ABDF

• Project Completed!
• Location: Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
• Recipients:1,500 students
• Objective:Replace school’s musical instruments
• Final cost:$2,500 US

This was truly a last minute project. After the St. Cecilia’s Multimedia Project was completed, there was a balance of funds left over. The project sponsor, Angela, had donated a quantity of funds to be used specifically for St. Cecilia’s Girls’ School, with the multimedia equipment as the priority. Next was the schools’ music program.

First on the list was the schools’ piano. Over a century old, the last time it had been professionally serviced was before the civil war, around 30 years ago. This is because there is only one person in Sri Lanka, Mr. Joy Pererra, who can do the work; his father was the last person to have serviced St. Cecilia’s piano. Angela, the donor, herself learned to play on the old piano, and recalled it as barely functioning at the time. It is time for a replacement.

St. Cecilia’s is widely known for its marching band, despite the fact that most of the instruments were bought just before the outbreak of the war. Once the piano was purchased, Bennett was instructed to spend the balance on new band instruments.

The only city with shops that sell musical instruments place is Colombo, so as a result the shopping took place literally the day before Project Director Bennett’s last day in Sri Lanka. Our Colombo project partner, Rajani, had already done the initial work, going about to the different shops and getting prices, as well as visiting Mr. Pererra about the piano. Despite this, shopping took all day but it was finally finished. (Because of the late date, the only pictures currently available were taken in the shops.) In addition to the piano, ABDF bought the marching band a set of trumpets, clarinets, cymbals, drums and a new mace. Transportation was arranged, and delivery to Batticaloa should take place on November 7th.

The funds remaining were not enough to cover all the needs of the marching band, let alone for the rest of the schools’ music program. The ABDF looks forward to working with Angela next year to bring the rest of the music program up to date.

This, along with the St. Cecilia’s Multimedia Project and the Periyapullmalai School Refurbishment Project are prime examples of ABDF acting as a conduit for foreigners to create and fund their own projects in Sri Lanka. The ABDF would like to encourage anyone with an interest in creating projects in Batticaloa to contact us; we are here to help you.

Update – February 2010

As I describe above, the 2009 ABDF season ended before the musical instruments we purchased were delivered to Batticaloa. So we were thrilled when a contact of ours emailed us pictures of the instruments being used at Prize Giving Day, which was on February 8, 2010. (Prize Giving Day is when students are given academic and athletic awards for their performance last year.)

Thanks for sending us the pictures, Marliya!

Do note the piano shot. That is Manuela Nayantara, our interviewee from 2008, playing at the assembly!

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