 | | Pupils from Sangmitta School |
We've travelled thousands of miles lugging several large computers, air conditioners and even cricket gear. But today we get to give it away to those who'll make best use of it...the school children of Berewala. | "We are rural and very far from the city, so there is a great lack of technology...we need that knowledge from your country." | | School girl Samudara Ranasingha |
An early start this morning to get to the all girls Sangamitta school in time for assembly. In the UK single sex schools generally suggest a private education. Not here, it's all state-run and all free. Sangamitta are twinning with Kendrick School in Reading and the town's mayor and chairperson of Reading Initiative for Tsunami Action (RITA), Bet Tickner, was there in person to hand over computers and talk to the girls.
Find out more about the charity here:
RITA >
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites |
There are more than 1500 girls at the school, many packed into a tiny classroom to receive the charity delegation. All the girls will benefit from the link and a new computer. One such is Samudara Ranasingha, "My school is very poor but very good. We are rural and very far from the city, so there is a great lack of technology...we need that knowledge from your country." I was then privileged enough to sit in on a lesson. Three girls to one text book is the rule. Today's class, biology. I had to leave when the teacher started pulling some unidentified animal's eyeballs from a glass. The girls were not so squeamish, rather determined to learn. This genuine appreciation the kids have for school is something alien to those of us from the land of the hoody. Even in the playground there are signs handing down snippets of rules like "protect your school" and "respect all teachers".
 | | David Castles hands over new shoes |
The attitude was just the same amongst the younger children of Moragalla Juniors. They'll be linking with Caversham Park Primary. We'd phoned them yesterday to ask them what they most needed from the charity. They wanted shoes. So poor are the children who attend here, a pair of old flip flops are the best they can hope for to protect their feet on the long walk to school. David Castles, head of Geography from Reading school is representing all the schools involved in the twinning project. He duly obliged buying 25 pairs of shoes in the local town and handed them out to amazed kids:
 | | Trying on the new shoes |
"It's not something we expected to be asked for, but when you see a really basic need like this, it's more important to meet that need first and just buy the kids shoes rather than going for something like a grand building project that takes time." Gifts like these are always welcome and very well received, but it's the twinning project that will provide the children here with access to better education. The only way they can really escape poverty. After the gifts were handed over we all went outside for a quick game of cricket.... perhaps to celebrate the national team's recent win over New Zealand....or perhaps to test out those new shoes. | 
