The Center of Hope Mattakkuliya had a young volunteer team from TOUCH International, visit and serve from 12 to 15 June 2017. The team, comprising of 13 volunteers, conducted a special program for children between the ages of 10 and 16 years. The team also carried out extensive cleaning and painting work in the medical room, office and outside (boundary) wall of the center.
Their hard work was much appreciated, especially by the children. In the morning hours, some of the volunteers assisted in the preschool classes (ages 3-5), while others assisted in the kitchen and supported the feeding program. In the afternoon they helped out with afterschool/homework classes for the 10 to 16 year olds. On 13 June 2017, the teams conducted a two hour program from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm for all the children. The 6 to 11 year olds greatly enjoyed their origami sessions, while the 12 to 16 year olds
engaged in ‘Catapult and Da Vinci Bridge’ sessions. Similarly, on 15 June 2017, the children were given yet more opportunities to get their creative juices running. The 6 to 11 year olds engaged in a clay modeling while the 12-16 year olds enjoyed learning to design tote-bags. A significant and meaningful part of the program was the appreciation event that was conducted by the volunteers on 15 June 2017, for the 16 members of staff of the Center of Hope, Mattakkuliya. The volunteer team set up an appreciation board for each member of staff so that notes of encouragement could be posted on these for each of them. In addition to this, each member of staff was gifted a tote bag that was especially designed by the children.
To top it off, the volunteer team cooked a simple but delicious dinner of chicken rice, chicken, and stir-fried vegetables for the staff. Needless to say, our staff enjoyed the entire event very much. We are always delighted to work with TOUCH International and are thankful to have had the added privilege of working with this young team. Their impact is not only felt in the clean and freshly painted center premises, but also – and more importantly – in the heart of every member of staff, who now carries a custom made tote bag to work!
