Kilinochchi

We're now in Kilinochchi and it's around 9.30am and we've arrived at the Department of Education Divisional Office.  We speak with the Director and explain our purpose and seek his assistance to locate a small school of around 50 children who live in the rural area's and are living a poor life.  We also informed him that we didn't want to go to a school that is already receiving help from NGO's or INGO'S.
He advises us that there is a small school in an area about 8k's from Kilinochchi city and no NGO's were helping this school to his knowledge.  It's in a small village named Waddakachchi.  We decide to go and visit these children with no firm plan to leave items with them until we have made an assesment.
Once we arrive at this little school and sit and speak with the Assistant Principal and explain why we are here and ask for informaton of the children and their families, it is very clear that this school and most of it's children fit our purpose.
Language:  The Teacher's speak Tamil, Raja speaks Sinhalese with a smattering of Tamil and I speak English.  Fortunately one of the Teachers has enough English for us to ask simple questions and get her reply.  Once she relaxes and our ears tune into her accent, the understanding between us all is good.
There are 58 children enrolled at the school but today only 39 of them are in attendance.  Apparently there is a funeral and some of the children are attending that and the others, well there's no information about their absence.
The school building is in a poor condition just being one long classroom.  Many of the children have UNICEF school bags and I would see that a few of the chairs and tables had been donted by CARE.  We asked about this and the Assistant Principal informed us that when the school opened 2 years ago after being closed for sometime, some of the furniture was donated then and the Principal had at the beginning of the year learned that UNICEF were donating school bags for children in the North and applied to the Education Division to get them for his school.  Apart from these items, no help is being given from anywhere else and nothing is expected in the future.
The children are very excited to see us and for some, I don't think they've seen a white person before in their lives.  They all want to touch my skin, I'm hot and sweating but don't mind at all. 
As always, we ask some of the older children to help us unload the car.  It seems here that all of the children want to help.  They all very excitedly take the goods into the far end of their school room so that I can sort them in preparation of giving each child their gifts.
The teachers ask them to sit in on the floor and wait patiently.  I have lollies so hand them out to keep them occupied whilst I work.  Very soon it's all done and time to have the children come up. 
Class by class they come to get their new school bag, books, pencils and small simple childrens story book.  I then one by one give them a soft toy.  All of the children gasp at the sight and realisation that they will all receive one.  Tigger was a favourite along with the beautiful teddies.  They boys loved their boy type toys and immediately began roaring like lions as they played with the person sitting next to them.
The teachers were also delighted with the things I'd taken for them.
Boys being boys and particularly cricket mad Sri Lankan boys, they loved the thought of having cricket bats and balls for everyday use at school.
These children need to get used to attending school each day, for most of their lives, they haven't been able to go for fear of the bombs.  Now it's time to encourage them and little by little they should come.  I hope that by having cricket bats at school, this will be enough to encourage them. 
The Teachers appear to be very caring and tell us that they want the children to attend school and are disappointed when 30% of the children are absent as they are today.  They have promised to speak with the parents and tell our story and that we will again visit these children next year.  They are very happy to hear this.
We bid them all farewell and the children form a line to the gate wearing their hats and carrying their school bags as they wave goodbye.
I am very happy as we leave knowing that once again we have successfully located a new school where the families are poor and the children need our support even as small as it is. 
It's a long drive now back to Anuradhapura where we'll spend the night before we proceed to Colombo the following day.
It's been a long trip but so totally worth it.