4th March

It was arranged that Charlie and I would be picked up at 9.30 am by the Teardrop/Impakt team to go to a camp at Moratuwa with them - but this is Sri Lanka, and it was more like 10.30 by the time we got on the road.

Moratuwa Camp

This Moratuwa camp was situated in an industrial estate, and was not very easy on the eyes - or the nose! It constantly amazes me how the people living here can be so happy and good natured, while having to live in these conditions.

There are about 150 children at this camp and by the end of our time there most of them were present. The session ran the same as the day before yesterday, with Charlie and I starting and finishing the program, and the Teardrop/Impakt volunteers running different activities in the middle section.

Subtle quiet education

The children here were more lively and less disciplined than at the first camp, and I wondered how the milk and biscuits giving-out would be handled. As ever though, Shane had it all in hand. He is unbelievably patient with the children, but is absolutely determined that they queue to wash their hands before sitting quietly and waiting for their snacks. While they eat, he asks them to explain why he made them wash their before eating. He also gets the volunteers to hang empty bags as rubbish bins around the space. Again he asks them why he is doing this. This kind of subtle, quiet education is brilliant, I think. When these kids grow up - who knows - we might even see rubbish bins appearing in the towns and cities of Sri Lanka!

Eight hour journey tomorrow

Tomorrow we set off to Trincomallee (an 8-hour journey) Thanks to Teardrop/Impakt over here in the West, we have had a good couple of sessions to remind ourselves of what its like in these camps and how the children respond to the show. Let's hope they prove as popular in the East!