THEY HAVE ROCKETS WE HAVE MORE

Transcending continents for causes that matter

April 5, 2014, 12:00 pm 

Students of Navodya Maha Vidyalaya with the Canadian team

 By Randima Attygalle

"For me the best take home message from Sri Lanka is that one need not acquire so many material things to be happy in life. The Sri Lankan experience made me realize that human relationships and interaction is more important in life than the ipod and the latest mobile phone we in the western world crave," says Angelica Laron from Richmond Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada.

This seemed to encapsulate the one-of-a-kind, hands-on experience of a group of Canadian teenagers integrating into a rural community here through a humanitarian project carried out at Andigama Navodya MahaVidyalaya in the Puttalam District. A group of 30 high school students from Richmond Secondary, reputed for their humanitarian-focused approach, was on a two-week field trip in Andigama recently, constructing a building for vocational training in the compound of Navodya MahaVidyalaya. We shared their experience of a ‘Mud House’ in Anamaduwa and of an island community to whom a ‘smile comes effortlessly.’

Supporting communities

"Richmond Secondary has a history of supporting the community and our students are very socially responsible. During each Spring break in March, we take a group of selected students on a field trip to a developing country that requires help. This is an integral part of the Global Perspectives Program we have, which focuses on global problems," Kevin Matheny, Coordinator of the Program and a teacher with a social sciences and physical edudation background who counts considerable years of experience, explained to us.

As he noted, it’s more than a funding program. Students cannot merely afford to sit back and reflect, ‘wow it’s beautiful’. "Instead, during their two to two and a half weeks stay, students acquire hands-on job experience where they work side by side with local communities in whatever the chosen country. The intention is to take back what they’ve learnt about the respective cultures of the countries they’ve been to and apply it in their own lives," says Kevin. This was his 13th international project. "We

jump around quite a bit and except for Antarctica, we’ve been to all continents. Last year we were in Samoa," he smiled.

Why Sri Lanka this time? "It’s quite a story," he said recalling a four-year teaching stint in Hong Kong with his wife who’s also a teacher. It was then that he met Suresh Rodrigo, a Lankan engineer working there. "We became thick friends and Suresh being aware of the Global Perspectives Program I was coordinating, suggested, why not Sri Lanka?" Through Suresh’s contacts, it was found that Andigama Navodya needed a building for vocational training. The idea which thus germinated several years back became a reality and was taken off the ground recently.

Passionate about the cause

Explaining how they pick students who will participate in the project, Kevin said, "every year, we have more than 60 students applying and we never reveal the chosen location in advance. It’s a tough interview they need to face with six teachers assessing them in terms of their voluntary work, community involvement etc. It’s certainly not academic flair that counts here but how passionate one is about the whole cause. We really look for a mixed bag of talents." The group of 30 selected for the Sri Lankan trip comprised 11 boys and 19 girls.

Coming from homes with potable running water, going to the arid Puttalam area where villagers walk miles in search of drinking water, was itself a lesson for life, Kevin observed. Overcoming communication barriers, students had integrated into the community, working hand-in-hand with local contractors mixing mortar, carrying bricks - work they had never done before. According to Kevin, another interesting feature was girls easily adapting to manual labour, tasks done predominantly by men even in the western world. "This changed perceptions and also traditional mindsets."

Cut off from email and internet, during their stay at the ‘Mud House’ in Anamaduwa, students also came to terms with ‘verbal communication,’ points out Kevin who finds the ‘communication gap’ in the western world getting worse. "As teachers, we find the situation getting worse each day with kids being slaves to all kinds of non-verbal communication modes enabled by technology."

Creating change

Funds for the building and also for the tube well for drinking water, amounting to over US $ 12,000, were raised through various charity projects, completed with a gala fund raising dinner in October last year by the students of Richmond Secondary School. Reflecting on the rewarding experience, Kevin, noted, "if a youngster goes to a vocational school and learn a trade, that will change his or her life for good and it is this change that we aspire to create."

As observed by the Principal of the Andigama Navodya Maha Vidyalaya, A.H.M. Gamini Abeysinghe, the experience of integrating with Canadian students offered a valuable experience to his students. "The encounter offered them a lot of inspiration along the lines of broad thinking and language use," said Abeysinghe adding that the building which is nearing completion promises to open many doors for school dropouts to engage in informal education.

"Although we were provided with necessary personnel and other logistical support by the Ministry of Education, we were struggling to have a building to facilitate this work. I’m thankful to the Richmond Secondary School’s authorities, Mr. Suresh Rodrigo and numerous other supporters including parents of our students who contributed their labor to make this happen."

An enriching experience

For Angelica Laron, a Canadian of Chinese origin, "seeing was definitely different to hearing." Sharing her experience with us, Angelica said, "in the western part of the world that we inhabit, people crave for so much; seeing these kids in Sri Lanka, made us realize that people can find contentment through basics. The close community interaction, extended family relationships were all novel experiences for us which truly enriched our perceptions."

On a lighter note she chuckled, "I also learnt to count up to ten in Sinhalase and basics such as kohomada, hari rasnei neda?" Endorsing Angelica’s words, Robert Mendonca, said with a smile, "I know to greet a person in the morning with suba udesanak." Of Pakistani descent, Robert has heard his parents relating to circumstances similar to those in Sri Lanka. "Sri Lankans are probably happier than we are because we never saw anyone who is not smiling. Their hospitality is amazing. Unlike back at home where ‘me first’ rules, here everyone tries to walk an extra mile to help someone. For instance, at the Mud House, where we were staying, a lot of us would cut through the bushes instead of going a slightly longer way just to save some time. The next day, the staff built us a path so we would have the short cut. Never have I found people that willing to help, no matter what the task may be."

Making connections

While Robert intends to pursue a career in electronics, Angelica is still considering several options. "Whatever the career path I choose, I’m determined to integrate humanitarian work into it," she says. When I wished them a safe journey back home, both asserted in unison that Sri Lanka was a vibrant experience.

They’d toured a slice of the country including, Galle, Sigiriya and Kandy. "It didn’t matter that we didn’t speak a common language. For instance, little Prabath from the Navodya School who played drums on the cricket field, set an example that connectivity is possible through music, games and other interactive activities. We joined him in his drum beats without a clue about the words of the song he played!" said Angelica resonating a global message that human connectivity could indeed transcend continents and ethnicitie