Sri Lanka
Though the violence had ceased, its traumatic effects on families and children were still visible. ChildsPlay International partnered with Nanda Waninaika, who runs a school and multidisciplinary collective, to reintroduce the children to play, creative activities, and games.
The program included drawing, painting, traditional singing and dancing, story-telling, and discovery of local folklore through village elders.
Parents and teachers were excited by the children’s positive change and uplifted spirits, and vowed to continue the activities in coming years.
Alawa is a remote village of hills and valleys, rice paddies, lotus ponds and daily rainfall, populated by parrots, monkeys and elephants. We spent several weeks at the Nugewalla monastery, where young novice monks are inducted and trained. The young men’s lives are very challenging, with a strict discipline of prayer, chanting, meals, and meditation. We were welcomed by the senior monk, who was 80, and had preached Buddhism around the world. The youngest novice was 9, and had not yet been formally inducted.
Through days of 24/7 interaction, our visit became rewarding for everyone, with two very different worlds drawing from each other.
Traditional Dance Video From Sri Lanka
Dance is an expression and communication of emotions and in Sri Lanka, dance is part of the tradition and rich culture on the island. Each dance represents something, has a deeper meaning and often coincides with a change of seasons, festivals, and traditional celebrations. The girls practiced and performed a number of dances, the most spectacular being the harvest dance with sieves.
