WWW Reflection

Last week we came back from WWW which was in Hambantota. Through this week-long trip, I’ve in fact achieved all of my goals and gained experiences that couldn’t be experienced here in Colombo.

As planned, on Tuesday and Wednesday, we visited a local school sponsored by OSC, and helped to paint the walls, playground equipments, decorate the walls etc.

For the first half an hour, we played little games and did some drawing with the children and we interacted with them. However, there was an issue of the language barrier and sometimes they didn’t seem to fully understand that we wanted them to do. I’ve considered the ethical implications of this activity. Because of the language barrier, the children may not have understood or enjoyed what we did together.

Picture of us interacting with the children 1

Picture of us interacting with the children 2

Picture of our group with the children

I was in charge of painting the walls and the playground equipments and since I’d done the same job last year, I took initiatives in painting walls and doing other maintenance in the school. We planned what each of us were going to do and worked collaboratively with others in painting. Painting walls and equipments for 2 days was something we were never exposed to before (last year, it was just 1 day of service) and I and everybody were tired, but I experienced something which I couldn’t experience in Colombo and showed perseverance and commitment in painting. I’ve certainly developed the skills in painting and increased the awareness of the area for growth.

Picture of myself painting the wall

I’ve also tried little bit of murals, which I’ve never done before, and I’ve undertaken the new challenge. Although it wasn’t an easy task, I’ve increased the awareness of the strengths and an area that could further be developed. Through this service work, we’ve engaged with issues of global importance. These areas were effected by the Tsunami and by helping these schools, we were involved in recovering the damage from Tsunami as well as providing better conditions for the local children to study.

Picture of our group doing the murals

Picture of our group after the completion of the service work

On thursday, we went to the safari ride at the Yala National Park. It was a great opportunity to go to one of the most famous safaris in Sri Lanka and I’ve certainly enjoyed this safari ride and observed the beauty of nature. It was great to observe some beautiful scenery and animals that we can’t see in Colombo.

Sunrise from the Yala National Park

Picture of dotted deers

Picture of us in the truck

This trip was full of new experiences and will be very memorable. Through this trip, I’ve done all three components of CAS, Creativity, Action and Service. Although this was the last WWW for us, the experiences we’ve gained in this trip will certainly be useful in the future!

Group photo

My goals for WWW

This year Grade 11 is going to Hambantota for WWW from the 24th to 28th. On the 25th and 26th will be the service work at 2 local schools, and on the 27th, we’re going to Yala National Park for the safari ride.

For this exciting trip, I’d like to make some goals for myself. The goals which I aim to achieve are;

• Take initiatives in painting walls and doing other maintenance in the local schools
• Interact with the kids at the local schools
• Be committed to work and other things that I’ll do
• Enjoy the safari ride and observe the beauty of nature
• Develop friendship with others, especially with those who I usually don’t talk to

And of course

• to cover as many criteria as possible.

These are the main goals which I hope to achieve through this WWW. This is the last WWW for me, as next year, we’ll be doing the trial exams while other grades are on WWW. I hope that I can make unforgettable memories and enjoy the week long trip with my friends.