Gordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, Botley …...Say it with flowers... Order your flowers...

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Say it with flowers... Order your flowers online at www.charityflowers.co.uk or phone 08705 300 600, quoting source code RAP, and Charity Flowers will donate 15% to Ragalla Aid Project. We can’t do it without you... If you have been touched by the stories of these people in Sri Lanka and how effective Ragalla Aid Project is in bringing help and happiness to those in great need perhaps you would consider supporting our work there. ...Here’s how you can help Every penny is used to provide support where it is need- ed so please help us by sending what you can and, if appropriate, completing the Gift Aid form below, to: Pene Gordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, Botley Road, Curdridge, Southampton, SO32 2DU. Email: [email protected] I wish to donate to RAP and enclose a cheque for £.......................... I wish to become a regular contributor to RAP I wish to sponsor a child at Mahiladytheivu / a day-care centre Your full name ......................................................................................................... Address.................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................Postcode................................................ Phone no.........................................Email............................................................... . 1.I want Ragalla Aid Project to reclaim tax on ALL donations I make on or after the date of this declaration. 2. I confirm that I currently pay an amount of tax or capital gains tax at least equal to the amount to be reclaimed and I expect this situation to continue. 3. I am under no commitment to make any further donations and I may cancel this dec- laration at any time. Your signature..........................................................Date............................................. Or you can donate via Paypal at our website: www.ragalla.org Many thanks Serving the people of Sri Lanka since 1997 Registered Charity 1079120 2011-2012 NEWSLETTER Visit the website www.ragalla.org RAGALLA AID

Transcript of Gordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, Botley …...Say it with flowers... Order your flowers...

Page 1: Gordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, Botley …...Say it with flowers... Order your flowers online at or phone 08705 300 600, quoting source code RAP, and Charity Flowers

Say it with flowers...Order your flowers online at www.charityflowers.co.uk orphone 08705 300 600, quoting source code RAP, andCharity Flowers will donate 15% to Ragalla Aid Project.

We can’t do it without you...If you have been touched by the stories of these people inSri Lanka and how effective Ragalla Aid Project is in bringinghelp and happiness to those in great need perhaps youwould consider supporting our work there.

...Here’s how you can helpEvery penny is used to provide support where it is need-ed so please help us by sending what you can and, ifappropriate, completing the Gift Aid form below, to: PeneGordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, BotleyRoad, Curdridge, Southampton, SO32 2DU.Email: [email protected]

□ I wish to donate to RAP and enclose a cheque for £..........................

□ I wish to become a regular contributor to RAP

□ I wish to sponsor a child at Mahiladytheivu / a day-care centre

Your full name .........................................................................................................

Address....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

...................................................................Postcode................................................

Phone no.........................................Email................................................................1.I want Ragalla Aid Project to reclaim tax on ALL donations I make on or after the dateof this declaration.2. I confirm that I currently pay an amount of tax or capital gains tax at least equal tothe amount to be reclaimed and I expect this situation to continue.3. I am under no commitment to make any further donations and I may cancel this dec-laration at any time.

Your signature..........................................................Date.............................................

Or you can donate via Paypal at our website: www.ragalla.org

Many thanks

Serving the people of Sri Lanka since 1997

Registered Charity 1079120 2011-2012 NEWSLETTER

Visit the website

ww

w.ragalla.org

RAGALLA AID

Page 2: Gordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, Botley …...Say it with flowers... Order your flowers online at or phone 08705 300 600, quoting source code RAP, and Charity Flowers

A big thank-you to all thoseof you who have supportedus by using Flowers By Post. The company donates 15%of your money to RAP if youorder floral gifts by phone oronline. The scheme has been rais-ing a steady income for us,so if you haven’t used thescheme please consider it ifyou are sending flowers. There are full details of howto donate in this way on theback page.

Repairsrestoreelephantdamage

A ‘rogue’ elephant was the cause ofdevastation that greeted the staffone morning at the Unichai FeedingCentre. Damage to vegetation and crops byflooding earlier in the year hasmeant a lack of food for some of theanimals in some areas. Desperate to eat they head off theirusual tracks and in this case thecentre lay in the animal’s new path. Ragalla Aid Project, along with theZoe Carrs Education Trust, fundedthe repairs and the centre is up andrunning again.

Opening up doors forjungle centre childrenA new joint project to help 120 families in Pavakoddichenaiis under way. The chief aim is to provide the first pre-school facilities inthis jungle area so that around 30 young children canbegin to learn basic skills. They will have the chance to play and learn together withyoungsters of the same age and benefit from nutritiousand healthy food. The centre will also provide a base for extra out-of-schoolactivities for about 50 children of primary school age in anarea where little transport is available and the nearesttown, Batticoloa is 28 kilometres away. The project, being carried out with the support of the ZoeCarss Education Trust, will be overseen by the MethodistChurch when it opens in January 2012.

Flowershelp too!

Along with many charitiesthis year Ragalla AidProject has been affectedby the economic climate. The one new project is thefeeding centre at Pavakod-dichennai being built by theZoe Carss Trust, with RAPpaying for staff salaries andfeeding the children. Withno new projects coming onstream RAP will focus onexisting work, fully support-ing the children’s centre atMahiladythievu, helping 12feeding centres and twocrèches, providing fundingfor four elders’ homes andone respite centre for peo-ple with special needs.

As well as sponsoring chil-dren and young peoplethroughout their educationthe charity helps pensionersand families where there isneed. The family of eight-year-oldZaifa, who was born withjoints missing from herlimbs, has received ongoingassistance. Zaifa’s father gave up workto care for her after hermother died and he has car-ried her around. As she hasgrown he can no longermanage this and RAP is tohelp fund adaptations to athree-wheeler to providesafe transport for her.

A meal of rice and curry atIngiriya Feeding Centre

Above: Crèche boys andgirls eating lunch on a teaestateRight: Children at playtime

Food, education andhealth care pave way to new future

Page 3: Gordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, Botley …...Say it with flowers... Order your flowers online at or phone 08705 300 600, quoting source code RAP, and Charity Flowers

Computer donation putsonline skill within reach

Pupils take pride intheir school workHeading to school, these three girls, pic-tured left, are among the orphans cared forat Mahiladytheivu Children’s Centre. The staff, overseen by the Rev Terrence,ensure that not only are their basics provid-ed for, but that special events like birthdaysare celebrated with gifts and sweets totake to share with their class at the govern-ment school they attend. Teachers report that despite missing outon early schooling the girls work hard, aremaking good progress and are increasingin confidence.

power remains off all night the girls need toget up in the dark. Having been impressed by the youngstersat the home, the Sanders are now raisingfunds to buy a generator. Steve and Elaine Roberts visited two day-care centres and the centre for respite carefor those with special needs and chairmanPene Gordon also visited during the sum-mer this year.

Making a return to Sri Lanka, Mike andHazel Stewart have welcomed the hand-over of 10 computers to the children’s carecentre at Mahiladytheivu. The gift was a result of the collaborationbetween Hastings Rotary Club in Sussex,Colombo Rotary Club and Rotary Club In-ternational. The children and local villagers who usepart of the building as a community centrewill benefit as learning a range of comput-ing skills is a popular pastime. The Stewarts were also able to see thatsewing machines donated last year arebeing put to good use. Tim and Catherine Sanders visited inSeptember and arrived at Mahiladytheivujust as the centre suffered a power cut. They learned that such events are analmost daily occurrence. As darkness fallsbetween 6-7pm all year round, lack of lightmeant that many activities including home-work and recreation were halted. If the

Dinner time for children at the care centre,where new computers have been delivered

Career beckonsin island capitalEducation has been a keypart of Ragalla Aid Project’swork in Sri Lanka. Over the past 14 yearsolder pupils have been ableto continue their studies toO, A and degree level withfinancial help. Mohanarajah, pictured left,has been supported by RAPthroughout his higher educa-tion, studying for a law de-gree, and has now qualifiedand started work in Colom-

bo, the island’s capital. Aswell as working full-time heis also teaching other stu-dents for free in the eve-nings. Another young person mov-ing into the working world isNirasha, who has qualifiedand just taken up her firstteaching post. Shashikala has alsoachieved her degree in com-merce and was married ear-lier this year.

Young studentsseek a sponsor

These four girls are just starting out in their secondaryschooling but they all face difficult family circumstances. For some, the fathers have left the home, leaving themother and children to fend for themselves. For others,disabilities and illness in the family brings hardship. Schooling offers the girls a way forward to learn skills andto equip them to find work. Sponsoring a child costs just a small amount each monthbut can make an enormous difference in the lives ofindividuals as they become able to support themselves.

Page 4: Gordon, Ragalla Aid Project, Cricketers Pond, Botley …...Say it with flowers... Order your flowers online at or phone 08705 300 600, quoting source code RAP, and Charity Flowers

Families seek refugein monsoon flooding

A children’s centre opened its doors asa temporary refuge as torrential rain-fall destroyed homes and crops earlierthis year. Mahiladytheivu was the only buildingfor miles outside Batticoloa that re-mained above water as the nearbylagoon burst its banks Funded by RAP and run by the Meth-odist Church, the building shelteredover 300 people in January and thenover 500 people when severe floodingreturned in February. Poorer local people were hit particu-larly hard because their wattle anddaub homes were washed away. RAP sent emergency funds for dryrations and the church co-ordinatedthe welfare programme. Drinking wa-ter, cooking oil and dry rations of rice,dhal, fish, soya, flour, salt, sugar, milkpowder and chilli powder were

brought in by boat in waterproof bagsand distributed. The church cooked hot meals at thecentre when the second flood arrived,causing more extensive damage. Asthe floods receded and people re-turned home, RAP helped provide fur-ther packs of basic equipment,including sleeping mats and sheets. The caring attitude of the centre’shelpers has built a new level of trustwith its mainly Hindu neighbours, withvillagers helping clean up the com-pound as the water levels dropped. The Reverend Terrence was com-mended by the local government forhis role in dealing with the disaster.Money was provided by RAP for flood-damage repairs. The toilet pit wasmended and a barrier to protect thefoundations was reinstated. The build-ing has also been repainted.

Families marooned at Mahiladytheivu Children’s Centre The Rev. Terrence and helpers loading supplies

Flood waters rose close to floor level at the centre

Families seek refugein monsoon flooding

brought in by boat in waterproof bagsand distributed. The church cooked hot meals at thecentre when the second flood arrived,causing more extensive damage. Asthe floods receded and people re-turned home, RAP helped provide fur-ther packs of basic equipment,including sleeping mats and sheets. The caring attitude of the centre’shelpers has built a new level of trustwith its mainly Hindu neighbours, withvillagers helping clean up the com-pound as the water levels dropped. The Reverend Terrence was com-mended by the local government forhis role in dealing with the disaster.Money was provided by RAP for flood-damage repairs. The toilet pit wasmended and a barrier to protect thefoundations was reinstated. The build-ing has also been repainted.

Above: The boatarrives to be load-ed with food, fueland clean water

Right: Willing help-ers unload at thechildren’s centre

The Rev. Terrence and helpers loading supplies

Pans unloaded for hot meals to be cooked for refugees