In December this year Rebuilding Sri Lanka a charity started by Bridport woman Clare Allen-Crook in the wake of the devasting tsunami that struck the region on Boxing day 2004 will have been active for five years! Clare said "Without your support we could never have helped so many people nor reached this important milestone. Thank you all so very much".
Please click on the link below to see new photos of RSL projects www.cubetube.ukgo.com/rsl_aug_09/
In August RSL celebrated the 2nd anniversary of the opening of Uragasmanhandiya Library, The Hansa School and The English Pavilion. We are now serving over 3,000 members!
Toys Distributed
During the anniversary month we enjoyed toy distributions from our donors, sports days, art exhibitions, puppet shows, the rice harvest from our own RSL paddy field, Best Reader Awards and a book writing competition. Please see photo 9, Miss Shashika Yamasinghe, who won our competition with her brilliant short story "No-one For Me" which has now been published and is on sale at the library and in 'selected book shops'. She is only 15 years old!
Library Opened
In June RSL opened their 3rd library at Batukanaththa School. The Head Master has written and published 4 educational texts and dedicated them to his students. The story of the school and its rise from the ashes was recently featured in the Sri Lankan news. The number of students has doubled since it's opening back in 2006 and the facility goes from strength to strength.
Huge thanks, as always, to David Evans and Loughborough Grammar School for their unwavering support and for continuing to feed these children & their families on a daily basis (many of these families have to survive on less than £2 per day). You are all heroes!
Helping Schools and Hospitals
RSL is still helping the local hospital and several of the rural schools in the area. We have also just finished Mr. Gunapala's house thanks to an incredibly generous donation from Matthew Williams. Clean water supply too!
RSL continue to enjoy working alongside other fantastic organizations in Sri Lanka who are helping people in the most desperate conditions. We would like to acknowledge them here; Restore Sri Lanka, The Abhina Foundation, The TDA, The Rainbow Centre & The Power of Hands Foundation. You are all amazing.
Thanks to..
RSL would also like to thank Loughborough Grammar School, Bedford Modern School, The Asia Foundation, Room to Read, WPA, Lina and Pritesh Desai, Romano Erba, Teddies for Tragedies, The Rotary Club, David King, Mark Stones, Damon Allen and all our other donors, volunteers, staff and trustees. Thank you for everything.
As always, there is still so much work to be done and so many more people to reach. As the final photos will show, there are still those, young and old (and in their thousands) living in crippling poverty. Together we can really do something about it.
If you can help or make a donation/difference this year please do not hesitate to contact me or visit the website at www.rebuildingsrilanka.org.uk and click on "Donate Now".
