A Little Part-ayy

As the year came to an end, we celebrated the success of the program with a delicious meal of Kentuckey Fried Chicken funded by Yariq Captain. It was a good opportunity for our team to converse with the kids and talk about their personal view on how they felt about their achievements of from the program. Some of them felt rather shy in the beginning, but eventually we got them talking. It was also a good opportunity to talk to the children about about their ideas for the future once they finish school. Almost all of the kids wanted to be a engineer or a doctor as it is stereotypically considered the two common and reputed occupations one can earn in Sri Lanka. At the end of the day everyone enjoyed the event and left with a smile to return next year.

During the party our group members discussed the possibility of providing the children with their school book for their school year. Their education is a matter of global importance and it is our duty that we support the children in what ever way we can. Unlike OSC, students in government run schools are required to purchase their own notebooks and stationary material. So we thought that it would be a great opportunity to provide the children with their school books as we have the adequate funding necessary. While this contribution may have benefited a group of children, it also brings out the ethical implications of only providing the school books to a group of 9 children. There are more children back at their school who could also benefit from the aid of free school books, but did not get the chance. Although it may be out of our hands to provide school books for an entire school, we can be satisfied with the fact that we were able to help at least a minute proportion of that school in what ever way we can. 

Sunset for Sunflower Village

As the semester comes to an end, I can proudly say that I have successfully achieved the objectives I indented to achieve for this semester. I have addressed all 8 criteria in this semester through service itself. One criterion that I have made significant progress in this semester is “engaged with issues of global importance”. As an addition to swimming lessons, we incorporated a 20 minutes session of computer training. In rapidly developing world, technology is a key tool which we utilize in our daily lives. Throughout all provinces of Sri Lanka, computer literacy rates are low as 10%. Therefore we separated some time each Thursday to allow the children get some experience in technology at the most basic level.

Throughout the 20 minutes that we separated for the children in the technology labs, we stuck with the idea of letting them play games that tested their ability to type on a keyboard. At the beginning of the year, we asked the children if they have a computer at home or has used a computer before. Every one raised their hands to having used a computer, but only a few raised their hands to having a computer at home. This also made a significant difference in the variance of those with the skill and ability to type properly, and those with not. Only a few kids were comfortable keeping up with the pace at which they type, but the rest found it rather challenging. 

This coming semester I will focus on helping those children who had difficulty with the newly added computer program. It is essential that they get the maximum out of the available technology that is not available to them back at their own school. As mentioned earlier, being computer literate is a great skill for one to have under his or her sleeve. Having some knowledge at a young age will benefit them in their future.

School Books to The Children

Earlier this month we decided to give school books to the sunflower village children so it spares them the effort, money of worrying over writing material. Today we presented the books to the children in the SMPR. All 9 students arrived to OSC and the books were distributed out to the children. It was a pleasure to provide them with material that will help them in their education and more over, the smiles that they had on their faces were even more satisfying to see as it was a indication of thankfulness and  happiness.

Dissapointment ....

Today, the first week after October break was a dissapointing day because we were unable to carry out swimming lessons due to bad weather. But however we still managed to spend this time productivly in the computer labs. The time that we would have spent in the pool, we utilized in the computer labs letting the kids play educational computer games which would help them develop their level of english at least by a minor ammout and exposure on how to use a computer.

 Terunaga helping a student from the Vidyawardene  school

Yariq heliping a kid find keys on the keyboard

Ravin guiding a student in how open up a program  

Sunflower Village Returns!

After three consecutive delays, the kids finally arrived for their first swimming lessons on 22nd of September. Our expected number of kids was around kids, but ended up with 8. Never the less, we accepted the challenge.

As planned, we assembled in Miss. Abeyawardene's room for a brief 15-20 minutes to get to know each other.

We noted down their names and introduced ourselves to them. Afterwards we took the kids down to the pool for the first lesson. The grater majority of the children have not even been a swimming pool before which made it bit of a first time experience for some of the kids.

To begin with, we decided to make the kids walk across the width of the pool to make them feel more comfortable being in the pool. Afterwards, with little support from the swimming pool lifeguard we managed to conduct our first swimming lesson. Some of the kids had difficulty with the most fundamental skills such as blowing bubbles and kicking their legs straight holding on to the side of the swimming pool. This indicated a changeful future for us as trainers.

In order to make sure that each of the 11 kids were performing the skill taught properly, we divided the group of kids so that the 5 students from OSC would get 2 kids each to monitor. Almost all of the students from OSC have experience from last year’s group, so it was not difficult to get along with the kids.

As an addition, we have incorporated an extra segment to the course that is to teach the kids the fundamentals to using a computer. We found out only 3 kids owned a personal computer out of the group of 11 and that is one of the reasons why we decided to incorporate this new segment to the program. It also gives a new dimension to the project so that it will not bore the kids just purely learning how to swim every Thursday afternoon.

By the end of this year, I hope to see the same level of success as last year’s group with this lot. Although I will no longer be in charge by the end of this school year, it would be a great deed for me personally to see that these kids get the maximum of what the students of OSC has to offer.

After three consecutive delays, the kids finally arrived for their first swimming lessons on 22nd of September. Our expected number of kids was around kids, but ended up with 8. Never the less, we accepted the challenge.

As planned, we assembled in Miss. Abeyawardene's room for a brief 15-20 minutes to get to know each other.

We noted down their names and introduced ourselves to them. Afterwards we took the kids down to the pool for the first lesson. The grater majority of the children have not even been a swimming pool before which made it bit of a first time experience for some of the kids.

To begin with, we decided to make the kids walk across the width of the pool to make them feel more comfortable being in the pool. Afterwards, with little support from the swimming pool lifeguard we managed to conduct our first swimming lesson. Some of the kids had difficulty with the most fundamental skills such as blowing bubbles and kicking their legs straight holding on to the side of the swimming pool. This indicated a changeful future for us as trainers.

In order to make sure that each of the 11 kids were performing the skill taught properly, we divided the group of kids so that the 5 students from OSC would get 2 kids each to monitor. Almost all of the students from OSC have experience from last year’s group, so it was not difficult to get along with the kids.

As an addition, we have incorporated an extra segment to the course that is to teach the kids the fundamentals to using a computer. We found out only 3 kids owned a personal computer out of the group of 11 and that is one of the reasons why we decided to incorporate this new segment to the program. It also gives a new dimension to the project so that it will not bore the kids just purely learning how to swim every Thursday afternoon.

By the end of this year, I hope to see the same level of success as last year’s group with this lot. Although I will no longer be in charge by the end of this school year, it would be a great deed for me personally to see that these kids get the maximum of what the students of OSC has to offer

Goals For This YeAr!!

One of my major goals this year is to focus more on activities which involve the creativity aspect of CAS. Last year, there were plenty of occasions where I had the opportunity to express the action and service components but not so many for creativity.




Alongside, I would like highlight the following components of the 8 criteria listed below in more specific than the others because they were not successfully met compared to the remaining 5.

• Considered ethical implications of their actions

The main purpose of this programe is to help those children in the local community to develop their swimming skills whether it be from scratch or improvement of what they alredy have. We have the blessed privilage of a swimming pool where we can learn how to swim. These cildren however, do not and have to rely on natrual enviroments to engage in swimming activities. By providing this program to the local comunity who lack these facilites that we sometimes take for granted, probably is amogst the greatest morally ethical sevice we as the community of OSC can offer. In this manner the very service of the Sunflower Program has tought me the importance of ethical implications to the society around the walls of OSC. 

• Engaged with issues of global importance.

When we started the Sunflower project this year, we considered the aspect of including issues of global importance. A great deal of the worlds population that lack access to computer technology. Those populations are mainly located in either less economically developed countries or developing countries. Major humanitarian organizations have made it a priority that people are literate in such areas for the benefit of the future of the nation itself. Therefore it is important that we contribute to this process in the least possible way. We live in a country where its development has boomed in the past 3-5 years. Alongside this development, there are those communities who have little exposure to the changing modern world. Where technology takes another step each day. Our school is a fruitful, loaded with some of the latest technology one could ask for. Having these facilities available makes OSC a significant resource for all service projects not only Sunflower Village itself.

• Increased awareness of their strengths and weaknesses

Addressing these criteria in specific, I will have addressed the greater majority of the 8 criteria throughout 2011. If aim to accomplish these three goals by December break (1st semester), then I would have fully accomplished the 8 criteria related to Community Action and Service. Of course there may be some interference with the scheduled dates for swimming due to bad weather or the children not showing up on a particular day, but it is an obstical that must be faced.

End of Year Reflection

As the school year comes to an end, I have successfully accomplished three main goals of the 8 criteria. Being in charge of Sunflower Village as the student body, has enabled me to develop and proceed with showing perseverance and commitment towards the activity, enabled me to work collaboratively with others and develop new skills.

When we started the program for the first time, I was inexperienced and somewhat nervous of what to do. The first day when the kids arrived from the school, I was confused of what to do. I was in charge of a team of 5 people from OSC, and had to train 12 kids how to swim, which some of them hadn’t even been in a pool before. It was somewhat a difficult task to get them all in the pool as some of them were afraid even with our help. It was also not the case where I sit outside the pool and boss my team around, but instead this is where working collaboratively came into play. It meant that I myself was in the pool, partaking like any other member of the group. No ranks, no bossing around, no disputes but to simply make things flow the way it was supposed. And that involved collaboration from all my team members. Most of my group from OSC could speak Sinhalese, which made it easy for me to work systematically to get the kids in the pool and kicking. This also enabled me to understand which person from our school was able to handle certain kids better. Thus made the operation inside the pool mush better.

Throughout the service, I kept a consistent reputation of being committed to my duty. Other than days which I was physically ill, I attended all the lessons on every Thursday afternoon. Amongst this there were times where we fell short of members in our team. Either they were absent to school or the service itself. This demanded me to manage a group 12 kids with almost half the number of OSC students. Nevertheless, we managed with the assistance of the swimming instructors. This again shows reflects my collaborative skills takes into account dealing with problems which appear through the course of the year.

Speaking in terms of new skills which I learnt during service, there is one in particular. And that is, the ability to lead a service program first hand with no previous experience. I found this much of a strength which I had within me, that I was not quite sure I had. It is somewhat a big deal for me being the leader of the activity where I once was the one in the pool taking instructions from others.

Overall, I honestly must admit that this year was a success for myself, my team, and the kids themselves. And that is purely because of the fact that we had kids who didn't even know how blow bubbles underwater and at the end of the year, they were swimming full lengths of the OSC pool from what we had taught them across the deep end. Their eagerness to learn instead of play during the time which we provide them as "free time" is another reason for us to feel as a successful program! 

The Opening of Key Club at OSC

Key Club International

Today the 24th of February 2011, the official opening ceremony of Sri Lanka's first key club took place at OSC in the secondary SMPR. The anointing of the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and board of directors was amongst the highlights of the evening.

• President: Damien Martin
• Vice President: Harini Liyanage
• Secretary: Annie Gillstedt 
• Treasurer: Terunaga Tamura

The Key Club is a part of the "Kiwanis Club International". Key Club is the high school  leadership program initiated for students. Its purpose is to provide service, build character and develop leadership skills in students.

Week Without Walls 2011

The last and final week without walls for all the years in OSC takes place today the 24^th January 2011. A six hour drive down to Hambantota from school starting at around 7:50 to arrive at the hotel at 3ish. The remainder of the afternoon was spent on recreational activities. 6:00 was rendezvous at the lobby to discuss the coming day where we set off officially for service on the two preschools. At this point we were to come up with personal goals in which we are supposed to constantly keep referring to and acting upon. Working collaboratively with all my peers at the schools and in the whole trip was one of my majors. It may seem simple and easy to judge, but however it is rather challenging goal one can set them self with. You always tend to lean to your friends which you regularly communicate and interact with. But once you do actually set foot on the tasks that are assigned to you, the idea of not working with a friend seems to disappear and the mind set of getting the task completed shifts into the primary. This is one of the reasons why our grade as a whole was able to accomplish more than what we expected to and more.

As a whole this week without walls program was not the worst, nor the best “perfect”. It had its ups and downs, good times and not so good times. In terms of personal goals, they were met to a certain extent and in some cases fully. Although we did the best possible for the schools in the time which was provided to us, I still think that there is room for improvement. Improvement in the sense not from what we do at the schools, but what we take with us. The purpose of the pilot trip was to estimate the requirements and needs for the schools and at the same time, give us an idea of what we are going to be faced with. All the necessary information was noted down and addressed upon at the time, but however none of the materials which the schools requested was provided to them. For example one of the requests was a new whiteboard for the classroom because the prevailing one was in bad condition. It was agreed upon that it is possible to provide a new one but however a whiteboard wasn’t amongst the list of material we took along. I think that it was a waste of time of the pilot trip if these materials were not addressed or given to the schools as the main purpose was to organize such order. It would be best if all that is done on the pilot trip is taken into account and used wisely to plan ahead rather than showing up to the schools with nothing that they requested for.