I can see clearly now . . .

The many hundreds of pairs of spectacles I had shipped out in April this year arrived just a couple of months ago at Colombo Shipping Port. They took far too long by ship but it’s a relief to know they’ve eventually arrived. An optician in Sri Lanka has been matching these prescription glasses, donated by friends in the UK, to the many village people who need them. They’ve now been distributed in three remote villages in Kurunegala, Central Sri Lanka, and overseen by the Buddhist monk, Rev. Ragama Sugathananda. The spectacles that I suit-cased out with me in March this year were immediately disseminated to some remote communities in the Kandy tea plantation region. And finally, the few hundred pairs I gave to Lynn Stanier (CEO and Founder of Their Future Today) to take out in her suitcase last month are being assessed and matched to local people in districts throughout Galle in the south of the island.

Children in a village near Kurunegala lining up waiting to be fitted with glasses

Thank you so much to everyone who donated their old prescription glasses and dropped them off to me to get out to Sri Lanka. Please keep them coming for me to take out next March when I go to complete the final leg of my 3 stage fundraiser.

Our parcels containing hundreds of pairs of glasses arriving at Colombo Port

Trek Planning 2024

Now September is here we’re about to book our flights and then I will finalise the overall trekking route of my final leg across Sri Lanka. Gill’s confirmed she’s coming again and we’ll do the trekking part together. Two other friends from far flung places will join us for the volunteering part and will spend 7-10 days teaching and supporting up to 60 girls living in the refuge. This is likely to include weaving, creatively combining colour as well as other artistic and resilience-building activities depending on the girls’ interests and needs.

Fundraising activities

I’ve almost reached 79% of my £30,000 target and still have just over £6,000 to go. 100% of all donations received, and all money raised from fundraising activities, are used to fund grassroot projects in Sri Lanka that I have oversite of and regularly report on. All expenses incurred by me when travelling to Sri Lanka such as flights, accommodation etc are at my personal expense and this is the same for any friends travelling with me.

Do you have any ideas for fundraising activities? I’d like to have one more event before Christmas this year and then another between Christmas and when we set off in March 2024.

And if you have any pre-loved winter clothes you’d like to donate for me to sell at a clothes sale or on Ebay please pass them this way. This has been the way I’ve raised the majority of funds to date.

Further sponsorship – if you’d like to help me to help those in need in Sri Lanka, whilst being assured every penny will get to those who need it, then please donate by clicking on this link. Don’t forget if you’re a tax payer to declare gift aid when doing so which will increase your donation by 25% at no cost to you. Alternatively, if you know of anyone or any organisation who may have an interest in this cause please share this blog link with them. And, if you’d like to get involved in anyway please get in touch with me at marciasummers@hotmail.com

If you missed last month’s blog then here it is

Next Up: Kirimetiya project update and more on our trek plans