Leo Walsh, Assistant Housemaster of School House and Teacher of Music, and Holly Hayward, Assistant Housemaster of Judde House and Teacher of Chemistry, share their reflections of the Sri Lanka adventure so far:
We’ve packed an incredible amount into the past week and a half. After arriving in Colombo for lunch, we travelled on to Kandy, where we shared dinner with the children at the shelter before finally checking in for a much-needed shower and some sleep.
Our arrival in Batticaloa was met with the warmest welcome from the children and staff at Child Action Lanka. We were soon straight into cricket, volleyball, dancing and dinner together – the perfect start to what have become some genuinely special friendships.
Over the following days, the boys threw themselves into building the new classroom. The work was hands-on and demanding, involving levelling floors, laying water pipes, moving materials for cementing and painting furniture – all in the intense Sri Lankan heat. Afternoons were spent with the children, running activities centred on equality and fairness, alongside plenty of games, dancing and laughter.
At the weekend, we were joined by the CAL buddies for team-building activities, explored the historic fort and bustling town centre, and enjoyed some beach volleyball. We also went snorkelling and visited two local families in their communities. Hearing first-hand about their lives and experiences was both powerful and emotional. The weekend ended with a beach campfire, pizzas and s’mores shared together.
Back at the centre, construction work continued at pace, with the classroom walls and roof taking shape quickly. Along the way, we sampled stingray for lunch, delivered more activities with the children, and returned each evening to the hotel for card games and great conversations. A few of us even managed 4:50am starts for sunrise walks on the beach – early, but absolutely worth it. Other highlights included buying a large red snapper at the fish market, which the centre’s fantastic cooks prepared for us, completing the painting of the classroom and nursery playground, and concreting the water storage area.
On Friday, we were fortunate to visit one of the local schools in a particularly rural and remote community. It provided the boys with a valuable insight into some of the challenges facing education in the areas surrounding Batticaloa.
The cricket tournament has been a major highlight, with teams such as Green Galaxy, Blue Whale, Yellow Star and Red Bull battling it out in a series of competitive matches. Alongside this, there has been nightly song practice in preparation for Saturday’s showcase, while excitement continues to build for the tournament finals and the CAL vs Tonbridge exhibition match on Friday.
The boys have also been inspired to take action following the community visits. Through their fundraising efforts, they have already raised enough to help provide electricity for homes, bicycles for children who need them, sports equipment and trainers for aspiring athletes, and new tyres for the Batticaloa bus. They have taken responsibility for sourcing, organising and delivering these items themselves, and we could not be more proud of what they have achieved. You can support their efforts here.
It has been busy, exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure – but above all, an incredibly special and memorable trip.
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