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- Just spoken to Shiran, one of the SwimLanka coaches in Tangalle, to find out about the weeks progress. We were very relieved to hear that after the disturbing events at the beginning of the week, the children had started coming back to the classes with big smiles on their faces.
- Monday 4 to Friday 8 April
- Confidence with Water Classes successfully carried on in Tangalle
- Three new coaches, Neil, Senaka and Sumith, completed their training at the Rainbow Academy
- Day trip to Ambalangoda to meet AFLAC International (Association For Lighting A Candle) and local authorities there. We will be assisting them with a pilot project in Ambalangoda for a learn to swim course they will be running.
- Back to Tangalle
- One of the groups undergoing the Confidence with Water classes had progressed well enough to go into the shallows of the sea. We were fortunate to have one of Sri Lanka’s top swimmers of her age group assisting - Imara Fahim.
- Sunday morning the first 2 fibre glass pools arrived in Tangalle. One replaced the original pilot course pool on the beach and the other was destined for Rekawa, about 6 km East of Tangalle. The Tangalle pool was successfully installed in a sandy area, and usable the next day, but the Rekawa pool was not so easy, especially as the JCB excavator did not turn up!
- Stopped classes because of the Singhala New Year Celebrations, Virtually everything in Sri Lanka stops during that week.
- Petronella in Tangalle to touch base and attend some meetings.
- While the Confidence with Water Classes continue in Tangalle, Petronella and Julian, amidst trying to run their normal businesses, attend a number of important meetings in Colombo.
- RV at 7.30 AM with Julian at Rainbow Academy prior to leaving for morning meeting with AFLAC in Ambalangoda on our way to Tangalle.
- Julian experienced for the first time the classes run in one of the new fibre-glass pools when he joined in.
- SwimLanka has started working with the Methodist Church in Tangalle who, through local schools, have found 75 Tsunami affected children. They will be joining our Confidence with Water Classes.
- At a meeting with the Tangalle coaches, it was agreed that the classes would take place on Sundays as well, as there had been a significant increase in the number of course attendees.
- With the assistance of members of the Rekawa Foundation the fourth location for Tangalle area, Hambantota District, has been identified as Kahandhamoodara.
- Julian and Petronella stopped off in Welligama to see Chris Fonfe who is running swimming classes for women. They had a delicious late lunch and met up with Tom Parker who was interested in writing an article for BBC On-Line.
- On the back they stopped in Galle for a meeting with Friends of the South. Titus, who is a swimming coach at St Joseph’s College, has agreed to assist us in finding five new coaches for the Galle District.
- Petronella attended a Psycho-Socio meeting at Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA). We decided to have, as part of our training course for the coaches, a workshop to familiarise them with these aspects, run by a Colombo based psychiatrist.
- We are trying to establish links with interested NGOs who might be able to assist us when we go to other districts.
- More meetings with potential sponsors - we continue to look for funding.
- Two more Fibreglass Training Pools delivered to Tangalle area, for Marwella and Kahandhamoodara. Four more pools have been ordered for Galle District and with luck should be operational before the end of May.
- Julian was attending the Ananda College swimming meet in an official capacity. At the same time he was able to interview, and approve, the prospective coaches for Galle District. This was his last opportunity to do so as he was off the next day to USA on other swimming business.
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© SwimLanka Charitable Trust 2005-2006
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