Dilanee's visit to Navalady school with CPS students

We were greeted by the whole school waiting for us at the entrance of the school. There was a large banner welcoming us with photographs of all the Calthorpe Park (CPS) Students. The students were all given garlands and they walked from the school gate to the entrance following the school band. Then it was time for whole school Hindu and Christian prayers, which was followed by a whole school exercise to music. The CPS students and teachers joined in with the exercises. This was something new for the local students and teachers and they commented that they were very touched by this.

The students then divided into groups and went into different classrooms, and started doing the activities that they have been planning since January.

I spent some time talking to some of the teachers. The school used to be located in Navalady village, which was situated by the sea, with the whole school being destroyed by the Tsunami. The new school has been built 20 km inland by the Swiss government. One teacher I spoke to had lost her whole class of 24 students, aged 6, and their parents. There are several orphan students at the school, many still suffering from the trauma. I was very moved when the teacher told me that she was unable to talk for two years after the tsunami and she thanked Ocean Stars for allowing her to tell her story.