March 13: Day 13 - Final Day on the Project Site

Today is the last day of the project and the stage is pretty well completed. Anil announced to us that the costs of construction were less than anticipated so between that and a donation from the DWC group there is enough to complete the stage with a steel roof!

After that, we were invited to Navajeevana at 10 am for the final celebration. The ceremony started with the boiling of the milk - a tradition that brings prosperity. When the milk boils over it assures abundance and success on the site. This is followed by the lighting of the oil lamps, after which we planted two red calla lily plants on either side of the stage.

Marcia Julian 

DWC Team Leader 

Sri Lanka: March 2015

March 9: Day 9 - 10 Year Anniversary Celebration

Today is the day of the 10th anniversary. The plan is to have an afternoon celebration at Moonstone with local people who were involved with the various projects over the years, the blessing by the Monk, and speeches from a couple of the students, some of the community people, Wayne, Raelene and myself.

We continued to work in the morning when it was coolest and called it a day after a full morning. Home to change and the celebrations started!

We were honoured by the presence of the local Monk who came to bless the ceremony and to speak about the great work that DWC and TRIP Canada have done over the past 10 years.

Natasha, the first student to come to Kamloops through the Kamloops Tangalle Friendship sponsorship was the Master of Ceremonies - he did an outstanding job!

Marcia Julian 

DWC Team Leader

Sri Lanka: March 2015

March 6: Day 6 - Eyeglass clinics

We are anxious to get the work done and carry on with a morning of working alongside Podi and his crew. Monday is our 10th anniversary celebration and we know that there won't be much time at the site. The children are back and are delighting us with races beside the worksite. The mothers have made us a traditional lunch.

The glasses and sunglasses clinics carried on each afternoon, and under the watchful eyes of Cathy, John, and Sharon, the staff started taking over the responsibilities for testing and distribution of the glasses.

Marcia Julian 

DWC Team Leader 

Sri Lanka: March 2015

March 4 & 5: Days 4 and 5 - Work Continues and Poya

We continue to work on the site helping Podi with cement for the stone walls and filling the inside of the stage with fill to support the final top layer of cement. Kumi and her staff have been fabulous and we've enjoyed a couple of traditional Sri Lankan lunches on Navajeevana's breezy deck.

The 5th is Poya which is the monthly celebration of the full moon. It's a national holiday and Navajaveevana is strangely quiet as the children, mothers and staff have the day off. No rest for Podi and his crew - or for us, however!

Marcia Julian 

DWC Team Leader 

Sri Lanka, March 2015

March 3: Day 3 - Touring past DWC project sites

We took the day to tour the DWC projects of the past 10 years.

The first stop was the one most important to our group as we had built the first of four houses in Ruvingama - Canada House - in 2005. 10 years ago, we worked in a hot, dry, vegetation-less field. There was no water, no shelter from the sun, and the earth was baked hard. As we drove in the road, this is what we saw...

On to Ketakalawatta to visit with Sanjeev and to see the homes, community centre and Buddhist shrine. There were three other well-cared for homes in this lush community with fruit trees and gardens growing. The families generously let us take some photos! It was a great day to see so many things that we had built or contributed to.

We also met Sanjeev's son who had just graduated in computer technology, thanks to support from Trip Canada and DWC.

We also visited the Trades' Training Centre which sits waiting for the right function to come along.

The school project with TRIP Canada and DWC was next - a school that was destined not to exist without substantial renovations and now supports many local children and teachers.

It was a great day to see so many things that we had built or contributed to. Back to Moonstone for more pool time and R&R!

Marcia Julian
DWC Team Leader
Sri Lanka: March 2015