ABDF

In my last letter, I talked exclusively about projects; current, considered, and applied for. I also talked a bit about how we go about choosing those we choose, and the trials and tribulations involved. In this letter I’m going to keep project talk to a minimum as, well, there isn’t much new to discuss. Instead I’ll catch you up on other interesting things going on right now.

A storm approaches

In terms of projects, I’m waiting for this batch of current work to finish up. To a large extent this has to do with funding. I want to make sure we finish what we’ve committed to, before committing ourselves to more. We have a good reputation for following through on our promises, unlike many of the agencies here, and I want to maintain that. So until we get more money in the account, new projects are on hold. I also need to take care of some business outside of Batti, mostly in Colombo, and I think it could take a week or two. That means, of course, that I won’t be here to keep an eye on things.

But enough about projects.

One side of the school runs along the main road

Great news! The fence at Irunuroovil school has been completed!

Fixing posts, hanging barbed wire

It took two days and a lot of volunteer labor, including lunch cooked by some of the student’s mothers, but the fence went up with amazing speed. Everyone participated; even the school principal rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and got down and dirty, not to mention hot and sweaty.

The result is a sturdy, good-looking fence. Take that, elephants! We were very happy with the speed, cooperativeness, and hard work that everyone put into this. Thanks a lot, everyone!

For the full story, please follow this link.

First grade students show off

Last year was apparently the Year of Water. We had a lot of requests for water tanks to help villagers cope with chronic water instability; at times water was plentiful, other times, a dearth. Our tanks were built in order to help even this out a bit, and so far that has been mostly successful.

This year is turning out to be the Year of Education.

Education is compulsory in Sri Lanka, and paid for by the government, up through the equivalent of 11th Grade; after that a series of national tests determine if you proceed further. The problem, a familiar one to all teachers around the world, is one of funding. Often the standards set by government policy are not subsidized by an increase in the resources needed to meet these standards. In fact, due to the civil war and other economic strains, many schools, especially in rural areas, can’t even provide the basic necessities. As a result schools here are often left begging for resources that should rightly be provided by the Ministry of Education. And so many of the local schools are coming to us, the ABDF.

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