Debarahela Primary School

When we came across Debarahela primary school in 2005 it had only 22 pupils and was in a terrible state. The roof leaked, the floors were full of holes, the toilet was broken and the assembly area had fallen into ruin. Years of neglect had taken their toll. The children, from local farming families, were in an equally bad way. The area is so poor that some children were fainting in class for lack of something to eat. No food was provided at school and their homes were no better. They walked long distances to school in broken shoes, or no shoes at all, exposed to baking sun and torrential monsoon rains.

Extensive repairs were carried out using parents and villagers to help where possible. One of the nice things about Sri Lanka is that villagers really appreciate foreigners coming to help their schools and willingly give their time and labour. We replaced all the roof tiles, built a new toilet, built a wall around the assembly area, repaired floors and grounds and bought playground equipment.

We paid a local baker to make fresh rolls for the children each school day. The baker handed the rolls to the local bus driver who dropped them at school on his way past. This lunch programme lasted many months until Education authorities heard about it and took over the cost from us. Thanks to us, the Debarahela children no longer go hungry. Each year we buy shoes and uniforms for the children. Where necessary we provided school bags and umbrellas. The impact on the school has been wonderful to see. In the 2009 school year there are more than 60 children enrolled at Debarahela. We are currently spending nearly £3,000 converting a disused building into quarters for two teachers. It is evidence of how Debarahela will continue to grow in the years ahead, thanks to the kindness of our UK donors.

In November 2007, we escorted a school group from Harris Academy Bermondsey in south-east London on a visit to Debarahela. The English children and teachers painted the entire school over three days and spent hours playing games with the Sri Lankan children. It was a great experience on both sides. The trip was paid for by the Chartered Accountants' Livery company in London. Debarahela may be stuck out in the jungle miles from anywhere but its children have seen and experienced things they could never have imagined.

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