Isuru and the future

Amsterdam, 30 November 2024

Dear Patrons, donors and friends of ISURU Preschool,

මෙන්න අපි නැවතත්….Here we are again!

A lot has happened at the ISURU Preschool in recent months.

In this newsletter I will give you a brief overview of the most important and fun news.

Flooding

After Sinhala New Year (April) the rainy season started, and the flooding was worse than ever. Here, too, global climate change is making itself felt. Both the entrance and the courtyard next to the school were regularly flooded. This caused practical problems: the children arrived at school with wet feet. An even bigger problem, however, was the danger of dengue, as stagnant water is an ideal breeding ground for this mosquito that spreads this disease. The Ministry of Health warned of the danger of stagnant water and dengue. We decided to invest in raising both the entrance and the courtyard and constructing a good drainage system so that the water can flow away. The final work on the courtyard is currently being done and is expected to be completed by the end of December.

The entrance

The courtyard where the garden will come back in pots with plants.

Vesak

On May 23, many Buddhists celebrate Vesak or Buddha Day. On this day they commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. At school, attention was of course paid to this important day with appropriate prayers, clothing and meals.

Volunteers

We also welcomed a few volunteers again this year, something that both the children and the teachers are always very happy about. The volunteers not only help, but also practice English with the children. Volunteers are indispensable to make the school a success. That is why we are going to recruit again at highschools in the Netherlands by means of a letter to the mentors of the graduation classes. If you already know someone in your circle of acquaintances who is interested in a period as a volunteer at ISURU, please let him/her email me via mirjamgelink@gmail.com or app via 0627080851.

How beautiful it is to volunteer for a month during a gap year by working with the children in the mornings and having the afternoons free to enjoy the beautiful country.

Practicing English with the volunteers. Krishantha gives instructions about the day program.

ISURU-team

We are very grateful that we have had the same teachers at our school for years. This gives the parents peace of mind, continuity and confidence. Often several children from one family come to ISURU over the years.

Due to the enormous inflation of the past two years, caused by an economic crisis in Sri Lanka, we have given our staff a wage increase of 19%. The wage is now comparable to other preschools so that we do not lose teachers.

Krishantha, our indispensable eyes and ears in the school, the man who arranges everything for us on location, has been awarded a contract as a project manager at ISURU as of January 1, 2024. There too, we saw the need for continuity. In consultation with Sevalanka Foundation, our sister foundation and his other employer, he now works 3 days for ISURU and 2 days for Sevalanka. We and the teachers are very happy with this arrangement.

October visit

At the end of October, I traveled back to my familiar Talpe for a reunion with the children, the teachers and Krishantha and, not unimportant, a visit to the priest of Talpe for his blessing for the school.

Sevalanka Foundation

First on the agenda was a meeting with Kaushalya Navaratne, the CEO of the Sevalanka Foundation, planned in Colombo, so back on the bus with Krishantha. At the end of my trip, I also spoke to the founder of the Sevalanka Foundation, Harsha Navaratne, who has lived in Canada for the past 3 years as an ambassador for Sri Lanka. The reunion was dear, and Harsha was very pleased that the fine cooperation with his daughter Kaushalya will be continued.

Kaushalya, Krishantha and I talked about our collaboration and our desire to achieve a more self-supporting school and a larger scope of fundraising to ensure the continuity of our beautiful project. Kaushalya offered to list ISURU on the Sevalanka Foundation website in late 2025/early 2026. Sevalanka has a large international network and therefore we are grateful to Kaushalya and the Sevalanka Foundation for their continued support of our project. A nice line to the future has been laid.

School days

The school days are always wonderful to attend. Helping to paste, read, eat lunch and not to forget dance because they love to do it so much.

Here is a small compilation with, among other things, beautiful photos of Martijn Piek, one of the volunteers.

Night Camp 2024

Last year, the teachers introduced Night Camp. An evening full of dances, performances and educational lessons about the night where all parents and family are welcome. A huge spectacle that is organized entirely by the teachers and parents with a real disco at the end. What a joy to be able to experience this.