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It rained heavily all day Tuesday, and there were tropical thunderstorms and power cuts through the night. We awoke Wednesday to discover that some things are the same here as at home. It is a (newly declared) public holiday and as sure as day follows night it is raining still. Jake made me laugh - “It really is a holiday today, even the Sun has taken the day off!” Most of town is shut and only Inter-city buses are running. I hope I can find an open internet source both to post this, and especially as we are desperate for contact home to sort the efforts of so many of you to assist in our attempts to support the hospital. The weather is an annoyance for us, but verging on a disaster for the already bursting out hospital. We lay in bed thinking of the poor patients under the temporary shelter.
We find ourselves far busier than we ever expected to be. On Tuesday I was planning a workshop I was due to deliver on teaching practical science in primary schools on wednesday. As I finished it the holiday was declared, and so we have had to rearrange that and
Impromptu celebrations
Inevitably we have not had the camera ready when the big truck loads go by, but scenes like this are everywhere other plans. More importantly we both were pressing on with our amateur aid programme. A huge THANK YOU to staff and students at the Earls High School, who have contributed £500 which we have begun spending on several water mattresses (urgently needed, about £45 each) and drugs. With limited contact home, it has not been easy but staff there have gone out of their way to ensure it gets through and it is greatly appreciated.
I have also found myself addressing the local Rotary Club, who are endeavouring to set up a link to the Stourbridge club with which my family have so long been associated, and who contributed 51,000 Rupees (about £300) to the hospital while I was there, through a mixture of club funds and personal donations. I have spoken to the Hospital Funding Committee, and met with the District Governor and his wife. The emotional support we are receiving from friends and family is hugely appreciated. E-mails, phone calls and text messages from all our parents help, and there are tales of collections at Saint Marys Oldswinford organised by my uncle, and coffee mornings being organised that make us feel we are not alone in this.
We hope to find a more satisfactory way to channel the money than via us, but at the moment just getting it through is the priority.
The Millions we hear are being pledged by governments are just not here (not entirely helped by a public holiday) and we feel privileged to be in a position to help. The emotions are strange - we must look like tourists to some who see us, and we do feel like we are trespassing on people’s tragedies. Nicky left the hospital on Tuesday and a young girl - 12 or 13 like the year 8s I teach - was sat on the step. Neither she nor her young brother were injured but they looked empty, staring out with apparently useeing eyes. No one knows where her family are and she has just been deposited miles from her home with no one and nothing. People inside the wards have limbs missing and some horrific injuries and both our health and wealth (relative) seem obscene.
We do not think we can take our children to the hospital, and are making efforts not to abandon them. Normal and mundane things, like their numeracy work, card
Some of the healthy but displaced children
No family, but happy enough - we could not take photos of the suffering as I am sure you understand! games work on their journals, reading and even games of monopoly sit side by with the extraordinary turns these last few days have taken.
As I was being driven to Rotary the street outside was half blocked. The people outside the mechanics were beckoning cars over to share tea. Women had stoves boiling and the men and boys were wandering into the road directing people to pull over and share. Apparently sharing food and drink, especially tea and milk rice is an integral part of Sri Lankan celebration. We saw a lot of this around town. One frustration was an inability to get on line as all businesses were shut, and eventually we managed by being let into a (closed) bank by the district manager so a few urgent e mails could be dealt with from his office. As we sat there the security guard brought us tea, after we were taken out to dinner. Some of the relationships have been warming and thrilling, and this family were another gernuinely friendly group.
Love to all at home.
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