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Bridging Lanka Monthly Report
March, 2022
On Again Off Again  but the Show Finally Went On!

How many times can a fundraiser be postponed? Lots! Planning for the Bridging Lanka Gala Dinners in Melbourne and Sydney spanned almost two years. Covid ‘lockdown unpredictability’ was the spanner in the works. Within a couple of weeks of the initial promotion, the Melbourne event was sold out and over 200 paid up front. Sadly the dinners kept on being postponed due to Covid pronouncements. What a delight when the March 2022 date for the fundraiser materialised. Noone was more thrilled than the two primary organisers, Lara and Terence Jeyaretnam. With solid support from the other Bridging Lanka directors, the coordinating duo pulled off two amazing events.
You Did Us Proud! by Terence Jeyaretnam

To those of you who attended and/or supported our gala “Flavours of Lanka” in Sydney, Darling Harbour, and Melbourne, Docklands, we thank you for your support and for your wonderful feedback. We are indeed grateful for your generosity and all your enthusiasm and encouragement. Thank you for making the events a real success. We managed to raise over $31,000 from both the dinners, auctions and donations on the day. With the two year pandemic and current disastrous economic crisis in Sri Lanka, these fundraisers could not have come at a more crucial time. Your contribution uplifts entire communities and we cannot thank you enough for this. All proceeds go to Bridging Lanka’s projects that help poor Lankan families and address youth alcohol and drug issues.
An Incredible Team by Terence Jeyaretnam

The Sydney event featured comedian, Suren Jayemanne. The Melbourne event spotlighted Nazeem Hussein and Sashi Perera as the entertainers. We extend heart-felt thanks to Shaun Christie-David of Colombo Social and Plate it Forward for catering at cost, and for Suren for volunteering his time and talents. A big thank you to Bridging Lanka director, Lindy Drew-Tsang and close friend and BL supporter, Sandy Trenevski, both from Brisbane, and the MAD COW crew from Sydney for running the show. 
‘Stop Them Going Under’ Fundraiser

We’ve started a Chuffed crowdfunder to raise $20,000 to feed hundreds of desperate families in Mannar struggling to put food on their tables. Why? Sri Lanka is facing its worst financial crisis since independence due to depleted foreign exchange reserves and hence no essential imports coming into the country. Many families here are surviving on one meal a day - rice and chilli sambol - and cooking on wood fires because gas is no longer available. Priority will be given to women-headed households, families with disabled members and those without employment. Contributions will help Bridging Lanka source and supply urgently needed dry food rations to these most vulnerable families.
What Style of Parenting? by A.P.F. Rojan, Manager

At the third session of the Better Parenting workshops at the Santhipuram primary school, a stimulating discussion happened. We dived deep into “Different Parenting Styles”. I was surprised that both the school principal and teacher came along, along with 16 parents. I explained four parenting styles - Permissive, Authoritarian, Uninvolved and Democratic. The parents then slowly started to identify their own style and started to realise why their children didn’t respond to their orders and advice. 

From their eyes I could see that many felt guilty about how they had treated their kids. By sharing honestly about my own struggles and failures as a parent they feel more comfortable about sharing openly too. Most identified as either Authoritarian (the most popular) or Permissive. The Democratic style of parenting – creating warmth while enforcing rules – was new to them but eye-opening. The parents gave very positive feedback about the session.
Turning Things Around by Hindhujan Sinnaiyah, Project Officer

Our Home-Street-School program at Santhipuram School is going well. A major reason we were asked to get involved was to increase school attendance which had dropped very low. Since we started running our weekly program with the kids, the attendance has been consistently high. Now we are going deeper by focusing on individual kids and the problems they are facing. This month we focused on two girls, probably the only conscientious learners in this grade three class of 14. Because of this they have been isolated from the others who in the past have not come to school, dressed in dirty clothes, argued with teachers and didn’t cooperate. Through the efforts of my team (Luman, Seenu and Senthuran) we engaged with the two girls and then reconnected them with the rest. It took time and trialling different approaches but we succeeded!
Listening Deeply to Family Angst
 
Each month we visit more families whose kids go to Santhipuram School so we can better understand the pressure points of each household. This type of listening prevents us from making glib judgement about their decisions, behaviour and lives, drawing us to empathise with their dilemmas and struggles. Heavy reflection after each family visit helps us to identify common difficulties and possible responses that could be trialled. Husbands hooked on alcohol and the subsequent impact on families and the pervasive drug culture of the streets are the most common predicaments haunting the mums. Grinding poverty due to lack of jobs, a high proportion of local drug dealers and parents’ low education levels are other issues affecting a child’s education in Santhipuram.
Not in Mannar!

Bridging Lanka was invited by the Mannar Citizens’ Committee to present Mannar District’s position on mineral sand mining to the Country Representative of Titanium Sands Ltd, Saliya Galagoda. Galagoda has ownership rights to five Sri Lankan companies issued with exploration licences for Mannar Island and adjacent coastal areas by the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau. 

The resounding message was that Mannar’s residents strongly opposed any mineral sand mining intentions in Mannar as this 50+ year mining project would cause irreversible sea water intrusion and salination of ground water contaminating wells. In addition large scale devastation to fishing and agriculture-based livelihoods, migratory bird habitat, old growth palmyrah forests and tourism is imminent. Galagoda’s response failed to sway the crowd. Attendees included members of the Institute of Engineers, Catholic Diocese, Mannar Citizens’ Committee, Non-Governmental Organisations, Fisheries, religious clerics, private land owners, Mannar Pradeshiya Sabha and the Urban Council.
Spreading the Message

Titanium Sands Ltd through their Sri Lanka-based subsidiaries has charged ahead with completing the last phase of the mineral sand exploration project prior to applying for a mining application. Several awareness sessions were delivered to villages targeted for mining. Bridging Lanka in partnership with the Mannar Citizens Committee alerted the unaware public of what was being planned and the impact it would have on current and future generations. 
Communities Fight Back

Secret drilling operations by Titanium Sands Ltd (TSL) operatives, some at midnight, have continued since early January this year. Once the greater public were made aware of TSL’s plans, spontaneous protests started erupting in many areas of Mannar Island including Talaimannar, Pesalai and Thottaweli. At the latter site, fresh mineral sand drilling was met with fierce opposition as residents clash with TSL staff and police, driving out the imposters and putting a stop to the drilling.
Dance, Dance, Dance by Hindhujan Sinnaiyah, DAT Coordinator

We have introduced more ‘therapies’ to supplement donkey therapy. While some of the young people are grooming, feeding and leading the donkeys in the arena, others are engaged in various activities including drawing, ‘hand to eye coordination’ ballgames and of course, dancing! As I love to dance, it is only natural that I will encourage others to dance too. The youngsters’ shyness quickly turns to letting their hair down and having a good time. One guy, Godwin, in particular, goes crazy and his dance moves become infectious for the others.
Who’s Helping Whom? by Hindhujan Sinnaiyah, DAT Coordinator

The Donkey Assisted Therapy (DAT) program is going from strength to strength. For me personally, being involved in DAT sessions makes me realise that more than helping MARDAP’s young people grow and develop, it is I who is receiving many things from them. That is very special to me.
Blast from the Past by Kumanan Mailvaganam, Former DAT Coordinator

I am learning new organizational methods, new methods and new things from accountant, Moyeez who teaches me systematically training in tasks related to assisting in the administrative tasks of our office and taking proper care of our office system. Accountant Moyeez will still teach me new things. These lessons have been helpful in my personal life as well.
Gym Open Day by Jerad Anton, Village Development Officer

During Covid lockdown periods our Kunchukulam gym did exceptionally well. All liquor outlets were closed and the local lads decided to become healthy. A number camped at our Youth Empowerment Hub, jogged around the sports oval at 6am and then hit the gym. Once lockdowns and curfews were lifted, many had to leave the village to work away from home. Attendance fell. So we planned a Gym Open Day to attract new customers. An exciting program of information, demonstrations, fitness competitions with prizes and healthy refreshments was a hit with the youngsters. Discount memberships were promoted and new interest in fitness and healthy lifestyles started to take hold. Our Bridging Lanka fitness team who organised the event – Kumanan, Luman, Hindhujan, Kavi, Seenu and Senthuran – did us proud!
Where there’s Heart there’s Hope

After only one month on the job, Siminthini, the newly appointed Café Arokkiya manager has received her first pay rise. At Bridging Lanka salary increases are not dependent on duration of employment but whether one’s personal commitment and professional performance is on the rise. In a few short weeks Siminthini has demonstrated a heart connection to the café and a determination to make the café a success. Here, Gaby, a volunteer from the UK listens to the issues the new manager has identified and how she plans to resolve them. The customers are also responding positively to Siminthini’s efforts. Their numbers are increasing and the cafe income is rising steadily. 
Water, Water Everywhere

Café Arokkiya’s pond was in a poor state. The water lilies were on the way out, a water snake had eaten all the frogs except for a gigantic bullfrog and the water had become muddied. Kavi, Komahan, Seenu and Senthuran, under the guise of working hard, plunged into some wicked water fights. A few hours later, much of the water had been drained, new water lilies planted and the pond refilled. 
Volunteers Well Above Board

Jonny and Gaby from the UK worked right up to the end of their one month volunteer stint trying to get as much completed before departing on a well-earned Sri Lankan holiday. Gaby worked furiously to give Café Arokkiya a facelift arranging for new lampshades, a blackboard menu and indoor plants. Sensibly she got partner, Jonny, to do the assembly and painting of the fixtures. Tremendous effort from our first lot of volunteers in recent years! 
Killing Two Birds with the One Stone

It is important to provide purposeful activity for the young men coming off drugs. We get them involved in a diverse range of activities not only to keep them occupied but also to observe their areas of interest to help them identify possible career paths. Two of our guys helped out at the Hendro Animal Rescue Centre (HARC) site as mason labour. In a day the plastering work on the clinic and feeding station walls was completed. Finishing the HARC facility is taking time due to big shortage of funds. Nevertheless the goal is to complete the building by the end of June so we can commence the street dog and cat sterilisation and vaccination program.
Long Way to Go

Without laying a gravel road, trucks wouldn’t be able to deliver building materials to the site of the Little Trees Nurtury, our proposed English medium preschool. We realised that if we are serious about influencing young people to embrace a healthy life trajectory, the most effective time to start is when they are between three and five years of age – hence the preschool. 

Already the M.H. Omar Foundation has contributed a large sum and Chavez Selvaratnam, another volunteer, is currently helping to raise funds in Dubai. As the cost of building materials has risen by 400 to 500% in just over a year, Sri Lanka’s failing economy and the scarcity of materials are our greatest risk at present. Wathmi Fernando, our talented, inspirational and very committed architect, has been busy creating building designs that places children’s creative learning and play at the centre of her designs.
To our Contributors – Thanks for Making our Work Possible!

Each day our workers prepare and eat lunch together. Seven of the nine above work across our many projects – Kumanan, Senthuran, Kavi, Eric, Seenu, Hindhujan and Luman.


In Australia, Bridging Lanka Ltd is a public benevolent institution (PBI) with charity status with the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission, deductible gift recipient status and charity tax concession status with the Australian Taxation Office. All donations are tax deductible.

In Sri Lanka, Bridging Lanka (Guarantee) Limited is a registered not-for-profit company with the Registrar of Companies and as a Voluntary Social Service Organisation with the Secretariat of Non-Governmental Organisations.
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86 Esplanade Road
Mannar 41000
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info@bridginglanka.org
https://bridginglanka.org/

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