Sri Lanka

Tangalle Children's Relay's accomplishments throughout the course of 2009 reflect our commitment to providing the best possible education for the children in our care. Our programs focus on:

• Encouraging parental involvement in their children's education
• Ensuring the health and well-being of the children
• Providing meals to children of very poor families
• Modeling human values, reflecting kindness to others, sharing, and religious and ethnic tolerance
• Inviting interaction with other students to help develop social and interpersonal skills
• Developing the children's respect and appreciation for learning and for nature
• Alerting the children to the impact of natural disasters and environmental pollution
• Introducing the children to modern communication technology and its benefits
• Teaching Basic English

Activities at Tangalle Children's Relay benefited 24 families and their children. In addition to the teachers, some of the parents helped to prepare morning meals for the children and received a small stipend for their help. Some of the families even provided grains and local food items to be served for breakfast to the children.

This year, we are proud to announce that 15 TCR children have advanced successfully to the public school system. The feedback from their new teachers was very positive and they were impressed with how skilled the children were in a variety of activities. The children's parents also commented on how well rounded they were. Socially, the children found it easy to be in the new environment with different children and could often be seen in front of the lines at the new school, enthusiastic to learn more.

2009 Program Highlights Sponsored by Real Medicine Foundation

In addition to providing support for our instructors, RMF sponsored a number of activities that provided the foundation for the children to develop their social and interpersonal skills. These included:

• A visit to Yala National Park and the Holy Temple at Kataragama
• A celebration of World Children's Day with visits to the Children's Park and Fishing Harbor in Tangalle
• Holding a children's crafts exhibit for their families and neighboring schools
• A year-end Christmas Party for both Tangalle Children's Relay and Minhath Montessori Preschool which included dance performances by the children