March 2005 - Boossa Child and Youth Development Center, Sri Lanka
The generosity of our donors was astounding. With Project COLOR Box paid for, we found ourselves with a few thousand dollars remaining, a lot of enthusiasm, and a little bit of time. Most of the tsunami relief projects were large in scale, expensive, and very slow to progress. We quickly set out to find a project we could work on as individuals that would maximize our donor’s contributions to tsunami affected regions.
We were pleased when our
friend Kent told us about a community center project in the village of
Boossa, in the 
district
of Galle. The center is located on the ancestral land of Dr. Asoka
Jayasena. This area was hit very hard by the tragedy and has many displaced
people, after the tsunami, many families were living in the doctor’s family
home as it was untouched. The doctor and his family now reside in
Colombo, where he runs the largest private hospital in Sri Lanka. Not only
did he open the doors to his hospital and home for many weeks following the
tsunami but Dr. Asoka later donated his ancestral land with the dream of
creating a Community Center. Dr. Asoka Jayasena is a very generous man who
sees the potential in the youth of Sri Lanka and is willing to invest
towards their future success.
Every other day volunteer
doctors hold a health care clinic out of the home which is extremely
popular. Dr. Asoka had plans of opening a computer lab, and preschool,
previously he had acquired 10 computers for the computer lab and some
furniture for a preschool classroom. In addition, he had hopes of one day
opening a library with English
classes. Dr. Asoka’s plans were proceeding but there were a few problems.
The first complication 
being
that the building and facilities were in a bad state of disrepair. The roof
had holes in it, animals had taken over some areas, and the electrical
system was not functional for their needs. One locked door hid a room full
of ammonia, bats, and rat droppings.
Although there was much work to be done, Scott and I knew that helping to create a computer and educational facility was within our capabilities, education, healthcare, and computers are out of reach for most in this costal village. In addition the building would provide at least one clean dry place for people to retreat to during the upcoming monsoon season. It would also be a great way to spend our donor’s money and a wonderful contribution to the village. This was an amazing opportunity to help hundreds of people.
In just a few weeks time we
completely repaired the center. Most of our time was spent planning,
designing, and organizing projects. None of it would have been possible if
not for the hard work of our friend Jayalath, who worked from dusk till dawn
making this project happen. He bargained to get us the "local" price for
goods and laborers, making our money go much further. We also owe our
appreciation to Ruchira, the grounds keeper, a skilled young man mature
beyond his years. We could never have completed so much without them.
The repairs we had done were essential, esthetic, and educational. The major renovations included repairing the roof, installing gutters, enclosing the eves, and completely replacing the electrical system. Lights and ceiling fans were installed as well as a suspended ceiling for ventilation and climate control. In addition we plastered and painted the walls and ceilings, had custom made shelving and furniture built, had curtains made, purchased whiteboards for the classrooms, art work, teaching materials, and more. We were also able to reclaim the ammonia filled room, making it into one of the nicest libraries around. It was an amazing transformation and different than all others we had toured in our search for just the right project. It was village based, had a lot of momentum, and offered hope for the future of so many people. The center was unrecognizable by the time we left and some repairs continued after our departure. Seeing the smiles on the villagers and workers as the project came toward completion was priceless. No one, not even us, expected what we were able to deliver. The grand opening of the Children and Youth Development Center was held on March 25th, and was a wonderful success. Many village people, officials, and media were on hand for the unveiling. So many children and young adults’ sign up for classes that they have already surpassed capacity. English classes will begin soon, as well as first aid training to name a few. A lot of enthusiasm has been created for this project. We are glad that our donor’s money has gone to such a good use and to have met so many great new friends.
Again, none of this would have been possible without the contributions of our donors and support of our friends and family. Thank you for your contribution to this project.
-C.O.L.O.R. Volunteers, Scott and Jennifer Longheyer