Alarm set for 4am today so we could climb Sigiriya Rock in time for the 6.05 sunrise. I wrote a blog last year with a brief history of Sigiriya when doing this with Kiran so I won’t repeat that here, but if you’re interested in that then here it is. It’s quite fascinating and the climb is very achievable if you reach the summit before the sun hits the ascent path. Gill did brilliantly and conquered her fear of high, open, wrought iron, narrow staircases. Her legs turned to jelly but she did it!
Suzana’s volunteering
Last week my friend Suzana arrived in Kandy from Craiova, Romania to volunteer her time and expertise as a psychologist and yoga teacher for the Women’s Development Centre (WDC) refuge in Kandy. The shelter provides a safe environment for survivors of gender-based violence. It’s the girls’ involvement in positive activities that helps to occupy their thoughts and gives them meaning until they find their own personal resources to overcome the misfortunes they’ve experienced.
Suzana is using creative and meditative activities eg; soap and candle-making, and yoga sessions to help develop the girls’ vocational and wellbeing skills so they can perhaps gain some financial independence when they leave the shelter.
The girls loved playing with the wax, creating colours using spices such as turmeric which grows in the garden, and picking flowers for decorating the candles. As a trained yoga instructor, Suzana has been giving classes to small groups of girls at a time. She’s had the benefit of an in-house translator and when that’s not been available she and the girls have had a lot of fun using Google translate to help with communication. ‘I’ve tried to get the girls to focus on yoga postures to help them find a little balance in their lives, Suzana said. At the end of the class one of the girls told Suzana, through the use of the translation app, that she was imagining her anger turning into air and in doing so was not feeling it so much in her stomach.
Suzana said, ‘I feel my efforts are a drop in the ocean but everyone’s endeavours have made this amazing place possible and every bit of support helps to create a safer and more optimistic future for the girls.’
Sounds like you’ve had a fabulous time Suzana and you’ve contributed in ways that the girls really value. Looking forward to seeing you in Kandy tomorrow for the next stage of our activities.
Suzana will join Gill and me on our visit to Kuranagula on Monday to spend the day with Rev Ragama and his village community, and after this we will trek for 3 days in the Pekoe Trail around the Kandyan tea plantations.
Further sponsorship – if you’d like to help me to help those who have various forms of 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
Next up: visit to a spice garden and our arrival in Kandy.
If you missed the last blog then here it is.