Ratnapura Education & Welfare Centre Festival

I've been invited to be a part of the Official Guests at the presentation of the Award Certificates for the children who have entered and won prizes in the competitions held by Rev. Sumanajothi at the Welfare & Education Centre.
More than 180 children entered the competitions and there were 5 categories, Music and Folk Songs, Drawing, Copy Writing, Dictation (spelling) and General Knowledge.  Of the children who entered, 83 of them will receive a certificate for the category they have won a prize in and a gift from me of education packs and English story books along with a Harry Potter Library bag.
Raja and I travel to Ratnapura on Friday 31st so that we can take the gifts to the Welfare Centre for the following day which will make everything easier.  We then only have to prepare ourselves for the event which starts at 2pm.
We've been asked to come early so that we can have lunch at the Welfare Centre.  It's very very hot so I decide to take my clothes with me so that I can change at the last moments and feel a little refreshed.
I'm to make a speach to the parents and children so I've asked Raja to help me so that I can say it in Sinhalese.  It is so very difficult for me to get the intonation of the language correct, I'm very nervous about it all.  I practice the small item over and over again.  The rest of my speech, I have written in English and Raja will translate each paragraph into Sinhalese for me as I speak. It should work well I think.
I'll be  speaking to approximately 250 people which include the Provincial Council Members, (Mayor's), Police Comissioner, 10 Chief Monks from the District and a number of other important members of the Community who hold respected positions.
It's time to leave for the Welfare Centre so that we can prepare everything for the event, have lunch and then the Festival will start.
When we arrive at the Centre, it's already 12.30, very hot and I'm melting. There's already a crowd waiting and another group of people preparing the hall.  Yes this time there's a hall.  All the prevous events have been held on the grass outside for lack of space.  This is how much the building has progressed in the short time since I was here in January.  Apparently the workmen have worked through the night to lay the concrete under the verandah and to get the roofing material on and secured.  It's a great effort by them because it looks great.
Before long, the other special guests arrive, I'm introduced to the Provincal Council Member and then I greet the others that I know as they arrive.
All too soon it's time for the event to start.  The drummers come to us and start drumming, thee Folk dancers also come and then they lead us in music and dance to the hall where I am given a floral posie and we are led to our seats.
Rev. Sumanajothi welcomes everyone and speaks to the crowd informing them of the proceeding for the day.   A number of official guests are invited onto the stage to be part of the traditional Buddhist welcome of lighting the flame.  It's a nice tradition and I'm pleased to have been invited to be a part of this ceremony again.
After this, Rev. Sumanajothi talks of the efforts of achievement of the children who entered the competition followed by the announcement that he has written a book of poems about Ratnapura and the
tusker elephant and the Temple of the Tooth at Kandy.  I wasn't aware that this was happening at this Festival and was interested to hear one of the poems being sung by Rev. Nawaloka who is famous for his singing voice.  Although I couldn't understand much of what was being sung, the rythymn of the poem to song was soothing.
By now we'd all been sitting in the hall for more than an hour, I feel as if I was melting, My hair's limp from perspiration and I'm scared that my mascara will be running down my cheeks. I have my invitation so I use that as a fan.  I have a little relief from that and now and again a slight breeze blows.
Very soon it's my turn to speak, I'm so very nervous about speaking in Sinhalese.  I stand in front of the lectun, Raja is behind me.  I start and my mind goes blank for the pronunciation.  I breathe deeply and then it comes.  I'm not sure if I'm saying it as locals would but I take my time and pray like mad...
The next part is easy, I'm to speak in English and Raja will translate.  He made notes in the morning so all he has to do is read.
By now I understand enough spoken Sinhalese and realise that he's not saying the paragraphs in the correct sequence.  For those in the audience who understand English, I can see the confusion on their faces but what could I do but continue and hope that he puts his part together.
I had lots of nods from Rev. Sumanajothi even though it was all out of sequence so I guess it all worked out and very soon it was all over and we could go and sit down again.
Now its time for the children to perform.  There is dancing of local tradition dance, singing from the competition winner, a small story from the story writing winner.
This is followed by the presentation of the Certificates and gifts to each child.  Invited guests are requested to come onto the stage to make the presentations to the children.  I am to give each of the children the English story books, another will give the certificates, another the education packs and another the library bags.
This process for 83 children takes almost 1 hour, and then it's all over apart from one of the parents makig a Thank You speech to me for the support that we at In My Heart Serendib give to these children.
By now we'd been in the sweltering hall for more than 3 hours, my clothes are totally soaked with perspiraton and I need to have a drink.  I'm still recovering from my sickness and don't want to have an issue with hydration as well.
Once outside, competition winning children and their parents want to have a photo with me and then Rev. Sumanajothi wants a group photo of all 83 children, him and me.  A little hard for Raja to do with my little camera but he manages to take 2 shots from different angels.
Many of the parents and children know me now and want to come and talk with me.  It's so nice that I've become a familiar person to them and that they all want to express their genuine appreciation for everything.  The children want to tell me how happy they are with their gifts and will look forward to seeing me again in 2012.
The sun is setting, the children and their families slowly leave for home.  It's been a really nice afternoon and I'm really pleased that the children are confident to come up to me and speak in English.  This extra English learning will help them to have University opportunities and give them a better future.  They of course can take private English lessons but coming from such poor families, this additional cost is prohibative for most of them.  These free English lessons that Rev. Sumanajothi offers is a wonderful thing for these children.
Rev. Sumanajothi, his Secretary, some of his helpers for the day and Raja and I sit down for a well deserved cup of tea and a snack.  I could drink a litre of tea I'm so thirsty.  It's now getting dark and we've been invited to stay and eat the lunch food for dinner.  There's apparently enough and they will cook fresh rice.  We have no objection to this offer, it will give us all a little time to talk about the Festival and consider how successful it was.
At about 9pm, Raja and I leave for the hotel, it is near the Secretaries home so we give her a lift.  I'm really exchausted and feeling very dirty.  I look forward to a nice long and cool shower before falling into bed for what I know will be the sleep of the dead.
The hotel is at Bopath Falls which is within a two minute walk to a very pretty water fall.  From the chalet rooms, you can hear the water falling, its very soothing and relaxing.
On Sunday 2nd, now that the Festival is over, it's time to return to Colombo so that we can sort and load the car for the next journey to Anuradhapura and then to Kilinochi to try and locate a small school in that area that we can help.