British students to bring sunshine to Lankan students' lives

Schoolchildren in Attidiya are to get a helping hand from Teesside pupils.

A group of 18 sixth form students from Eston Park School are to fly to Attidiya on July 27, where they will help bring a little sunshine to the lives of the children.

Pupils will spend the first day and a half acclimatising to the monsoon season before helping to teach the Sri Lankan children, aged five to 15, to learn English.

They will also redecorate the school and have gifts of pencils, paper and toys to give to the children. They will be taking along a miniature photo printer to give each child a photograph of themselves to take home to their parents. Headteacher Jim Rogers and maths teacher Pauline Franklin, who retires this term, say they hope it will be an eye-opener for their pupils.

Franklin was inspired to take the children to a Third World country because her eldest son, Jamie, 32, works for a mine charity in South Sudan. She said: "It's an opportunity to experience another way of life and I think it will be an emotional journey for many when they see the conditions the children live in. I don't think they will ever complain or ask for the latest trainers again!

Pupils will be staying in a hostel and will be able to see elephants in a wildlife sanctuary. The 10 day trip costs Pounds 30,000 which the school started raising last October by doing bag packs and charity sales, as well as approaching local businesses for donations.

Evening Gazette