Robert writes: One of the frustrations of charity work is why a programme that is wonderfully successful in one place can’t be universally replicated. The Extra Cover funded food programme at Kalugalawagala is a case in point to.
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On our trip in October, the principal of this remote primary school explained how he has set up a fortnightly rota, in which each day four different women arrive at 6.30am and prepare the two daily meals for the forty pupils. The first meal is the simpler – perhaps herbal porridge – while the second will inevitably include rice and dhal and vegetables.
Twice a week the children each are served a protein-rich egg with their food. On the day of our visit, the women cooked half a dozen eggs in a large pan over a fire, and then put them to one side. They then fried some finely diced garlic, added onions, leek and carrot, and a hint of chilli, before returning the egg, to create a sort of organic dish of vegetable fried rice. Delicious! The children were allowed to eat as much as they wanted, with the parents sharing any leftovers between themselves and fellow villagers.
With a variety of vegetables and spices growing on every square inch of available land, Kaluwalagala is a model of commitment and passion for the wellbeing and flourishing of the children. It is of little wonder that the pupils at this remote village school (the Hustler only just managed to get us there) punch far above their weight in regional exams. The principal is a visionary who has inspired his parent body to put his plan into action, and we just wish the same could occur in every school we serve.
