THE BEAUTIFUL SRI LANKA
''To Travel is to live''.
My name is Mariam Gobba, I believe I'm a
traveler. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to live
as a Sri Lankan for 6 weeks. I've been to many
places, but this experience is definitely worth
living.
Aside from learning how to be independent,
confident and get you out from your comfort
zone, you are lucky enough to have a family that
shares the same passion as yours, Traveling.
It's this. It's sitting in a crowded bus or train for
more than 8 hours, eating roti or kottuh and
watching the landscapes flick by. It's arriving to a
new, unfamiliar place packed with strangers you
have yet to meet and stories you have yet to hear.
It's getting lost in the dense pine forests that
blanket the Sri Lankan hilltops and discovering
new paths. It's hitchhiking like Sigirya, Sinharaja
Forest, Lipton's seat or even Ella rock. It's getting
stuck up in the mountains or streets with the
heavy rain creating small streams and landslides that wash out your way back. It's
standing on a narrow ridge, surrounded by the tops soaring high above the clouds. My
favorite part was that one day you're on top of a mountain, the other day you're at the
beach, and the other at a temple; it feels like you've traveled to different places, yet
you're in one place. This gives a sense of how diverse and beautiful the culture is. The
chance to see the beauty all around you, that makes you feel alive. And most
importantly, it's the family you have shared all this memories with. It's the family
you've just known recently, but who took a part of you with them when it all ended.
Go Green 5.0 Project
The go green project gives you the chance to actually learn something about the
environment, makes you more involved with the nature. The chance to learn about the
birds, plant trees, going to a power plant, and exploring many places too (Hantana Tea
Estate, Sinharaja Forest, and roaming around Kandy).
Friday, September 11, 2015
Egyptian EP Aya Fayad's experiences with Project "Go Green"
I’ve spent six weeks in Sri Lanka participating in Go Green 5.0. We’ve
travelled to different parts in Sri Lanka in order to learn more about its
environment as well as the environmental problems. The project was
divided into several different phases. First, we did a bird survey where we
observed birds at the university, took pictures of them and worked in a
group to produce a final report. Next, we were taught about tree surgery
and tree plantation and we did some field work at the university concerning
both topics. Then, we had a field trip to Lakvijaya Power Plant where the
specialists there introduced the plant to us and explained how power is
generated in Sri Lanka. We also had a visit to one of the Sri Lankan schools
where we dressed traditionally and talked a little bit about how we
conserve our environment back in our countries. Afterwards, we traveled
to Hantana on a visit to the TRI and the Harangala tea factory. Then, we had
another field trip to the kothmale power plant and the Kothmale dam
where we were given brief talks about how power is generated in Sri Lanka
using the water stored behind the dam. Last was our visit to the Sinharaja
forest where we roamed around the forest with a guide who showed us
some of the species that inhibit the forest. One part of the project that was
well planned and had quite an impact on me was during tree plantation
week. We were divided into groups of four or five people and we were
taught how to compost and how to plant trees. This part of the project
included us having to use tools and do the work by ourselves.
Another very beneficial part of the project was during the visit to the tree
plantation. At the TRI and the Harangala tea factory, we were given a brief
introduction about tea, the history of tea in Sri Lanka and the processes
needed for tea making. We also did some practical field work. The
experience as a whole in Sri Lanka taught me many things but most of the
things I learnt was from my fellow EP members and I believe that the best
part about this project was the diversity in our group because I’ve learnt a
lot about different cultures and I also learnt how to communicate with
people who are very different to me and how to be open minded about
these differences.
During the whole experience in Sri Lanka I observed several environmental
problems that require attention from the government as well as from the
people. These include the fact that people are not aware of how to deal
with trash and so therefore they easily just throw it on the streets or
through the windows of their cars or the trains. This results in the
accumulation of trash everywhere on the streets which causes air pollution
and results in bad smells. Awareness programs should be therefore set up
teaching people how to deal with their trash and how littering affects their
environment on the long run. Recycling should also be introduced. Trash
bins of different colors and labels should be places at every corner on the
streets and their use should be highly encouraged. The target should mainly
be the young children at school. Another serious problem I thought was the
noise pollution from the three wheelers and the buses. It is normal to have
noise on the streets during the traffic. However, most universities in Sri
Lanka have their buildings on opposite parts of the street and so vehicles
could pass through the campus all day long and in my opinion this is not a
very peaceful environment which would discourage students about
learning and studying. Also, during our visit to the Tea Research Institute, it
was explained to us that machinery is being introduced which plucks the
tea leaves as there are not enough workers to do this job manually.
However, the dangers of this replacement are overlooked. First of all,
machines can no pluck the tea leaves selectively so both the tender parts
and the mature parts will be plucked. Moreover, the emissions caused by
the machines will lead to air pollution which on the long run could lead to
acid rain and thereby damage the tea plantations instead of conserving
them. The solution to this problem in my opinion is fairly simple. The
introduction of machinery into the plucking business and the purchase of
petrol to operate them must cost a lot of money. Instead, this money could
be used to raise the wages of the farmers working on the tea plantations so
the minimum wage of 600-800 rupees per day could be greatly increased
and this will attract many Sri Lankans. I have also noticed how so much of
the wildlife in Sri Lanka is being destroyed in order to build projects such as
the Kothmale power plant and dam. The amount of marine life that has
suffered in order to carry out this project must’ve been great. However, the
only solution to this problem is to make sure that the marine life is being
conserved after the dam has been set up. One last problem I’d like to put
forward is the way that animals are treated in Sri Lanka. First of all, the wild
dogs found everywhere on the streets dirty, hungry, diseased and unhappy.
These dogs should be cared for at specialized centers or given as pets to
children who will take care of them. But instead, they are just left on the
streets with no one to care for them or pay any attention to them and most
end up with fatal diseases that lead to their deaths. Also, animals are
captured from their wild environments and places in “orphanages” or “wild
parks” in order to entertain the tourists as well as the locals. This is not
such a bad thing as it generates income for the country. However, this is
only the case if these animals are well treated and given an environment
similar to theirs in the wild. This is not the case in most places I have visited.
Places like Pinnawalla elephant orphanage where the elephants are angry
and unhappy and treated with cruelty just for the enjoyment of the people.
Sri Lanka to me was a really huge beautiful forest full of amazing sceneries
and landscapes as well as beautiful animals. However, if the environment
keeps on being treated carelessly, all this diversity will die down and Sri
Lanka will therefore suffer greatly.
travelled to different parts in Sri Lanka in order to learn more about its
environment as well as the environmental problems. The project was
divided into several different phases. First, we did a bird survey where we
observed birds at the university, took pictures of them and worked in a
group to produce a final report. Next, we were taught about tree surgery
and tree plantation and we did some field work at the university concerning
both topics. Then, we had a field trip to Lakvijaya Power Plant where the
specialists there introduced the plant to us and explained how power is
generated in Sri Lanka. We also had a visit to one of the Sri Lankan schools
where we dressed traditionally and talked a little bit about how we
conserve our environment back in our countries. Afterwards, we traveled
to Hantana on a visit to the TRI and the Harangala tea factory. Then, we had
another field trip to the kothmale power plant and the Kothmale dam
where we were given brief talks about how power is generated in Sri Lanka
using the water stored behind the dam. Last was our visit to the Sinharaja
forest where we roamed around the forest with a guide who showed us
some of the species that inhibit the forest. One part of the project that was
well planned and had quite an impact on me was during tree plantation
week. We were divided into groups of four or five people and we were
taught how to compost and how to plant trees. This part of the project
included us having to use tools and do the work by ourselves.
Another very beneficial part of the project was during the visit to the tree
plantation. At the TRI and the Harangala tea factory, we were given a brief
introduction about tea, the history of tea in Sri Lanka and the processes
needed for tea making. We also did some practical field work. The
experience as a whole in Sri Lanka taught me many things but most of the
things I learnt was from my fellow EP members and I believe that the best
part about this project was the diversity in our group because I’ve learnt a
lot about different cultures and I also learnt how to communicate with
people who are very different to me and how to be open minded about
these differences.
During the whole experience in Sri Lanka I observed several environmental
problems that require attention from the government as well as from the
people. These include the fact that people are not aware of how to deal
with trash and so therefore they easily just throw it on the streets or
through the windows of their cars or the trains. This results in the
accumulation of trash everywhere on the streets which causes air pollution
and results in bad smells. Awareness programs should be therefore set up
teaching people how to deal with their trash and how littering affects their
environment on the long run. Recycling should also be introduced. Trash
bins of different colors and labels should be places at every corner on the
streets and their use should be highly encouraged. The target should mainly
be the young children at school. Another serious problem I thought was the
noise pollution from the three wheelers and the buses. It is normal to have
noise on the streets during the traffic. However, most universities in Sri
Lanka have their buildings on opposite parts of the street and so vehicles
could pass through the campus all day long and in my opinion this is not a
very peaceful environment which would discourage students about
learning and studying. Also, during our visit to the Tea Research Institute, it
was explained to us that machinery is being introduced which plucks the
tea leaves as there are not enough workers to do this job manually.
However, the dangers of this replacement are overlooked. First of all,
machines can no pluck the tea leaves selectively so both the tender parts
and the mature parts will be plucked. Moreover, the emissions caused by
the machines will lead to air pollution which on the long run could lead to
acid rain and thereby damage the tea plantations instead of conserving
them. The solution to this problem in my opinion is fairly simple. The
introduction of machinery into the plucking business and the purchase of
petrol to operate them must cost a lot of money. Instead, this money could
be used to raise the wages of the farmers working on the tea plantations so
the minimum wage of 600-800 rupees per day could be greatly increased
and this will attract many Sri Lankans. I have also noticed how so much of
the wildlife in Sri Lanka is being destroyed in order to build projects such as
the Kothmale power plant and dam. The amount of marine life that has
suffered in order to carry out this project must’ve been great. However, the
only solution to this problem is to make sure that the marine life is being
conserved after the dam has been set up. One last problem I’d like to put
forward is the way that animals are treated in Sri Lanka. First of all, the wild
dogs found everywhere on the streets dirty, hungry, diseased and unhappy.
These dogs should be cared for at specialized centers or given as pets to
children who will take care of them. But instead, they are just left on the
streets with no one to care for them or pay any attention to them and most
end up with fatal diseases that lead to their deaths. Also, animals are
captured from their wild environments and places in “orphanages” or “wild
parks” in order to entertain the tourists as well as the locals. This is not
such a bad thing as it generates income for the country. However, this is
only the case if these animals are well treated and given an environment
similar to theirs in the wild. This is not the case in most places I have visited.
Places like Pinnawalla elephant orphanage where the elephants are angry
and unhappy and treated with cruelty just for the enjoyment of the people.
Sri Lanka to me was a really huge beautiful forest full of amazing sceneries
and landscapes as well as beautiful animals. However, if the environment
keeps on being treated carelessly, all this diversity will die down and Sri
Lanka will therefore suffer greatly.
Rachel's experiences with Healthy Lanka Organization in Project DFY
【Healthy Lanka】
【7.27-7.29】
The 1st day
It`s their enthusiasm that impresses me most.
We were respected by the association and I really appreciate that.They made a concrete self
introduction and the Chairman wrote down our name and characteristics,trying to remember and
showing kindness to us.
Then,we looked on some videos related to smoking,which is always regarded as a way to show
heroism and so called “cool”in the movies.
Later on,we were shown some novel and scientific researches about alcohol. Actually,alcohol
cannot make you feel excited nor have a better atmosphere within group.Actually we are able to
do this even without alcohol.It is just a bad and stubborn stereotype of us. E.g A group of students
were given drinks they thought were alcohol(of course actually it merely looked like that),talking
about things related to career,academy and anecdotes...they cheered,having a quite high
atmosphere,even someone acted as drunk!After they were told the truth,they were definitely
shocked! And this uncovered that even without alcohol,we can get a good atmosphere,and what
we thought is just a stereotype.
Through the example given,we tried to dig out more reasons for using alcohol,both authentic and
in stereotype.We listed out some reasons(like a brainstorming),people using alcohol for social
interaction needs,for forgetting some painful feelings and problems,for getting warm,for
diseases,etc.Then we start to pick out the stereotypes and know the truth.
Actually,we just acted as what we thought,like self-cheating.Alcohol is a depressant,but as we
thought it can help us get excited,then we did express ourselves in this way.It is nothing about
alcohol.
Then was time to leave,after enjoying a big afternoon tea.
The 2nd day
Go on talking the reasons why people are using alcohol？
What is free from alcohol?
Here we were given 2 bottles of beer and wrote down our feeling in a piece of paper.Our opinion
were listed in the blackboard,both negetive and positive point. We thought alcohol can make us
relaxed,making us think of celebration,bubble,in cool style and also it can make us feel
uncomfortable,not tasty...
We started to define what is “free from alcohol”.It was neither positive nor negetive thinking we
gave above. It is a correct and rational thinking about alcohol,not allowing it to influence you.
Then we talked about some interesting way to spread the harmfulness of smoking.e.g Smoking
causes sexual impotence.
The 3rd day
We went to Gampaha
Conducting tobacco selling point with youth
Visit the child club
House to house visit,participating some prevention activities
After a 2 hours`s cab,we arrived a bus station of Gampaha,where a group of youth is waiting us.
We walked along the street and found some shops that sell cigarettes,persuaving them to accept
the stickers and making some contribution to a healthy Lanka.
Although the boys were kind of shy,we really had a good time , we saw the “21 forbiddden”mark
and realized Lanka has become a pioneer of reducing cigarettes. Only a few shops sell cigarettes
and one shopkeeper`s word inspired me.We cannot force others to smoke or not , now I stick the
poster on the right side,and the cigarettes box on the left side,so it is the customer himself that
should choose his own side.
In the evening,we went to a temple school,making some interactions with the children there.
Why will you choose to come to this school?
How do you talk about tobacco and alcohol with your parents、
How often will you come to this school?
How can you identify a drunk person/alcoholic?
I learnt a lot.
And we spent an hour and a half to make a house to house visit,climbing the mountain and
introduce our project to the house owners.Really find a feeling to be a volunteer.It`s very cool!!
【It is the leader that impressed me most. He not only taught me knowledge but also the attitude】
【7.27-7.29】
The 1st day
It`s their enthusiasm that impresses me most.
We were respected by the association and I really appreciate that.They made a concrete self
introduction and the Chairman wrote down our name and characteristics,trying to remember and
showing kindness to us.
Then,we looked on some videos related to smoking,which is always regarded as a way to show
heroism and so called “cool”in the movies.
Later on,we were shown some novel and scientific researches about alcohol. Actually,alcohol
cannot make you feel excited nor have a better atmosphere within group.Actually we are able to
do this even without alcohol.It is just a bad and stubborn stereotype of us. E.g A group of students
were given drinks they thought were alcohol(of course actually it merely looked like that),talking
about things related to career,academy and anecdotes...they cheered,having a quite high
atmosphere,even someone acted as drunk!After they were told the truth,they were definitely
shocked! And this uncovered that even without alcohol,we can get a good atmosphere,and what
we thought is just a stereotype.
Through the example given,we tried to dig out more reasons for using alcohol,both authentic and
in stereotype.We listed out some reasons(like a brainstorming),people using alcohol for social
interaction needs,for forgetting some painful feelings and problems,for getting warm,for
diseases,etc.Then we start to pick out the stereotypes and know the truth.
Actually,we just acted as what we thought,like self-cheating.Alcohol is a depressant,but as we
thought it can help us get excited,then we did express ourselves in this way.It is nothing about
alcohol.
Then was time to leave,after enjoying a big afternoon tea.
The 2nd day
Go on talking the reasons why people are using alcohol？
What is free from alcohol?
Here we were given 2 bottles of beer and wrote down our feeling in a piece of paper.Our opinion
were listed in the blackboard,both negetive and positive point. We thought alcohol can make us
relaxed,making us think of celebration,bubble,in cool style and also it can make us feel
uncomfortable,not tasty...
We started to define what is “free from alcohol”.It was neither positive nor negetive thinking we
gave above. It is a correct and rational thinking about alcohol,not allowing it to influence you.
Then we talked about some interesting way to spread the harmfulness of smoking.e.g Smoking
causes sexual impotence.
The 3rd day
We went to Gampaha
Conducting tobacco selling point with youth
Visit the child club
House to house visit,participating some prevention activities
After a 2 hours`s cab,we arrived a bus station of Gampaha,where a group of youth is waiting us.
We walked along the street and found some shops that sell cigarettes,persuaving them to accept
the stickers and making some contribution to a healthy Lanka.
Although the boys were kind of shy,we really had a good time , we saw the “21 forbiddden”mark
and realized Lanka has become a pioneer of reducing cigarettes. Only a few shops sell cigarettes
and one shopkeeper`s word inspired me.We cannot force others to smoke or not , now I stick the
poster on the right side,and the cigarettes box on the left side,so it is the customer himself that
should choose his own side.
In the evening,we went to a temple school,making some interactions with the children there.
Why will you choose to come to this school?
How do you talk about tobacco and alcohol with your parents、
How often will you come to this school?
How can you identify a drunk person/alcoholic?
I learnt a lot.
And we spent an hour and a half to make a house to house visit,climbing the mountain and
introduce our project to the house owners.Really find a feeling to be a volunteer.It`s very cool!!
【It is the leader that impressed me most. He not only taught me knowledge but also the attitude】
Wardell speaks of Drug Free Youth 2.0
The Report of JTRT
Our last journey, visiting the wonderful NGO JTRT really
taught me something, made me kind of someone else.
It is probably a program having little relation to Drug Free
Youth, but really changed me.We received special train about
spiritual lifting.Some small games filled those three
days.Cooperation and communication were required a lot and
we also learned about concentration and attitude.However, the
most meaningful thing is that I was reminded of my living
situation, I began to think I have to look for my purpose.
Really nice accommodation helped me feel energetic to
participate in games and summarize better than normal.
After the last NGO study, our travel has come to end.The
whole journey gave me a lot.
The Report of Healthy Lanka
Work at our second NGO, Healthy Lanka is also pleasant.
Learned a lot from this organization about advanced experiences
of alcohol and tobacco prevention.
First of all, in mainland China, alcohol is an important part of
conventional culture, it’s not limited to adults and even youngsters
begin to drink at age of around 14.Tobacco business is controlled
by government in China which means parts of financial income
depends on what Tobacco Bureau does, so the strength of
prohibition of tobacco cannot be strong enough.After all, drinking
alcohol is not a behavior beneficial to health, as well as smoking,
so Ceylon’s advanced experiences and great achievement taught
me a lot.Decreasing amount of drinking or smoking population
shows us the streaming of cultural idea can be an essential
solution to this serious problem in humanity society.
Because of the special differences between these two cultures,
what I concentrated on also changed.Paying attention to how
Healthy Lanka deals with fundamental social problems and how
the whole country tries its best to change conventional thoughts
instead of what I can do in China to prevention alcohol and
tobacco using.
At Mirigama, a small town where we follow our friends from
Healthy Lanka and local volunteers visiting almost all shops to
promote the prevention of tobacco.Sunny day burns everyone but
nobody feel bored.I saw many local undergraduates participating
in actively and behaved skillfully.The high participants ratio in
population also shows the country’s leader status in drug
prevention.
Taught a lot, I enjoyed my day during my second NGO learning.
Expierences of EPs from "El Orfanato 2.0"
when i had choosing AIESEC,i just want to be a good person. No matter what the project is,so you give me a better project i really appreciate. Maybe it not make me be a leader but I'm glad to find the way to be a leader. I don't know how it changes me finally but I know moments in Lanka will seize me.to be honest,thank you so much.
Jielan Wen (geyo)
TJU
China
The style of Sri Lanka is similar to previous Taiwan, but I think they are smarter and much more generous and passions than us. Nowadays, people in Taiwan are missing these details what are important. Sri Lankans always smile, but they still want more money from us... It's a really nice coutry with natural sceneries, especially jungle beach! I believe many years later, Sri Lanka will be famouse in the world.
TsuYu Wu(Jerry)
TAIWAN YZU
Taiwan
Hi! I am Hermosa. I come from china.This is the first time I come to Sri Lanka. I have a special experience here. I stay here about 6 weeks.And during this period i meet a lot of friendly people. I work at the orphanages with a lot of cute children. The children are very nice and hardworking. I really like the children.It's a amazing experience to teach children English.People here are very kind. I have traveled a lot of places like Galle,Ella ,Kandy ⋯Sri Lanka people always smile to you. That's really amicable! So if you want to come to Sri Lanka,don't hesitate.You will have a gorgeous experience!
Su Chen (Hermosa)
FDU
China
Jielan Wen (geyo)
TJU
China
The style of Sri Lanka is similar to previous Taiwan, but I think they are smarter and much more generous and passions than us. Nowadays, people in Taiwan are missing these details what are important. Sri Lankans always smile, but they still want more money from us... It's a really nice coutry with natural sceneries, especially jungle beach! I believe many years later, Sri Lanka will be famouse in the world.
TsuYu Wu(Jerry)
TAIWAN YZU
Taiwan
Hi! I am Hermosa. I come from china.This is the first time I come to Sri Lanka. I have a special experience here. I stay here about 6 weeks.And during this period i meet a lot of friendly people. I work at the orphanages with a lot of cute children. The children are very nice and hardworking. I really like the children.It's a amazing experience to teach children English.People here are very kind. I have traveled a lot of places like Galle,Ella ,Kandy ⋯Sri Lanka people always smile to you. That's really amicable! So if you want to come to Sri Lanka,don't hesitate.You will have a gorgeous experience!
Su Chen (Hermosa)
FDU
China
Experiences of Cheung from Hong Kong with La Femme 6.0
Women empowerment is a rarely discussed issue in our affluent city, Hong Kong. So,
engaging in this sensitive topic in a developing country, Sri Lanka, was a big challenge
to me. I worked in two NGOs in Sri Lanka, Sarvodaya and YWCA. Instead of working
in office during my stay, I was given opportunities to get in touch with the targeted
groups, e.g the elderly, workers in cap factory, malnutrition kids and self-employed
women. Since most Sri Lankans do not speak English, language is one of the barriers
to understand the service targets. For example, we visited the women elderly home
with the majority speaking in Sinhala or Tamil only. We needed translations sentence
by sentence from the local AIESECers. There is a traditional practice in Sri Lanka to
show respects to the elderly. We worshiped the women elderly by kneeling down with
fingers crossed, followed by hugging and kissing two cheeks. When I saw their watery
eyes, I could imagine how much they miss their children who were lost in the 25-year
internal war or 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
During the last week of my stay, YWCA organized an event called ‘Girls in Wheels’,
which advocates increasing the number of women political leaders in parliament. It
was my honor to take part in this meaningful campaign, to strive for women rights in
patriarchal society and to impact people from the other part of the world. 50 women of
a variety of nationalities cycled around Colombo and distributed over 1000 leaflets
about this campaign. I was somewhat surprised by how the community valued this
event since our ‘motorcade’ was escorted by police and appeared on the local TV
news.
Travelling is definitely one of the interesting parts during my stay, but enlightening one’s
life is my ultimate aspiration in Sri Lanka!
engaging in this sensitive topic in a developing country, Sri Lanka, was a big challenge
to me. I worked in two NGOs in Sri Lanka, Sarvodaya and YWCA. Instead of working
in office during my stay, I was given opportunities to get in touch with the targeted
groups, e.g the elderly, workers in cap factory, malnutrition kids and self-employed
women. Since most Sri Lankans do not speak English, language is one of the barriers
to understand the service targets. For example, we visited the women elderly home
with the majority speaking in Sinhala or Tamil only. We needed translations sentence
by sentence from the local AIESECers. There is a traditional practice in Sri Lanka to
show respects to the elderly. We worshiped the women elderly by kneeling down with
fingers crossed, followed by hugging and kissing two cheeks. When I saw their watery
eyes, I could imagine how much they miss their children who were lost in the 25-year
internal war or 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
During the last week of my stay, YWCA organized an event called ‘Girls in Wheels’,
which advocates increasing the number of women political leaders in parliament. It
was my honor to take part in this meaningful campaign, to strive for women rights in
patriarchal society and to impact people from the other part of the world. 50 women of
a variety of nationalities cycled around Colombo and distributed over 1000 leaflets
about this campaign. I was somewhat surprised by how the community valued this
event since our ‘motorcade’ was escorted by police and appeared on the local TV
news.
Travelling is definitely one of the interesting parts during my stay, but enlightening one’s
life is my ultimate aspiration in Sri Lanka!
Exhange Participant from Nethereland says about Project "LaFemme"
I came to Sri Lanka completely unprepared feeling ‘okay, I will just go with the flow’. Just
eight weeks ago I was very busy. I was finishing my bachelor degree, volunteering and most
importantly very busy with my social life. As a result I was always running from one event to
the other. Sometimes I could not even tell my parents what I had been doing just two days
ago. Ofcourse, I enjoy all my activities very much, but at the same time it causes a lot of
worry. And for me, being a huge worrier already, it sometimes resulted in a lot of stress all
the time about little things, next to general worries about the past, the future, etcetera.
The most important thing I got from my experience in Sri Lanka, next to amazing memories, new friends and new experiences is a change in my mindset. And I am very grateful for that. I am still the same person of course. However, my experience in Sri Lanka learned me to relax more, to live in the
moment, to focus on things that are really important to me and it also made me realize that I am so much stronger than I realized. I am back in Holland only for one week now and my busy life
started straight away. But I can already notice that it feels different now: I feel more relaxed,
I worry less and I feel stronger. I also learned to speak up about things that are bothering me,
to take action when necessary and to relax when nothing can be done.
What contributed most to this change are the amazing people I met in Sri Lanka. From day
one I felt so welcome in Sri Lanka. Madhu picked Carien and me up from the airport and
invited us to her house. We could not wish for a better and warmer welcome than the
welcome Madhu’s family gave us. I felt at home in Sri Lanka straight away and gradually fell
in love with one of the most beautiful and diverse countries I have ever visited.
All the aiesecers of our team have been very nice to us. However, some of them really stood
out. Madhu for example, has been next to a great team captain and friend in Sri Lanka, also a
big inspiration for me. Her positive vibes and mood inspired me to feel more positive as well!
Besides the people I have met, I loved to spend time in the country. Like I said, I really feel
your country is one of the most beautiful countries I ever visited. Not only, because of the
incredible nature, but also because of all the beautiful culture. In Sri Lanka I read two books
about Buddhism and these inspired me so much that I am going to take a course in the
Netherlands. Sri Lanka has been a big inspiration to me.
Funnily though, looking back I feel the troubles we faced during our project have been very
important to me. I have always understood that things in a project can go wrong and I have
never blamed Aiesec for that. However, ofcourse I felt bad about it and at times it made me
feel bad about myself as well. However, together with Carien (and help of Aiesec) I faced all
my troubles. It made me realize that I can handle so much more than I thought I could and
when I take action I am able to eliminate my problems in an effective ways (after some tears
sometimes, but hey we are girls).
A good amount of activities did go right though. And I enjoyed all of them. I loved to hear more about the Sri Lankan culture from the AIESECrs in the project, I loved the UN conference: very inspiring!, I loved the dancing and the good moments with AIESEC and the other EP’s. But ofcourse, we came for work. I am very happy that I got the chance to work for the NGO WERC.
I think WERC is a great NGO that delivers amazing work for Sri Lankan society. I wish I could have worked more for them and do more for them.
However, I enjoyed my time there and it gave me new ideas about work I
want to do in the future after I am officially graduated as a psychologist.
Before coming to Sri Lanka and in Sri Lanka I have been in touch with AIESEC a lot. Every
time I had an AIESEC activity everyone always speaks about ‘creating leaders’ and ‘giving
leadership potential a chance’. I remember feeling a bit skeptical about these things and
thinking: ‘okay, of course going abroad and working in a foreign country is a great
experience, but creating leaders in such a short time? I do not know if that is possible’.
Now I do understand what is meant by this. Like I said, the best thing I got out of this
experience is a change in my mindset and with this change I feel better about myself as a
person. But also, I feel like I am better able to help and lead other people. I started my
internship as a clinical psychologist yesterday and I hope it will help me in this internship and
working with these clients as well. So I think AIESEC and this experience definitely made me
a better and more confident leader.
To end this report, I just want to thank the team that helped me during my stay in Sri Lanka
and Madhu in particular. She has been great!
I definitely hope to return to Sri Lanka someday, because I already miss everything (except
the Kotthu). It has been an amazing summer that I will never forget.
Lieske Willemse
Netherland
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)