Niki, Brian and family have moved out to Galle for 6 months, below is a blog concerning their work with Extra Cover.
We had another great visit this week to Extra Cover’s Vocational Training Centre in Panangale, about 1 hours drive north into the jungle from Galle.
This wonderful place has an amazing feel and atmosphere. It is currently supporting 12 young adults who have unfortunately missed out on any kind of mainstream education because of some kind of disability or learning difficulty.
It is hard to reconcile, coming from an It was watching the trainees cut, shape, file and polish the raw coconut shells on an upturned packing crate, using their feet to support the material and only very rudimentary tools that really impacted upon us. The finished items are amazing, but it just looked like such a hard process given the tools and the setup that they had. It struck us that a tiny investment in a proper workbench and tools that are truly fit for purpose could make such a difference.environment that seeks to encourage an equal opportunity as possible to all, that these brilliant characters are effectively left to their families to support and manage their welfare on their own.
The Vocational Training Centre seeks to give them the skills to be more able to support themselves, to encourage independence and to feel that they are making a contribution.
Each time we have visited we have seen an amazingly dedicated team of instructors giving the trainees skills to be able to make items that they will eventually be able to make at home and sell at market to make money of their own. A simple concept that will make a hugely positive contribution to their lives. They were making; greetings cards, incense sticks and holders, door and place mats and fantastic rice ladles and cups made from coconut shells.
It was watching the trainees cut, shape, file and polish the raw coconut shells on an upturned packing crate, using their feet to support the material and only very rudimentary tools that really impacted upon us. The finished items are amazing, but it just looked like such a hard process given the tools and the setup that they had. It struck us that a tiny investment in a proper workbench and tools that are truly fit for purpose could make such a difference.
So, we took on the task of sketching out a design and working out the materials needed to build one for ourselves.
There are no B&Qs or Wickes cathedrals of DIY here. Its back to basics. We had the fantastic experience of working with a timber yard who cut most of the wood t to size from raw tree trunks and a handy craftsman who worked in the back of a window shop. He cut the sheet material freehand using an angle grinder! All very health and safety. Not a hard hat or pair of safety specs in sight. Flip flops all round.
Next week we hope to revisit the centre to work with the trainees to build a bench that will be at the correct height and will be safe to work at.
The materials and the tools have been purchased using some of the funds we raised at our leaving party back in July, so thank you to all those who donated.
