April 2014 PMGY SRI LANKA

I have just returned to the UK having had the most amazing experience in Sri Lanka with PMGY. During my stay I took part in a medical programme, teaching in the Tsunami school and a few painting projects.
The medical project involved going to a Base Hospital and observing in various departments such as clinics, stores, and various wards including paediatric. Although our placement within the hospital was not hands on , observing was a great opportunity and a good learning experience for myself and my group which consisted of 8 paediatric student nurses and 1 student midwife. We could take a step back and observe everything that was happening, language was a bit of a barrier at times, but the majority of hospital staff tried their best to answer any questions that we had.
Teaching at the Tsunami school was challenging but good fun. The time at the Tsunami school was split between teaching and games. It was really good to get involved in what the children love which was playing cricket! I hadn’t played cricket for years so the children ended up teaching me how to play! All the children were always happy to see us, they always appreciated the time that we spent with them, which made us feel valued.
Painting projects- We painted the inside of the Tsunami school with help from a few of the children who could draw animals a lot better than us! Once we had finished painting the inside of the school it looked a lot better and brighter which has now created a fun environment for the children to learn in. We all felt like we had made a difference, which is what we went to Sri Lanka to do.
We also painted at a turtle hatchery, which is run by a local man whose life was tragically effected by the 2004 Tsunami. This was hard work due to the heat beaming down on us whilst we were painting but once we had finished we were all happy with the end result.
Transport to and from placement could not be faulted. Without fail transport was always on time whether it be Tuk Tuk’s or Ashika’s van. The Tuk Tuk drivers are all really friendly and reliable, if we wanted to stop off at a shop on the way to or from places this was never an issue.
In our spare time we played badminton, went to a hotel pool/ beach and went to Hikkaduwa quite a few times. Hikkaduwa was popular with our group because the beach is stunning, and there are various shops and restaurants. In the evening if we fancied a night out we ended up in Funky De Bar, where we drank cocktails, danced on tables, danced in the sea and on the beach.
Safety was never an issue. From Day 1 Ashika made us aware that our safety was his main priority. We had contact numbers that were available 24/7. We all ensured that we stayed alert and used our common sense when we were out and about. We all felt safe throughout our entire stay in Sri Lanka.
Accomodation: We stayed with Ashika and his family in Ambalangoda. We were made to feel welcome from day 1, by the end of our stay we felt like this was our second home. We all stayed upstairs which is where the volunteer bedrooms are. The rooms consisted of bunk beds, enabling 4/5 people to stay in each room. Although our rooms were upstairs we were welcome to sit downstairs whenever we wanted to. WIFI allowed us to stay in contact with family and friends back home, and kept our phone bills to a minimum whilst we were abroard!
Food- I am missing Tamari’s cooking already! Tamari makes everything that she cooks taste good! The food was a bit of a shock at first because a lot of it was spicy but it didn’t take long for us to get used to it!
Overall our stay was amazing, we are all so grateful to Ashika, Nalaka, Tamari, Ranji, Tharu and Seneli who all welcomed us into their home and made us feel part of their family. I want to say a massive thank you to the family on behalf of my group.
Everything they do is truly amazing, you have given us all experiences and memories that will last us a lifetime! I’m sure some of our group will be returning in the near future!