre zone, we live on the beach as you can see but have no where to go"

I said to him that the zone has now been relaxed.
" That is true but now the outsiders have all gone home and we have no help" with this he wiped a tear away from his now welling eye so I would not see and then he gave me the Sri Lankan smile, that sums up this wonderful nation of people.
Tomorrow we rest. Happy New Year to all at home from a hot and vastly improved Sri Lanka where in the main great strides are being made and we are pleased for this damaged nation.

JANUARY 2nd
              


We went to 3 schools today and spent  a great deal of time at two of them. Each school was given a parachute and some hoops along with other bits and bobs. The teddies were great for giving to babies we saw in camps and along the roadside on our journey. We retired early as the midday heat was really too much for us. Its 31 in the shade so you can imagine the heat in direct sunlight.
We decided to stop near a beach in mid afternoon for a rest and eat, when the most naughty of thunderstorms visited!







JANUARY 3rd
Today we set off as usual at 9am and visited a few schools and two camps. One camps was great fun as they had moved from tents to sheltered accommodation in wait of new homes. They really welcomed us into their camp and showed us their humble homes which consist of what they saved from the tsunami, which in many cases was zero! A plastic garden chair, a broken fan on a broken table. The fan did not work but nevertheless she was so proud to show us she had a fan.

The children had such good fun playing the games with Donna, and i was improving with my card tricks that Trevor taught me.
The schools also welcomed us but by now the heat was unbearable. There is no shade outside the schools and with 60 girls in the sunlight we had to get through our trampet and games programme as quick as possible. Many of the children were directly affected by family loss at the schools we visited.


We entered the town of Galle today with two schools. We retired mid afternoon like yesterday, weary, burnt and our tee shirts wringing wet with perspiration. Again we stopped off at this lovely beach location for some food and drink..when yet another storm descended on us of a huge magnitude. Can you buy an umbrella in Sri Lanka?..

Tomorrow Wednesday we head to Galle to establish a base with Adoptsrilanka, its our wedding anniversary tomorrow and we have decided to share it with 120 children aged from 6 to 18 who are all deaf and have been dumped at a boarding school  in Tangalle which is south of Galle town.
We visited them in March and they were the most receptive children we have ever had the good fortune to teach.

Wednesday January 4th 2006
An earlier start than normal as we are checking out of what used to be a good little hotel. They have decided to expand, which of course is always good news locally but it has taken away the magic of the little friendly hotel. Although we were not staying at the hotel in any form of holiday, had we, we may of been a taken aback by the mass of German tourists who systematically marched their towels out to sun-beds for occupation before the sun had appeared! Some things just don't change.
We loaded the van and set forth for Galle 40 minutes drive south. We checked in to the colonial styled house called the Dutch house where Adoptsrilanka has kindly placed us for the next three days. This venue is well out of our normal capacity and certainly on such a trip, so this kind offer is well received.

Having left our luggage, we immediately set off further south to Tangalle a further two and a half hour trip. Donna was cursed with a seat that had a spring less cushioned than originally designed which is no joke when for 1 hour or more the road resembles a cheese grater, she felt like Zebedee by the journey end. The worst bit of road ironically was outside the Ministry of Road Development Headquarters! .....Only in Sri Lanka!

We arrived just outside Tangalle battered and bruised by the awful road surfaces and stopped off at previously associates called Michael and Allison at their house called The Colony. Here we refreshed and took time out for 20 minutes. Donna got to meet a lovely lady who runs a children's resource centre in Hambantota a further 1 hour away. Donna has arranged for us to go there on Saturday afternoon to teach up to 30 children who will be shipped in from local surrounding villages. Most if not all have been affected by the tsunami by the loss of either one parent or both!

After organising this we made tracks for the deaf school.
Unfortunately we took another 30 minutes to find the school as it is set back in the jungle out of sight of civilisation. When we eventually found it we had been traveling for 5 hours. This most wonderful boarding school has recently been funded by the Lister foundation to the sum of 13,000 pounds.
This investment has been used very well indeed with all dormitories being re-furbished and painted in lovely bright colours. All the children wished to show us their bed, so we were given a tour of each dormatory..and each bed!!!!. They all had a simple single bed of 5 or 6 to a room with a mosquito net and a fan. It was extremely basic scenario, nevertheless one that they warmly showed off with glee.

Outside there are areas of grass and palm trees between the buildings. In these spaces they have had swings, slides and tree houses built for them to play in. The transformation we have seen is great. Despite the difficulties the children seem quite happy. Donna was shown some gymnastics tricks of flexibility by some boys. We then played at showing them balances, they were very good at it!

The swings they were playing on were the only noise we could hear, i bemoaned to Donna about the squawk from the swings, they need oiling I whinged.. which she replied " we are the only ones who can hear it !"

We watched 75 of them eat their lunch in total silence which was eerie. After their lunch we continued playing with them. They adored the skipping ropes which were donated by all the schools that took part in the trampet run and also by Knowles school via Co-op funeral care.
They adored the trampet and the parachute. Donna had great fun playing games using visual teaching.

By the end we showed them the card tricks and rope magic which they truly loved. We left after 3 hours of fun and set forth to return to base in Galle. Only then at 4pm had we realised we had not eaten. The weather is very hot and therefore to not eat lunch or break is dangerous. We did manage to get some Coke and ice cream, but the ice cream melted before we managed to eat half of it. Well Donna managed hers! Why is it when you eat an ice cream in hot weather, the last bit on the stick always falls off and goes down your top?



We pulled over to eat the Ice cream when these two children came over to take a look as i got out of the van to allow my ice cream to evaporate, they had recognised me from when we visited them in March. They are living STILL in temporary accommodation which was hurriedly built in a playground area and funded by Oxfam.

I gave them each an MK teddy and  in return they gave me a delightful smile which is what makes this whole trip so very very worth while indeed. To their right you can see the dilapidated basic wooded home they have been in for a year, sadly are still in despite the island being given enough money to rebuild it twice over.

                 
We arrived back at Galle at 6-30pm just as the now traditional late afternoon thunderstorm wraps its arm around the town for a communal cuddle. The storm descended on us in force just after we had a shower and a cup of tea. This meant that candles were lit as it gave electricity a break at least 3 times. The candles gave Donna a little romance on this her 1st wedding anniversary as she got dressed ready for our evening meal with the rain lashing down. We have spent nearly 8 hours driving and nearly 3 teaching in the sun.
Most people might think its been an awful day as I had originally planned it to be half of the time we used. But Donna said "A fantastic day has been had with lovely children who have very little and beg for nothing"

One last thing to mention, each child got two cookies each as these were donated to us at Heathrow airport by a very kind lady who heard of our trip.
Tomorrow we rest.
Hi to all the kids lots of love aldonna ( dad n mum) xxxxxxxxxxxxx

FRIDAY January 6th

Today we visited children and everyday people along the roadsides and small villages. We were shown photographes of the tsunami minutes after it had happened by one local shop keeper. he lost his whole shop, but through a bank loan he has rebuilt a simple hut like shop and has stocked back up on carvings etc.
he showed us some other awful pictures which will not be discussed on this website, but I am sure you can imagine their contents.
The pictures gave us a reality check of just what awful situations took place after the tsunami, truly awful. As we were being shown the damage and the story of their rebuild a English girl was to buy a tin of fanta,and she argued the toss that he was charging her 10 rupees more than the day before, she embarrassed us that she could be English and to argue over the equivalent of about 5 pence! These poor poor people are trying to make  a basic living out of the few tourists around and yet just 1 year on are so nasty.......its shameful what the human race can do to each other at times.

We have helped people today by just talking with them, being a outsider who is willing to listen to them, often this in its self means a great deal to these wonderful smiling people.
Things we noticed have changed greatly, but there is a great deal of mismanagement going on. New houses are being built but we heard a story where the government gave a house to  a family, then the private sector gave them a house and they were given money to rebuild their old damaged house...it is staggeringly unbelievable.

There are ample boats; in some places they have too many but they have no homes to go back to.
There are still many living in the ruins of their homes along the coast roads, often with a plastic sheet for a roof over perhaps one room with just two walls standing. So we are seeing good things and bad things, but generally better things.
There is also silly rivalry going on with the aid agencies...I have to say that UNICEF stand out the winners with their hugely expensive 4 x4 being driven about!!
One awful situation that is clearly not helping the people is the puffy chest rivalry between aid agencies. Geoffrey Dobbs of Adopt Srilanka a small agency but one of the very first to be helping, whom we have been working alongside this last year has said that the 6 new toilets they funded and built at a school in Tangalle were promptly demolished by UNICEF, so they could build 24 new toilets of their own instead.......so if you want to know where your money is going its sadly to big fat aid agencies like these that need very expensive cars to drive around ( in very clean condition) looking at what they can do that will get them the most publicity............shame they did not build toilets at other schools that dearly need them, or dare i say it...homes for the worst affected. I am sure that UNICEF have done some very good work and its easy to find fault, but this story is not just hearsay as its printed in the national papers in Sri Lanka.

We personally have been murdered by the mosquitoes which look like have eaten 3 Weetabix. They are huge; I am sure they are Armour piercing, blighter's are nasty things with all this rain we have had. Donna has suffered the worst for sure but in the main by sand flys which must been descendants of the desert rats, as her bites have bumped up into hard lumps, very nasty indeed.

Saturday 7th

We have set off to Tangalle and from there to Hambantotta, its a long long journey. We have arranged to meet a children's resource centre in Hambantota  www.crclanka.com   This centre collects children from the local area that have lost either mother or father or in many cases...both.
We arrived on time at 2pm, this was when the children were supposed to be there, but in truly Sri Lankan style they kept us waiting by giving us tea, showing us the rooms ( all 4) and then sitting us in front of a dvd of their opening, which was very sweet but sadly not a word of English which made it very difficult to endure more than the 20 minutes we watched in a very hot computer room with mosquitoes out for revenge for not getting us in March! Nevertheless the sweetness and the general attitude of Sri Lankans wanting to please is overwhelmingly beautiful.


Eventually the children arrived in the coach that the centre had sent to collect them. We have to say the children were delightful and when you take into consideration their plight, its rather remarkable how thay cope, but children adapt better than adults I would say as we all know.
 Playing with hoops, all these were donated to this great centre.
One 8 year old girl lives with her mother who has gone to pieces as she is unable to cope. This little girl will be given pen friends back at Arabian to at least help in a small way which may give the mother hope that things can get better. Alos a 12 year old girl too.
As we marched the kids into the grassy frontage outside the centre, we opened up the Davies sports parachute which The Bucks Southern Region paid for and the kids eyes just lit up with excitement.


Rain stopped play!!                        Alan entertains with magic                Donna gets the chute back out

However the sky did not light up, it darkened and lashed it down driving us all back inside. The kids all sat at their wooden desks looking at us with real disappointment. Now this as where the rope trick ad card magic tricks came into their own!
After the rain stopped we all went back outside where the 32 degrees heat soon dried the grass and chute and we continued to have really good fun.
The trampet was used and again the kids had a great fun for about 1 hour. The sun is very powerful and we had to stop. We finished with some photos and shaking of hands before the kids were then taken back to their adopted homes.


Great fun was had with the chute    Davies Sports were just that       Donna explains in the rain

We drove into the centre of Hamabantota where thousands perished and thousands of houses were ripped up and taken to sea. We saw very little improvement within the centre which shocked us. The tents are still around, yet not lived in as much. The temporary sheds are still being used and the place still looks like a war zone to be really frank.
About 3 Km out of town they have built a modern day elderado which looks great, but is way out of the town. The knee jerk reaction of the Government to not re-build near the sea, was a silly one and one that the new leader has relaxed. But for these people its too late as the new settlement has been built.
I think it will take years to get back to where they were.

So on reflection things have moved on, but not exactly as the people would wish, but perhaps how the politicians would wish. We set off for the journey back to Tangalle, where we arrived back as dusk was setting in. We saw a great sight of tens of thousands of swallows ( i think!) swooping around two trees like Indians did with cowboys, quite an amazing sight, and it just reminded us how wonderful nature can be at times.

SUNDAY
Today we toured around the local area and were shown different outlooks. We traveled in land and also to a beach that saw a 25 feet wave swoop across it.
MONDAY
Today we moved north again stopping at Galle areas and Hikkaduwa. We looked at 3 camps on the way and again we have seen some things that are better, but there is a great deal of poverty that really could be dealt with. The funding given to Sri Lanka was enough to re-build it twice over, so why the hell are people still living in tin huts with no future......politics...pure politics. Tonight we have meal out with Muslim family who have helped us and wish to speak with us about the camps. One thing we have learned in the last 12 months is that the Muslims are some of the nicest people we have ever met. We have had more hep from them than any other group.
TUESDAY 10th
today we head to Colombo, then onto Negombo to return the trampet and mat from Ave Maria school Also to see a school there along with our little girl called Sumudu. We will then stay in our last hotel room before our flight wednesday a at 7.




Note to anyone looking at this site. We should be able to keep a diary as we are doing the work and it will be updated from the 30th December onwards. Not sure at this point if we can load pictures as the internet is steam driven on most places in Sri Lanka. ...

British Gymnastic Southern region
are the latest to donate £100 towards the cost of our trip, to them we are very grateful. We have her that our van and driver is stating it will cost us more this time around due to a government tax ...which we assume is on the petrol, so every penny will be needed.

This young girl on the left was at Welligamma beach, she returned to the beach for the first time since the disaster and had such good fun playing with the hoops and the parachute.
We will return to this beach and hope to see the children again, as most lost a family member it is likely to be a sad time as its one year on. We will hope to once again help the children have fun and smile once again, all be it for a short time.



DAVIES SPORTS

Davies Sports, we owe a massive thankyou indeed as they once again have sold us equipment at cost price which is really a fantastic offer. The local Co-op Funeralcare has also donated £50 and loads of skipping ropes for us to take out
 
Arabian gymnasts along with a representative of the Co op show off the goods that we are to take out with us. Davies sports parachutes and hoops along with doanted skipping ropes which some have come from local school Knowles.







DECEMBER 5th 2005
Tsunami return trip on December 27th is fixed. Al and Donna are to visit  amixture of schools and camps along the southern coast of Sri Lanka. They have been funded by clubs like Flic Flac in Lancashire, schools in Milton Keynes, Eatonmill, Simposn, Orchard, Wellsmead, Rickley, Waterhall. Donations from the general public, donations from Arabian parents and gymnasts.

Most recently £250 from the Bucks county Gymnastics Ass.

The two coaches will keep a running diary on this very page whilst in Sri lanka. Often problems occur with internet speed. Sri Lankan internet is very much like the wonderful people, very laid back and in a relaxed pace!

This letter arrived so we have placed it on here for all to see.
 

August 22nd 2005

Dear Mr and Mrs Armitage,

I ,a teacher at Anula Devi Girls College  send this to thank for the help extended by you two. You visited our school and played with the students and you gave us a paritute.  The students really enjoyed the session.

It really was a great thing to build up their broken spirits.They still recall that experience.

Now we have Email in the school        anuladevi@sltnet.lk

 

Again I thank you to on behalf of the principal.

Hope to keep contact with  you.

You are welcome here at any time.

Take care

Roshan Kaluthotage Teacher Anula Devi Girls Cllege,Galle ,Sri Lanka

July 1st 2005

TSUNAMI VICTIMS TO BE HELPED ONE YEAR ON

Alan & Donna have announced that they are to return exactly one year after the tsunami hit the Island give or take a few hours. They wish to attend as many camps as they can playing gymnastics and games and chatting with the children who have suffered so much. The two coaches said
"The rich deep smile you get from these children for giving what would be classed so little in the UK, but to them is everything, makes us want to return. The two trips we have made already have been the most soul and heart wrenching trips of our life, but also the most rewarding in every capacity you could imagine. To create a giggle from a child that has lost everything but her/his own life, is quality at its very highest, the sound of children laughing is awesome, but when its tinged with such sadness its priceless"
Alan is talking with Kuwait Airways, one of the best passenger carriers to Sri Lanka to ask if they will kindly offer a friendly price as they have in the past, due to the work the two coaches intend doing. Schools in Milton Keynes are to be approached to assist the expense of the two coaches undertaking this two week charity trip to southern Sri Lanka.

April 5th 2005

Alan & Donna had an eventful week on the island of paradise where they visited 17 further camps and schools and endured the fear of a tsunami after the 8.7 earthquake. If this was not enough, Donna fractured her wrist when she slipped due to the heavy rain. However even with a broken wrist, Donna continued to help and play with children who have lost so much and that are still getting very little aid. A great deal of thanks to Geoffrey Dobbs who sponsored the coaches in accommodation and cost of the chutes and hoops. Big thanks to Khalid Al- Buston at Kuwait Airways for his great help with the two trips

Fear of another Tsunami is etched on the face of a little girl in distant village of Kirinda on the south east coast

This their week diary in Sri Lanka

  Big thanks to charity Chairman Bob Prince who drove us to Heathrow for 7.30am, in time for our 10am flight.

We arrived at 6-30 am in Sri Lanka at their main airport 40 minutes north of Colombo, after a 13 hour trip which included a stop at Kuwait City. Met by our driver Quaver and friend Eddie we loaded up the 20 parachutes and 100 hoops, balls, dolls, pencils, clothing, leotards from the zone and trampet that we borrowed from Negombo where we donated it last year.

 A shed built against the one remaining wall of the persons home, along with a donated tent, our view on the coastal journey south

This is still home!

We traveled for 3 ½ hours through Colombo and down the western coast road where we stopped at Hikkaduwa for a cup of tea just 30 minutes short of Galle our destination. We have holidayed there before and therefore it's an attraction for us to stop and at least have a cup of tea. Hikkaduwa was hit rather badly with many lives lost, but also there are areas hardly hit.

Geoffrey Dobbs of adoptsrilanka offered both myself and Donna free accommodation in Galle and he also funded the parachutes and hoops. Henri Tatham the manager of his property "The sun House" looked after us fantastically well.

We met up with Natalie who heads the office of www.adoptsrilanka.com and she had lunch with us and then told us where we were to stay.

Being wiser from our last visit we decided to rest the remainder of the afternoon, we promptly all fell asleep, as did our good friend Paul Seaby who was joining us to take photographs

.

As dusk rolled its way in across the skies we were getting agitated that we were doing nothing so we called our driver and set off to a previously visited camp within the Galle district to give out Glow sticks and pencils, pens etc, we were slightly disappointed to not meet up with the girls who last month gave us such a warm welcome and tour of the tented town. Nevertheless it was great to see and get the parachute out that we had donated last time, have fun and then watch their faces light up when we handed out glow sticks.

It was also rather scary as they surrounded us as if we were giving money out. The slightest gift creates a crowd, a simple pencil is begged for. Its awful to run out and its also very difficult to select to whom you give anything too. It makes you wonder where the millions of pounds have gone as its still clear that these children have very little indeed. We stay about 40 minutes and then as the darkness becomes very dark we wave goodbye and set off back to the house which is about 15 minutes drive away.

SUNDAY:

We set off at 8-30 am after breakfast and headed back up the western coast north towards Hikkaduwa. We drove and looked out for camps which are normally a cluster of tents, sometimes we have to look for signs as camps are set back well away from the coastal road. We managed to do 5 camps, which is a record for us in one day. We struggled to find a suitable soft grounded area for the parachute and on one site it got a rip, but it did not take away the fun they had. Sometimes it was a weird feeling playing with children amongst the ruins of houses where many sadly lost their lives.

We found one camp had been re-located and there were just a few children still there in about tents. The ironic thing was there setting was stunning, the perfect campsite to any camper. A stunning clear water river lapped the short green-grassed verge, palm trees draped over the whole area in a Sunday afternoon haze. The only sound was that of a kingfisher bird or the distant monkeys. I jumped out and spoke to the police man on duty holding a rifle and he got the few children still there to come and meet me, as the driver struggled to turn the van around in the cu-de-sac green grassed area I gave a doll to each child and a hula hoop.

One Particular camp had some very tramourtised children in it and they struggled to join in the fun we brought to the camp, in this instance we gave them a teddy or card. We did our utmost to make as many children happy as possible, sometimes the grief of the whole picture is just too much.

Some children we just could not reach, but the teddy is his!

We returned back to the Dutch house our place of residence by 5-20pm, hot, dusty, tired and ready for a swim in the empty pool, a good day done, with about 250 children entertained.

Its a wonderful and great feeling to of completed a hard days work, making so many children laugh and have fun. We both feel so very honoured to be here doing this kind of work. People say what we are doing is applaudable from all quarters, although we thank people for their kind words, its really not difficult to do, if you like making children happy!

What is noticeable so far is the smell of undiscovered bodies appears to of gone. Also we have noticed that people are starting to pick them selves up, the shock of it all has started to ebb as they try to rebuild their lives. But the way people are living is still just awful.

MONDAY:

Breakfast at 7am, what a killer, I remember eating it but it was an outer body experience! We set off slightly later than planned at 7-45am for the worst hit area in the south Hambantota, a 4 ½   hour mega journey. We drove slightly in land to find a hotel, which was based in Tissarnaharama; I found it easier to say tissarami. We were the only people in the hotel, which was built only 8 months ago and was ring fenced by palm trees and the front road, so there was no exotic view. It was clean and very basic; the cost was 4600 rupees, which was about £33 for two of us including breakfast and meal.

We decided on this hotel because as we stopped on the road to look at it...and to see if it was open, a jeep pulled up alongside us with two or three lads in it to say it was not a good hotel and to follow them to the one next door....I did not think this was gentlemanly conduct and therefore we drove straight into the one we were looking at.

We decided to have lunch at the hotel as there was no where else to eat anyway..they gave us each a menu and with  a broad smile the waiter stood and waited for us to choose what we wanted. The room was quite large, with about 20 other tables...all empty, the lighting was dull and although it was hot they had just the one fan on over our table out of the 7 or so on the ceiling.

As we looked at the wonderful menu choice we all claimed our choice, which was all met with " sorry we do not have this choice" In the end I said to him what do you have? " Rice or chicken or  a sandwich" came back the answer

I am sure they jumped into a car and went to a shop for the food as it took an age to arrive, however they manage to rustle up the food it was served with style and grace, which is Sri Lankan all over.The hotel is situated on the edge of a National Park which has many wild animals within, and the Tsunami apparently killed more tourists in this area than anywhere else, so we are told.

Nearby surrounded by paddy fields and water Buffalos sat in ditches of water is a big white Buddhist temple dome, it looks really good surrounded and draped by palm trees, it wasn't very tall, in fact it looks like just a dome placed on the floor. It certainly made you look at it, yet I haven't taken a photograph!

Having had lunch we then drove to a small town possible a large village would be more accurate, well it was a small village called Kirinda, and this poor place was wiped out by the ten metre waves. The tsunami deposited this huge mound of sand like a large dune in the desert, on the beach. It was so precise in its making and height it looked man made, but the locals said it was the Tsunami, a digger and truck was starting its removal whilst we were there. It was the height of two houses and the width of about ten. Really weird to witness it I can tell you.

Unreal tsunami sand dune at Kirinda beach

The bulldozers had moved the rubble of houses and the ripped up palm trees towards the beach creating a 6-foot drop to the sand. You actually could not see the sea as the dune was too big, but you could hear the crashing of the waves, I went and stood on a smaller dune to take in the size of the big dune and see the sea.....later tonight this placing will send a shiver down my spine!

Children's clothes and fisherman nets were twisted and strewn amongst the bulldozed earth, the sound of the digger moving the sand broke the eerie silence that fell over this fishing

town that now resembled a ghost town.

fishing nets and clothes twisted around broken trees

Photographs can never show you the full picture. Just off the once busy high street, which now houses ruins after ruins, had a massive Japanese container ship deposited by the surge of water where houses once stood.

We found three wonderful camps, it was well documented that the first ever camp was built here and when we visited it we were impressed by the unity of all the families.

The terraced like shed units had electricity and basic provisions. everyone had use of a stand pipe to wash or collect fresh water. The camp was however some way from the centre of the village which is at the sea front, so it was peacefully quiet ...until we arrived and had kids laughing and giggling

A teddy given to this child still scarred

The other two camps were also well organised and the children had such great fun playing with the hoops, parachute and trampet.

The sound of the children giggling and laughing made the whole 4 ½ hour drive from Galle worth while, we were determined to make the journey before we left England as we knew the aid in this area was very limited.

But I have to say that the roads really make you appreciate the smooth roads back home. The journey back home would take half the time but the driver rarely went over 45mph due to the holes in the road that often look like a dot to dot drawing. Most drivers do not understand the word give way or that a 4 foot wide car will not pass a gap of 3 foot, but strange as it is they manage! As passengers you do get use to it and often we are within inches of certain collision, but it never happens, thank god! Our journey here saw one particular nasty crash where I doubt the drivers survived, it brings a shudder of reality to the journey, and silence fell in the van for a fair few minutes.

Not just the heat made us melt, a child's smile was as powerful

As usual it was not very easy to see the aid from the big aid charities, perhaps they didn't want to get their nice new 4 x4 trucks dirty, one assumes they were paying for these very expensive vehicles so that people could see what they look like. We could be accused of being cynical I guess, but what we see is what we see, we are only being truthful.

What struck us after our first visit last month was how people back home were very defensive when we stated we saw little aid reaching the children, apart from the red cross. We think people who gave money do not want to hear anything negative.

We are pleased with the three camps we went to as these children are very much out of the way and off the beaten track in where they live. We gave many dolls out to the smallest of children and to those still too scared to leave a parents arms.

We returned to the hotel where we were urged to use their swimming pool, which was in a kind of courtyard as it was surrounded by the hotel walls, one end was open to a field which was a refreshing view, they were so excited we were staying they just wanted us to use their pool, despite it not having the tiles around the edge completed. We were not overly keen but knowing it would delight the owner, we had swim.

Tsunami warning

Debbie from Arabian called us this evening at about 11-30pm….we were all in bed as there was nothing else to do where we were, the hotel resembled in many ways the hotel in the eagles track Hotel California. " you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave!"

  Debbie asked if we were ok, as there had been an earthquake and tsunami warning for Sri Lanka. I was initially annoyed as I assumed, somewhat cynically I have to admit, it was just an over reaction perhaps about a ripple near Japan!

We had just drifted off which was not easy with the air conditioning making a noise like a speed boat engine, so I was a bit miffed to be woken. How wrong I was and we thank Debbie for warning us and to all the others who called from England. I knocked on Paul seaby's bedroom door next to us, having hurriedly pulled on some shorts and a tee shirt.." Paul theres been an earthquake" I said to his call "what is it" "oh i best put some trousers on" he said with the most calm and english approach you could imagine.

We watched the only TV in the hotel in the dinning room hall which was only lit up by the TV screen which was placed up in the corner, we watched it transfixed with complete shock with the Sri Lankan workers, both of them! We were stunned and dismayed at what we were seeing on the BBC world service, we stayed up until 3am until we knew everything was safe. An awful night and one that must have been so terrifying for all those in the camps. It also made us feel so so very guilty in informing so many people that another tsunami will not come in their lifetime. We were requested to try and calm people in camps and near the sea by reassuring them that it would not happen again, we watched the TV with an air of disbelief and complete guilt.

TUESDAY:

  Somewhat tired this morning, its not often you share the nightmare of a possible tsunami and one we really would never wish to experience again, god my mobile bill will be colourful. We set off to Hambantota which is now heading back towards Galle, this is a town where thousands of people perished in the 8-minute surge of water.

Sheds they may be but this is only thanks to the private sector, our driver solemnly looks at the mound of rubble with a disheveled cross on it.

We were taking a few photographers when we met this wonderful Dutch chap. He was staying out there and heading a local Charity back home that wished to assist the town. He was responsible for the buying of timber so huts could be erected. He asked us to visit a primary school where he is making a new toilet.

We followed him in his very old datsun sunny car which had a big sun flower painted on it, a bit like the 60's peace era, it resembled a banger car and that also had a strong smell of petrol around it, we arrived at this small school in land and sadly due to the Tsunami terror warning last night, there are only 12 children here out of 300; they are here because they live next to the school. We gave them Hoops and skipping ropes and they all wanted a gymnastic card from us. We spent a good time talking with them and gave them a parachute to have fun with. Most dressed in muslim clothing, showing that all faiths enjoy playing.

Hambantota school pupil 2005

These children were really nice children and we enjoyed spending time with them, in fact I got told off by Donna for spending too long with them as it made us late for our appointment in Tangalle, which was still two hours drive away with just one hour to go to the meeting time…opps. Its really difficult to leave when they are such beautiful children.

Having said our goodbyes we moved onto Tangalle where we met Ed, Ed is on a working vacation to help the cause with adoptsrilanka. Ed was a great guy he is joining the army at Sandringham in May and he was really good company. Ed arranged for us to visit schools tomorrow and today we went to a camp that Oxfam had assisted on with temporary accommodation, It has to be said this was the first we had seen of Oxfam. But at least we have seen them! Lovely children who had such great fun playing games with the chute and trampet. We gave a few more dolls to those children that clearly wee still suffering.

A hoop and teddy for this sad girl.. it made her smile

Ed then took us to a school supported by Geoffrey Dobbs which has a swimming club which is in the sea right outside the school, many children were still not around due to the scare last night, but what boys were there had a great treat as Donna put them through their paces with an abundance of fun and games…..we had to bend metal out of the way that had been twisted and ripped up by the tsunami, so the boys would not get hurt. The beach had about 10 inches or so of coral on it washed up by the tsunami.

A wrecked beach turned into a colourful laughing playground

Donna teaching hopscotch

We then drove back to Galle, which was another 2 hours drive away. We arrived back at about 7-30pm, our driver clearly spooked at driving at night along the coastal road. His more erratic and risky over taking made Donna and Paul feel slightly uneasy in the back. The roads are noticeably quieter this evening...i guess understandably....The worry of a further wave is clearly affecting many people and last nights earthquake will not enhance their confidence. I think it will take many years to recover from this. What is important is that holidaymaker's return, to this island of paradise.
 
We both realise that for us, we can never see ourselves coming here to holiday, not because of what happened or that we are scared, but the fact we have seen and helped so many children, we would feel guilty not visiting them. I mean how could we possibly sit on a beach reading a book knowing what we know about so many children? We have already decided that if we can get funding we will return this year to do more work. Isn't it absolutely awful that we are thanked by so many over here for what we do but trying to get funding to return is so difficult, when so much money has been given.

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast at 7am…I don't like these early starts it might be 7am but we have to get up at 6-40am for it! Don't get me wrong, I am not lazy and i do want to fill the day up, i just think its rather difficult to get up so early. The day is always so very full, the evenings I have to admit tend to be taken up with  a slight tipple, which makes sleeping rather easy in the heat. I think we do so much in such direct sunlight and humidity that it drains us and our bodies are reluctant to fully wake...well that's my excuse and Donna agrees its a good one!

Actually I sleep quite well in this heat, we have a mosquito net allaround the bed, and when i get out in the night to visit the bathroom, I always take care to put my flip flops on, as the nightly crew of insects is not one that lights my fire! Boy some are really big! If you dont shut that net when you get in and out you can wake up looking like you have chicken pox.

Last night whislt there was a huge thunderstorm wrapping its flexed arm around the town, I was having a problem... there was this big buzzing sound, i put my torch on knowing it was no cricket, and there right in front of me with only a thin net separting me from a beatle of humongous size, i hit it with my torch ( like all brave people do)but it still hung on, so I gave it a massive blow, with this it when flying and hit the wall with a thud. Donna managed to sleep through this awful attack, but worse still was in the morning ( as getting up during the night was a no no) it had gone!

The good thing however while eating breakfast outside on the patio was seeing the monkeys in the trees eating away the leaves and the Kingfisher swooping down onto the lawn of this old house we are put up in. We packed the van once again ( its called a van but its really a people carrier) with the parachutes and toys and off we returned to Tangalle to meet Ed. We pay the driver 3000 rupees a day to drive us where ever we want, plus another 500 for his lunch, which he never uses. If its been a long day we also give him another 500 or 1000. In essence we look after him as so far he has looked after us!

Arrived at 9-45, I had to stop in Matara where I have found a supermarket that looks half decent, I am not being derogative about Lanka's supermarkets , but this one is very good indeed and it sells marshmallows and bottled water, we drink so much each day it unreal.

We estimate we drink about 3 litres of soda and Coka Cola and at least 3 glasses of water without going to the bathroom. Good job as there are no toilets anyway. We just sweat it all out; the marshmallows are just the child in me really.

We visited a Catholic Primary school run by nuns; a very sweet school tucked away in the small high street of Tangalle, not directly affected by the sea but has many children whom were.

The main beach in Tangalle was a back packers surfers paradise and the death and destruction was mind blowing. Ed took us to a deserted and ghost like beach strip, it is truly a most stunning beach but one that has been wiped out, on one of the palm trees there is a swing hanging down blowing gently in the breeze over the white sand, but there are no people here now to use it, completely deserted and just ruins of hotels and lodges, to remind you people use to be here. Even the road is washed away....truly a awful sight, an area that will take a long time to recover.

Back at the school they all dressed in their white and blue uniforms we taught them all the games, they really had good fun, we have enjoyed this school very much and played all the games we could think of.

Donna was great with the parachute games, she then introduced hop scotch which was really great to watch. I had the job on trampet, which was such good fun to do, but a great deal of these wonderful children were too small to run a nd jump, so i just held their hands and got them to bounce.

These lovely little children whom all had a handkerchief pinned to their school uniform, were to start with taken aback by this raid by British gymnastics coaches and official photographer Paul Seaby. Looking slightly bemused by it all they slowly started to have fun with the often firm prompting of the sister or teachers. In the end they were all having a great time.

Donna listening to the Sister of the Tangalle primary school

We had to pull ourselves way as we needed to be at the deaf school by 11-30. But the sister would not let us go until we had a biscuit out of her carefully painted biscuit tin and a glass of cherry aid. We have to be very careful to not offend, but at the same time we really need to move fast so it was a quick munch, grab another two to take with us and drink the drink in one go. I think they realized we had to be quick. The hospitality of the Sri Lankan people is out of this world and if only the rest of the world could take 15% of their kindness it would make the world a more wondrous place.

We were driven into an area, which can only be described as a palm tree jungle with wonderful fruits hanging from trees, not too sure what the fruit was it was bigger than a rugby ball and green in colour and although our driver did name it, we could not fully understand his description so we did not pursue the questions. One thing is for sure, if it fell on your head you would not survive.

The driveway to it was a dirt track road taken from the jungles of the Congo, the van swayed heavily as we went very very slowly down the potholes that had been made worse in the wet season.

160 deaf children of all ages were delighted to see us as they have very little toys or games and live at the school as their parents don't wish to have them as they do not understand their problem or know how to converse. Its rather sad really, but we enjoyed this stop more than any other at all, these kids were just super, I had to learn to speak to them by visual means, I am so glad it was not filmed as I would of looked like a right lemon, I think Paul Seaby enjoyed taking still shots mind you!

Dolls placed on the chute bounce high to the enjoyment of these kids

We left two parachutes at the deaf school and numerous hoops and skipping ropes along with a handful of cards for them to write to us, a truly magical experience teaching them, I long to return one day to do more with them. Donna agrees this was the best experience we have had to date, due to the children being deaf they were very quick indeed at learning.

Ed had other engagements to do and after the deaf school, we said goodbye, I think he enjoyed the experience of what we did, I think he realised its not as easy as perhaps he thought it was. Working in direct sun where the temperature is 97 in the shade and 95% humidity, makes you dehydrate faster than a hamster can go around its wheel.

waving goodbye, always a great sight to see, but tinged with sadness

Next we stopped at the Fisherman's Camp, this was where there were three blocks of three story flats( really in the middle of know here but alongside the river and about 1000 metres from the sea) and these flats have been made into their homes as they lost their real homes to the sea.

It was dusty and very windy working between the flats either side of us. There is no concrete or tarmac just a sandy dusty floor, each day we think we have a great tanned colour until we shower and realise it was pure orange dust. I like the sun so working in this heat I actually enjoy, but I have to say it is possibly not too healthy.

These children were very difficult to teach, we had language barriers and we had little understanding from the parents who just watched. I tried to explain that the wind was making it difficult to operate without adult help. In the end we got the message through and we left leaving them all playing with the chute. The best game is 1,2,3 let the chute go up in the air, kids just love it as the chute goes up in a shape of a mushroom, as we left the camp there was a message painted on a wall saying thank you for help, clearly aimed at all the people before us who have visited and dome their bit.

We drove on to welligamma where we are to meet the Australian aid worker Greg. Boy is this lad a character and boy does he do good work. Geoffrey is putting him up on his holiday island, which at present has no tourists as you can imagine. So Greg has great delight in telling us that he has been banished to an island by the English, AGAIN…God Save the Queen he says!

A tree house is home

We were meeting him to go to a few camps there but sadly the rain started to fall and did it fall! So much so we had to abandon the day (about 4pm) and we asked for a cup of tea, once the rain eased enough to get out the van we went to wade to the island the water normally a bout shin height. Well it was last time I visited and that's what I told Paul Seaby who rolled his trousers up to his knees…opps forgot about the swell!

Worse still was to happen, as we joined Greg and other aid worker Will on the tiny island that houses a large home, we were drying off from the now torrential rain when Donna stepped on to a surface wet and over she slipped, it transpires that she has a fractured wrist, so pain killers with her tea were the order of the day!

THURSDAY:

Why oh why does a week go so quickly, next time it has to be longer, we cant believe this is our last day, it saddens us deeply, there are so many other children we have not reached.

Due to the bad weather yesterday we returned to meet Greg at 9-30 am in Welligama about 40 minutes drive from Galle. Here we met Geoffrey and Libby for the first time for about 2 minutes before they moved onto their next meeting place. We visited a small village where they are trying to re-build their homes and make new fishing boats.

Greg is helping this project. Heated and raised voices were aired by the villagers as they each tried to place their own dilemma as more urgent than the next persons...boy what a difficult job. In the middle of this meeting held in the dirt track road between damaged houses is Greg, trying in his best aussie accent to get them to stay calm, a bit like asking a sri Lankan cricket crowd to not cheer when their team hit a six! We watched on as we waited for Greg, we looked at the new fibre glass boats being molded for fishing, clearly people are trying hard to get back to normal.

We visited a camp but found the children were not there as they had been placed into a local school, so we gave a few teddies to the children there without parents and went to the school.

Broken wrist or not, Donna carried on.

Most head principals are very receptive to us just turning up but its always a risk. This particular school is a very poor school indeed and we were welcomed with wide-open arms. We played the games with them and Greg assisted me on Trampet as Donna gentle used her left hand to do the parachute games. The school a mixed school was very enthusiastic and we really enjoyed the work. Greg said in his usual Aussie sarci accent " I thought you Brits were on a easy ride just giving teddies out, this is bloody hard work” I think he was giving us a compliment as he was catching flying children on the trampet. I think he actually really enjoyed the laughter and happiness of the children, as he has had to deal with very sad situations in his work here.

Happy to pose this despite all the horror they are prettily dressed and smiling, in this Tangalle based camp for displaced people.

We moved on to our last school, which was the national welligama, all girls' school. 2900 girls all immaculately uniformed dressed and all wanting to come out to have fun, but we had to ask the principal to select a few.

With that, about 200 turned up! Now this was where Greg really worked as we had 16-year-old girls running like a tiger and jumping on the trampet, we nearly needed a ladder to reach them…..and some of these girls are well made girls. It was great fun but a little scary at times. The girls wanted to sing to us and then they asked if I would sing…………hhmmm It was a lovely school to finish on. We headed back to Galle where the rain was falling heavily, I went for a swim in the pool despite the rain, then showered and then we set off in the rain on the long long journey to Negombo……it took 2 hours just to drive through Colombo! We donated leotards from the Zone to the gymnasts in Negombo and also a parachute for the convent.

We have completed a great week; it has gone really well and look forward to helping these wonderful children again in the future, we just hope that we can get help from the members of the DEC so we can again help, but so far the replies from Red cross, world Vision is they are unable to assist, despite the millions of pounds donated.....to be fair the red cross appear to be doing the most so we say if anyone intends donating we would 100% back the International red cross, but we would stop there! bare in mind this is our personal opinion on our findings of just southern Sri Lanka by speaking to many field workers and private sector workers...we would of asked aid workers but strange as it was we did not find too many in two weeks and 34 camps and schools visited, but we did see some nice 4x4 cars driving about in wonderful clean gleaming fashion...maybe we are cynical, maybe we are inaccurate, but clearly the question still remains on our lips and thousands of others in southern Sri Lanka.." where is the money?"

When I asked a man sat outside his tent " have you heard of the millions of dollars raised to help you and others like you throughout the world?" he looked down and gently shakes his head and then slowly looks back up at us and says " I have heard, but we have had nothing, its about who you know not what you know"

Mrs Irene Crapp of two mile ash in the local area of Milton Keynes has donated over 30 hand made wool dolls which the two coaches will give to selected children who have lost parents.

Davies Sports have once again offered goods at cost price. Activity world has donated £150.00 and some plastic balls.

Colin Cherry and Marie Collins of MK Sport managed to gain £152.00 in donations from the people who attended the annual sports awards evening held on the 10th March.

Alan is in talks with kuwait Airlines to try and get a weight agreement or otherwise they will have to pay for the extra weight!

 First SRI LANKA TOUR

SRI LANKA MISSION WE REVEAL MANY PEOPLES FEARS!

        FRIDAY March 4TH 2005

 A survivor but will she see any world funding?

So sad when we arrived, but look below, we changed this sad little child into a bundle of giggles for over an hour. We also donated a teddy bear to this little girl, which she hugged tightly

Our Mission to teach children displaced by the disaster in the Indian ocean, was a complete success. We could never of wished it to have such vibrant and credible results. The funding we raised was given direct to a Catholic Convent, a Buddhist temple, www.adoptsrilanka.com, struggling individuals we came across who had received no help at all. We also gave a sizable donation to a muslim camp.Other donations were handed over to camp leaders.

Chief Monk gets a sizable donation from Alan which was funded by Eaton Mill School and  Leon school in Bletchley,towards the camp the temple now has to deal within its grounds

The temple camp, basic living conditions.

Having just returned from Sri Lanka where we worked at 17 camps and schools in the south, we witnessed hundreds upon hundreds of displaced children and parents, it is a hard pill to swallow when I have to report the fears of so many regarding the funding raised worldwide.We report what we saw, what we were told.

A crush of children on the beach as they push to get a skipping rope!

"We just stopped on the road and clapped our hands towards the tents within the jungle, hoping children would come out, they did like ants around sugar, it was a great feeling to make them so happy"Donna

The main question from hundreds and hundreds of Sri Lankan people that we met, also Private sector workers who have gone to help like we did from countries , India, Australia, Belgium, Holland, Italy, England, South Africa, USA, to mention but a few is " WHERE THE HELL IS THE MONEY" as there is more chance of plaiting sawdust than there is of seeing these poor people get any financial help.

A child's flip flop sets the scene amongst the rubble, this scene was spread over hundreds of miles.

These reports that I write about are from all different walks of people, some Mr Mrs average and some are very wealthy people indeed. The Millions raised is certainly not reaching a great deal of the people we spoke to, whom are dealing with many village projects.

very hot, very dusty, no time for your girlie girlie coaches in these conditions. Donna directs the children in a camp

Tents from Saudi Arabia that are not water proof...with the monsoon season fast approaching, for a nation of such wealth, not the brightest bunnies with their donation!

Hambentota, this was a high street of shops and houses, very little funding on show here two months on. Note the blue polythene which we assume was put over the tents that are not water proof

A camp baby falls in love with Donna and her glasses

Tents from England which although give some shelter and are for certain a kind gesture and help, are of no use what so ever as they are too hot to be in, so say all the people whom have them.

DEC....hhmmm never met a single person who had heard of them, or a person who would say that any of their members are here! Having said this, the British red cross are one of their members and they were seen.

We are to ask the DEC if they would assist a 2nd trip as they have been given so much money for the disaster. A certain charity was quoted to us of saying it can only fund refugees and that is a person who is not within its own country, it has classed just 35 in Sri Lanka!!

Eddie, Fernando Suranga teaches trampet & above taking a break.

Based In Negombo it was his trampet which Arabian donated to him that we took around. He is hoping thatContinental sports will donate him a new bed as it took a battering! we will ask them for him.

The red cross, here at a very organised camp, giving out basic stuff.

..yes they are everywhere with distribution appearing in most places, we were pleased with what we saw. Water butts were seen along the roadside where a water truck would keep filled with fresh water, all appear to be via the Red Cross.

She may of lost some family, her home, but boy did we make this sweet little child smile, we will not forget some of the couragous children we met!

Good reports about the USA, with marines rebuilding  bridges and many British workers doing their bit. The British apparently have done a great deal but have not raised flags where they have helped like most nations.

RARE FOR A SRI LANKAN TO NOT SMILE, HER EYES SHOW YOU THE PAIN OF LOSING BOTH PARENTS, IF YOU WANT TO HELP HER, YOU CAN VIA US.

Having said this the flags clearly show who is about the most, Italy were the first Nation apparently to be in Lanka helping on the 27th December, they have done a massive amount, but slight criticism now that the have now moved on and have not seen through projects. Nevertheless they are praised the most by field workers.

Galle beach two months on...wrecked

The dutch are doing great work in places but once again its the private sector, tents from Japan, Kuwait, were also seen. The government, who would struggle to run the magic round-about have managed to distribute rice to most families but reports that they have been so bad at distribution that food has gone off and had to be thrown.

Stories that top German medical team who came to help were blocked for 5 days at getting their respected medicines past customs.

A SCHOOL CHILD REACHES OUT TO ALAN FOR A TOUCH OF HIS HAND, IT MEANS SO MUCH TO THEM, THAT WE CAME TO PLAY.

That two planes were told to turn back as they were not allowed clearance through customs, both planes allegedly carrying aid.

About 100 miles south of galle we visited Hambentota, pictures will never show you what we saw with our eyes....pictures will not show you the deathly silence that falls over a rubble infested town, completely flattened and erased from existence.Thousands upon thousands killed within minutes, by a huge wave towering over 10 metres. Strange as it seems nature was not hurt, only hurt by the debris of mankind.

where homes once stood, a leveled ground is a place to play, thanks to some USA lads that are helping re-build their lives and homes.

To put it in mildly there is a serious lack of help, lets hope that these charities that have taken the money are just having teething problems maybe due to the lack of resources, as we have to remember the scale of this disaster is huge.

Its easy to criticize charities and aid workers, perhaps they just do not have the manpower in all the areas to report back.There can only be so many builders, so many carpenters, but the facts are areas are still in need of great help.

We would suggest that some of the money donated be offered to tradesman worldwide to go and help re-build. But will charities release the money for such a project as employing workers, does their rules allow such spending in such a way, also will the Sri Lankan Government also allow them to work?

A very basic shed, we saw some other places where temp homes had been built, but these were far and few between. In the far south we didn't see any.

What are the Sri lankan government doing, they appear completely hopeless, they appear unable to cope. Also unscrupulous people are trying to bring goods into the country under the pretence that its for the disaster.So airport officials are now not so happy to allow people in with goods under the tsunami banner.

We even had our hoops checked and I had to say they were for a school, we were lucky they didn't check our two suitcases full of Davies sports parachutes....that would of taken some explaining, they may of not allowed us in with them!

Other reports to us are that aid workers are not permitted to stay more than a few months, this dispelling any bad stories of the government. The new aid workers who will of course see some improvement. It appears the workers who are here for too long quickly realise the government is not doing anything. It appears they get rid of the workers who start to get to clever for their own good, so we were told.

We really made them laugh. Davies sports Parachutes were just fantastic

It would be wrong for me to remark that I personally feel the government are not doing anything, because they clearly are trying, but its questionable to what degree. I do have the right to report what people are saying to me, Donna, Eddie and www.adoptsrilanka.com

These people who have lost not just their home, but their parents, their wife or husband, some children lost all their family, they have nothing and are getting nothing two months on!

Two children who have lost parents, both coaches stayed strong as others who attended their mission cracked. " it was not a case that we hard, but more we had to block the pain out to be able to see the whole day out and the days after. We both helped each other cope but at times it was an awful feeling to stay strong when you really wanted to let out emotion" Alan

Our Driver and transport puts away the trampet with a Monk

We have 5 hours of filming with all the remarks from the adults and the children, if BBC or ITN look at these tapes they will be horrified at the truth, " I am 15 years old, i lost my parents and my sisters and brothers along with my home. I am being cared for by my sister-in-law. we have two tents and a mattress, that's all we have, we have had no funding" We looked and were devastated at what we saw, we feel so guilty at leaving camps and Sri Lankan, we feel awful.

School children who lost so much still laughed when the wind from the wafting parachute blew their skirts

These are facts as we have seen it and heard it and for anyone here in England to say this is not right, I tell them to speak with the man in Galle who lost 5 daughters, his son, his wife and his home.

He had nothing..... but Geoffrey Dobbs who initiated www.adoptsrilanka.com has paid and made him a new home. The guy has had nothing but a few thousand rupees from his government.

We urge anyone who can give up a week or two to fly to Lanka and turn up in the camps or villages, they are crying out for workers, people who can put their hands to anything.

Also what we did came as a huge shock as we are the first people to go out to directly play with the children and put a smile on their faces, you do not need to be a qualified Gymnastic coach, just a person who can interact with children of all ages who have lost their world.

They play on what was their school classroom.

To teach hop scotch, skipping and play with a parachute does not need a great deal of skill. To deal with what you will see and hear will however challenge your mental ability to be strong. Will you crack? it would be in human to not be affected, by a nation of a million smiles.

Alan catches a flying " Little monk" at a Buddhist temple which is a camp to many in Hikkaduwa north of Galle by 20 miles

on our last camp a 11 year old girl took us into her bedroom, not her own home that was lost, but a bedroom in a house where people perished. She sung to us in a wonderful voice a heart breaking rendition of K sara sara, it was the only thing to get to us both.

We owe a great deal of thanks to www.adoptsrilanka.com for the accommodation and the care to direct us, Eddie from Negombo who also was with us, quafther our driver, Natalie who was just wonderful.

Donna talks to a devastated young man who begged for help and money, on the ruins of where his home once stood

Our biggest thanks goes to all the people who funded the trip, without you we would of not managed the mission, thank you all so very much, you all played a wonderful part in us making hundreds of children and parents so very happy. They are now all playing with the ropes, the hoops and the Davies sports parachutes thanks to you. Although what we have come across is negative, what we delivered was positive and a wondrous sight to witness....children giggling and laughing!

Children played on their own and had such great fun.

Our advise: fund people who want to go out and do good, do not give any money to charities unless you have fully checked out and know for sure that your money is going where they say it is, because we will not pass a single penny of our money, having seen what we have seen.

Infectious smiles

Alan well known for his ability teaching girls showed that he can also have good fun teaching the lads, as the picture shows all ages!

Heat & dust stricken Donna with a camp leader

actually taking the chute to the sea, this was an incredible sight to see.

Teenage boys playing jumping hoops

THIS IS A REPORT FROM A FIELD WORKER SUNDAY MARCH 6TH 2005

Alan,

Was a pleasure to have met you and fanastic work you are doing please keep up the good work!

Quick run down on what I'm currently doing here for Adopt Sri Lanka, as you know I was flown over here by Kim Winter who is managing director / owner of Logistics Recruitment to work for the UN at Colombo airport in regards to the logistics.

After 2 weeks of 14 hour and 24 hour days a system was estabalished and a hand over to the locals was completed, having said that the Wing Commander of the Sri Lanka Airforce J.K Chandana who was in charge of secruity has rung me several times asking me to return as it's not running quite as smoothly "What to do?"

Colombo for a day off before heading down south to Galle to do volunteer work and check up on where all the goods which I was despatching from the airport were heading and to see it was going to the people who needed the resorces most, volunteer for anyone who required assistance.

By chance bumped into a lovely Canadian lady Rebecca, after chatting for some time she suggested I meet Jeoffery Dobbs re volunteer work......good move!
Thought I was heading down to sleep in a tent I'm living on Taprobane Island, it's the 2nd time the English have sent me to a beautiful Island!!!!!! God bless the Queen!

My work here is presently doing school surveys from Midigama to Matara working out what the schools need most and how best to improve educatioal, sanitary and even sporting facilities. The schools here are so poor you can't imagine how much they need help!

Adopt Sri Lanka is aiming to sister up schools from O/S to local schools here to help out finacially and to improve the standard of education as well as teaching and learning conditions. I could start listing all the requirements from just a single school but the list never ends, an example a boys school in Weligama doesn't have a working toilet with 2900 students!!! What to do? As I said the list is just endless as far as what we could do to help.

On Wednesday I start a project rebuilding over 50 homes in Weligama while still trying to fit in school surveys, can only imagine the caos!

The work I'm doing here is the best thing any man could ever hope to be doing, the Singlanese people are beautiful people, I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoy helping these wonderful people it's an absolute pleasure!

Will be in touch

Cheers

Greg Air (Australian and proud of it!)

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Fri 25th Feb

We have been very successful in making many children happy, but along the way we have found isolated areas of Sri Lanks looking like a nucular wasteland.

Never have Iseen such destruction; 15,000 killed out of the town's 20,000 pop. Silence all around and only a few children left alive. Most have no parents all have no homes.

Aid is limited to a tent with survival rations. It's truly awful. We have had two different companions on our visits and both have so far broken down. We fight the tears; its inhuman to not be affected but we must be strong to complete our mission here.

The smiles and the laughter we are getting from these distraught children is increadible. The adults alike are in awful shock but they shed tears of joy at what we are doing for the children.

We feel the aid that the world has given to DEc and other major charities appears to not be reaching those that need it. Italy appears to of done more than any other country, with private sector help from many other countries.

Red cross are around, but the Sri Lankan govenment appear to be very slow to but it politely.

Crazy as it may sound certain charities are unable to asssits as they can't be classed as refugees if they are within their own country, thus not meeting the charities remit!!!!

We feel the sadness from so many and it makes us very angry that the aid and money is not here. Nevertheless we are doing our job and it is a wonderful sight to make the children so happy.

We have had important meetings with adoptsrilanka.com whom are directing us and asssitsing us.

Wed 23rd Feb

Today we visited 4 camps south of Galle, where children flocked to the beach to play with the parachute and hoops and also the trampet. so mant had lost mums and dads to the tidal wave. We have had a heart breaking experince from hundreds of children, but boy have we made them smile, laugh and enjot themselves.

They even ventured into the sea for the first time!!!

Tomorrow, Thursday, we are to go to four schools and with luck one camp. We have been met with open arms by everyone we have met.