Blog - San Felipe Humanitarian Alliance

Doing it Anyway

Belisa Davis — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 19:48:48 +0000

When our founder Robert P. Del Conte died 18 years ago a poem was found above his desk, called Do it Anyway by Mother Teresa. Over the years we have reflected on the poem but not acted on it. That is about to change. We are going to Do it Anyway despite the reward or consequence. We are getting ready to launch our first ever fundraising campaign to help rebuild an elementary school library in Puerto Rico that was damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017 as well as a library in an underserved elementary school in Los Angeles. Instead of focusing on how he died we are instead choosing to focus on how he lived and it doing it so we are going to Do it Anyway. Everyone has the ability to do good works and bring about change in our own way. It can be picking up trash at the park or the beach. Holding the door for the person behind you, saying please and thank you, volunteering in your child’s classroom or at a soup kitchen, taking a self care day. All of it is needed and all of it matters. None of us can get through life without the help of others and sometimes the thing that is most needed is a smile, a hello or a hug letting someone know they are seen and matter. We challenge you to Do it Anyway, in any fashion you can.

REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST,2016 ALSI OSAI – NAVALADY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Belisa Davis — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 19:06:00 +0000

Alai Osai Community Development Centre was functioning as usual except for the evening classes. The students of the evening classes were given a month vacation as in the case of State schools. The vacation started on 29th of July 2016.

Even though the vacation started, on the request of parents, classes were conducted from 1st August 2016 to 5th August 2016 as the children were on leave for a week for attending the Pooja at ”Kadaladiyamman” Kovil. This request was made by them at a Parents’ meeting.

Further, separate classes were conducted for 03 children who sat for the Grade 5 Scholarship exam held on 21st of August 2016. The children who attended classes were nourished with healthy snacks and milk tea. The teachers strived hard to bring up the children to appear for the exam. About 42 children attended the evening classes.

Mass.S.Logan

Mass.A.Arulaswaran

Miss.Tharshika

This is a highly competitive exam conducted by the Department of Examination of the Ministry of Education. It is optional for students to take it during the final year of primary school at the age of 9 – 10 yrs. This exam is held in only Tamil and Sinhala mediums. The parents and teachers exert pressure on children and guide them to get through the exam. This Grade five exam is usually held in August and a child is entitled to sit the exam only once.

Successful pass in this exam gives an opportunity for poor students to get a monthly bursary of Rs.500/- until they pass the G.C.E. (O/L) exam. The schools children themselves compete heavily with each other to exhibit their capabilities. With the intention of encouraging the students, the banks and private companies award the high-flyers at this exam with gifts.

The Psychosocial worker, daily (except on Saturdays and Sundays) made field visits. On 3rd of August 2016, the Health Unit of Batticaloa Base hospital, conducted an awareness programme on “Protection of Environment” for the Navalady Community. Our Psychosocial worker, on the request of Grama Sevaka Nilathari attended this programme.

Following that, the children of our Community Development Centre were provided with the knowledge on “Environmental Protection”. Further, they were given knowledge on the tools used by the Masons and Carpenters.

The fishermen of Navalady area got together and had a meeting on 4th of August 2016. They discussed about asking for compensation from Government, as they didn’t get sufficient income from fishing by casting net (Karavalai). Our Psychosocial worker was also invited for this meeting. Thereafter, on 5th August 2016, they all met the Grama Sevaka and handed over their appeal for compensation.

REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2016 ALAI OSAI –NAVALADY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Belisa Davis — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 18:56:00 +0000

As usual the development programme for the Navalady community was continued for the month of July 2016. Our programme has made a big change in life of people living in Navalady. During this month, our Psychosocial worker daily visited the families in the Navalady community, and did counseling wherever necessary. As the male members of the families spend most of their time out in the sea, engaging in fishing, they do not have time to go to the relevant places in town area, to fulfill their needs. The mothers are uneducated and ignorant. They just cook their meals and take care of the children. When their male family members bring excess fish homes, they put those fishes in the sun to dry and prepare dry fish. They do not engage in home gardening as the soil is not fertile. Our psychosocial worker helps them to obtain documents from Government departments. On 4th of July, the psychosocial worker had a discussion with the members of the Fisheries association. Through the Grama Sevaka of Navalady area, the Psychosocial worker made arrangements for Mr. Viramuthu to obtain his birth certificate. The evening classes were conducted by the two teachers. Lessons were taught according to their grade and syllabi. The teachers tried hard to develop the children’s aptitude. The subjects like English, Maths, Tamil, environmental studies were taught. They have learnt to write Sinhala letters and Sinhala vocabulary.

The children were engaged in art work. The teachers were able to read their minds and their feelings through their art work. In case of children in Grade V, special care was taken as they were going to sit for the scholarship exam on 21st of August.

The children were provided with nutritious food and tea. The parents assist in preparing tea and making tiffin. The children are accompanied by the mothers when they attend the school.

The Centre is closed on the days which are declared as holidays by the government. 6th & 19th of July were holidays , because of Ramazan festival and full-moon respectively. Day by day the number of children attending the school is increasing. The number had increased up to 42 in July, 2016.

The Community Centre is helping for: Community building, Education, Reconciliation, Peace, Employment and Improving of quality of life.

The Centre was closed on 29th of July for the second term vacation.