A Note From Emerge Lanka's Recent Short Term Volunteer

Posted by Rachael Pool on Friday, April 02, 2010

The following blog was written by Frank Vargas, a recent short term volunteer for Emerge Lanka:

“Calm down,” said Rachael, the Emerge Country Director, laughing at my pallid expression as our taxi careened down a dimly lit road, “Things work differently here, but it’s ok.” I spent the hour-long drive from Colombo International Airport to the Emerge Apartment with my hands firmly gripping the armrests of our taxi, trying not to watch as we swerved around auto rickshaws, busses, and other cars with a seeming disregard for traffic laws.
So began my vacation in Sri Lanka, visiting as a tourist and as a short-term volunteer for Emerge.

The taxi ride was harrowing, but it was a fair introduction to life in Sri Lanka working for Emerge. The local staff makes due with a life incredibly different from their working peers in the USA, and it’s impossible not to respect the sacrifices they make. Colombo can be a tough place to work. The sun beats down on the city mercilessly, and the traffic kicks up clouds of smog and dust that leave everything coated in a thin layer of grime. There are police stopping and searching traffic at checkpoints throughout the city. And worst of all, the beer is mediocre, the chocolate is laughable, and no one sells Diet Coke.

The Emerge staff work and live in an apartment in one of the suburbs of Colombo, sweating it out without air conditioning. The half-dozen ceiling fans strain to move the torpid, humid air. They do their laundry by hand, boil the water before they can drink it, and sleep under mosquito nets to get away from the insects. And every morning at 8:00 am, if not earlier, they are awakened by a marching band that practices for hours at a time in the field by their apartment. February’s selection was “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Every. Single. Day. No kidding.

But as tedious as their day-to-day life can be, the staff here light up whenever they talk about the girls. They’ll tell you stories about each of the girls in the program, and sometimes their children too. They’ve gotten to know each of them, and it makes me so happy to hear how invested they are in each of the girls’ success.

Running the Emerge program in Sri Lanka requires an incredible amount of work. Beads have to be shipped and sorted. Packages, labels, and brochures have to be designed and printed. Financial accounts have to be balanced between rupees and dollars, and the local staff has to be paid. They’ve designed a system to track and catalog every piece of jewelry to ensure every girl gets her fair payment, and they work every day to develop new ideas for their life skills curriculum, helping the girls learn how to survive on their own once they leave the homes where they’re living. Plus, the staff in Colombo has built a network of contacts with other organizations in Sri Lanka with similar missions to Emerge, and they regularly collaborate and look to one another for opportunities to do even more to help the girls.

What struck me most about the Emerge program was how constructively it helps the girls. Rather than simply funnel them money to support themselves and their children, it actually teaches them a skill set (jewelry making) and gives them the knowledge about finances, budgeting, health, and job hunting that they will need to be successful on their own. Moreover, I’ve seen how selflessly the Emerge staff works to find new ways to improve the program and make it even more successful.

Running a charity is tough, demanding work. But add to that the difficulty of living and working half a world away, in a distant and unfamiliar country, and the successes of the Emerge program become even more astounding. I am proud to have contributed my time in support of Emerge, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to do the same. If you’re interested in volunteer opportunities, you can email Rachael at Rachael@emergeglobal.org.
-Frank Vargas

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Family and friends in the US support Emerge Global to spread the Holiday cheer with the girls

Posted by Nirukshi de Lanerolle on Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Just one month ago, we launched our Bead Program at Panadura. With Christmas around the corner, it was an overwhelming but exciting task to plan for two holiday parties, not one as usual. My nephews and nieces recently visited Sri Lanka from the US and, after many years I had finally met them and was able to share with them the work I do at Emerge. They promised me that they would collect as many funds as possible for the holiday parties scheduled for the 21^strd of December. Chari, my nephew co-ordinated the whole project, based off of my budget and deadlines. After many weeks, I was excited when he informed me that, thanks to many generous contributions, he had reached the goals we had set and I could go ahead and plan the parties!

In coordinating the parties, I wanted to help as many people as possible. I carefully selected the suppliers we purchased gifts from, choosing suppliers and seamstresses who were underprivileged and could use the holiday order. We had a shirt and skirt made for every girl and we also purchased each girl two new pairs of underwear. By doing this, I was also able to save some money from the donations received to use to purchase supplies for the bead workshops and vitamins for the girls for the future. Items that I could not get from the suppliers who needed support, such as drinks and gifts for the games, were purchased from very crowded stores, bustling with holiday activity. I had to wade through the crowds during the height of the festivities; the holiday season is not the same, however, if there isn't all the stress involved.

On the 21^st we had our party at Ma-Sevana and I had Prabhani, a Sri Lankan volunteer who has been studying in the U.S., and her sister organize the games for the kids. Jen, and Rohini (Ma-Sevana’s bakery teacher and one of the girls’ favourites) supported me during the celebrations. From the balloon games, to Statue and Baila dancing, to musical chairs and the musical hat game, the festivities went on with the girls having such a wonderful time.

We served a tasty fried rice meal with the traditional Papadams to go with it and dessert was ice creams cones (there was one girl who mentioned to us later that she had seven scoops! I guess they enjoyed the ice cream). The last event for the day was lighting of sparklers and the girls just enjoyed it very much. I was so glad I was able to give them the opportunity… one of the teens mentioned that she had not lit sparklers since she was a child and I was glad that I surprised them with it.

The girls danced their cares away until after four that evening and they did not want us to leave; I was so glad that they enjoyed themselves so much.

On the 23^rd the Panadura girls had planned something different. They entertained us with an array of beautiful Sinhala Christmas carols, which was a pleasant surprise. Thereafter many games were played. All of their favourite was the balloon game where they had to pop as many balloons as possible, and find as many gifts inside of them to receive the special prize.

Unfortunately, I encountered a problem with my camera and I was sad that the most important photos were not captured. We had an former Bead Program participant who attended and the party and distributed gifts to the girls in Panadura. This made her very proud.

One of the teachers gave us a special thank you speech for appreciating them and the work they do by rewarding them with gifts. Generally, the teachers are often unnoticed when others visit or share gifts with the girls. This made my day and all the hard work put in to make both holiday parties wonderful and a memorable worth it.

I cannot thank all of the donors who contributed towards this holiday enough. You made this year very special for every single girl we work with and provided some much-needed support to the staff who support these girls as well. Thank you for making both events so beautiful and memorable.

Nirukshi

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Former Emerge Participant APIL Helps Emerge Launch in a New Home!

Posted by Rachael Pool on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

“APIL* Miss!” a student calls for attention. I look over to see APIL beam a smile while confidently explaining a jewelry pattern to one of Emerge’s new students. In July 2007 APIL started as an Emerge program participant at Ma Sevena. In 2008 she left Ma Sevena; two weeks ago she began helping us work with a new generation of Emerge girls at the National Training and Counseling Centre in Panadura.

The National Training and Counseling Centre in Panadura is Emerge Global’s newest program site. The home is run by the Sri Lankan Probation Department (the same department that handles all of the court cases for the girls at Ma Sevena). This home is the department’s model home and they have expressed interest in using their work there to identify programs that could be successfully replicated in other homes in Sri Lanka. There are approximately twenty five girls in the Panadura home at any given time. Each girl stays for six to nine months of counseling and rehabilitation before being placed in another location. The girls are all survivors of abuse.

Every week, APIL takes the bus from Matara to Panadura- five hours each way- in order to help lead the Emerge workshops. Though she initially seemed nervous, she’s come to fill her new role with confidence and poise. She’s even planning to wear a sari to the next workshop, where she will speak to the girls about her experiences living in, and leaving, a group home. We couldn’t be happier to witness this former participant taking responsibility and leading the new girls to empowering and active participation in the Emerge Bead Program.

* I have used APIL's initials to protect her confidentiality.

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Of painting pictures and possibility

Posted by Prabhani Atukorale on Tuesday, September 22, 2009

This is my first official blog entry as an Emerge programs volunteer and I’d like to introduce myself. I am a Sri Lankan who grew up in Nigeria and currently a doctoral student at MIT, taking a semester off from school this fall and spending it in my beautiful island home. I am a biological engineer interested in vaccines, public health, public policy, and probably just about everything else under the sun (albeit to different degrees). But most of all, I am very very human.

Over the past four weeks, I have visited our girls four times. As I learn about my work with Emerge this fall and how I can help, I feel as if I haven’t been able to catch my breath after hitting the ground running (the way you feel right after scrambling off a Colombo bus that is bursting at its seams during rush hour, riding with one arm holding tight onto the railing just inside and the other arm hanging just outside the open door). Analogy aside, there is a tremendous amount we can do – which is also the beauty of this project.

During our last visit, I sat at the big red table observing the girls as they moved so expertly around the bead workshop. Some were at the front of the room, as Nirukshi quality-checked and logged their newest jewelry and gave them ‘bank’ vouchers for their next pieces. Some were at the ‘bank’, steps away within our work room, checking their available balances as to how many new beads they could purchase. And some were at the ‘shop’, choosing their new sets of beads, the small red ones, the cloudy square ones, the oblong pearls, among the many jars laid out.

If you peek into our work space around mid-day, it will likely take you a minute or two to take in everything happening at once. Perhaps this first glance will allow you to paint one type of picture. Furrowed brows and clever fingers, bright smiles and creative designs, long black hair and printed dresses. It speaks of eagerness, youth, beauty, possibility. Now, especially after noon or so, please come by and look again. This time, you’ll have to add a few things to your picture – the wide-eyed babies on the hips of some mothers after the daycare hours close for the morning, the tummy bumps under the dresses of other mothers-to-be, the one toddler who always runs out of kindergarten and crawls along the table, adding his constant garbled commentary to every conversation. If you retrace his steps, you can find me in one of my favorite places of the home, the kindergarten full of some of the friendliest toddlers I have ever met in my life. You will find every limb occupied as you do your best to hold every wriggling little person close, simultaneously admiring wooden blocks and freshly written letter b’s as you are serenaded by every nursery rhyme in the book. Now what does your picture look like? Does it still speak of eagerness, youth, beauty, and possibility? Of course it does. That last word is particularly special: possibility.

I am in the process of mapping out the details of my project, which will focus on developing a life skills curriculum working closely with Jennifer Van Winkle and also understanding how our girls can integrate Sri Lanka’s free public education into their lives – a few for the very first time. Our goal is that the life skills allow them to work towards their personal and financial independence and that education allows them to develop vocations that are strong and sustainable. Is this possible? Of course it is. Emerge is about possibility – and for me, this is personal, inspirational, and I hope I can be useful.

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Looking Forward

Posted by Rachael Pool on Sunday, September 13, 2009

As of this May, I was only just beginning to learn about Emerge. Now, it’s September and I’m completely immersed in all things Emerge related.

The last two months have been absolutely frenetic. Emerge Lanka has become an official entity. We’ve identified and started to narrow down a list of potential expansion sites. One fantastic short term volunteer has come and gone while Jennifer, Prabhani, and I have arrived and taken over.

Meanwhile, I’ve begun to get to know and love the girls at the home. I’ve held babies, been teased about my terrible Tamil, and learned how to make a long necklace. My time in the home has been filled with dancing, laughter, practical jokes, lessons in Tamil/English/Sinhala, the occasional tears, and (more than anything else) a sense of pride in all that the girls have accomplished.

Each day is filled with new adventures and challenges. I’m so delighted to be here, in Colombo, working with all of our Emergenistas. I can’t wait to find out what the year holds in store for Emerge Lanka. I look forward to sharing my experiences here with you.

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Emerginistas sari day

Posted by Nirukshi de Lanerolle on Monday, August 31, 2009

It has been always the girls wish to see us all in sari, ever since Ellen and April wore sari for the Sinhala/Tamil New year celebrations, the girls wanted me to wear sari. We had an excuse, it was Alia and Ellen’s going away party last week, Ellen was going back home to take up position as US Director and Alia on her way to England to continue with her studies after a short visit. We also had volunteer Prabhani who was visiting us to help improve the Bead programme.

I wore my Sathya Paul sari which I bought from my recent trip to Chennai draped in a new and different way and Alia and Ellen draped it Indian style. It was the first time Alia wore sari and it was a special day for her. When we arrived the girls were ecstatic to see us in the sari. We were surrounded by them for over half an hour and they were delighted, it had made their day.


After the cutting of the cake and the speeches that Alia and Ellen made and the cards that were exchanged to say Thank you, they had to bid good-bye to the girls, of course it was not an easy task. Many hugs were given over and over again Alia re-assured the she would come back to see them soon, however Ellen was not as sure how soon she could come back.

Ellen has been an incredible support to the girls and Emerge, she made a change in their lives along with Volunteers Sheena and Aaron when she helped introduce the Bank and Store concept which has made the programme so much fun for the girls and it has taught them the basics of business. She also learnt Sinhala so fast that towards the end of her stay she was able to carry on entire conversations with the girls. Her dedication has be inspiring to me especially with her knack to multi-task and be super organized. She has made the most of her trip here, experiencing as much as she can of Sunny Sri Lanka. Her local knowledge is even better than mine and her ability to adapt to our way of life an essential part of the girls lives, she will be missed.
.

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Hello!

Posted by jennifer on Saturday, August 29, 2009

My name is Jennifer and I am the new Program Development Director for Emerge Lanka. I just arrived four weeks ago and I'm still learning a lot about Sri Lanka and our girls, but I'm really excited to be here.

First things first, a little background. I grew up in the midwest, I have a degree in Anthropology from Arizona State, and a little yappy dog back home. I spent the past couple of years with a non-profit organization called FAIR Fund, which works to prevent sexual violence and human trafficking. In 2007-2008 I moved to the former Yugoslavia, where I worked with street kids, orphans, trafficking victims, refugees, at-risk youth and young mothers. That experience has been a huge asset to me as I try to come to grips with the needs of the girls here in Sri Lanka.

My job this year will be to expand the programs, so I'm working on incorporating more business and financial skills into our curriculum, putting in place a mentorship program and life skills workshops led by local volunteers, and designing a community fund which will give the girls a chance to impact their local community. Our newest volunteer Prabhani is my partner in crime. And of course, Rachael, our Country Director is helping out too in addition to her work on the financial and legal aspects of Emerge Lanka.

So there it is! Next time I promise I'll have something fun to write and in the meantime, keep the girls in your thoughts.

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Don't Forget Me

Posted by Ellen on Monday, July 13, 2009

Today Rachael was introduced to our girls in Sri Lanka, and it turned into one of the most hectic, emotional workshops she could have visited.

Hectic because the workshop wasn't run like normal. We are about to change the workshop bead colors from Spring/Summer to Fall/Winter, so instead of handing out new beads we only collected products, and asked the girls to finish up their current supplies before next week. Hence Rachael didn't get to see the Emerge Store and Bank in action.

Emotional because we found out about one girl who had left, two more that would be leaving within the next week, and the girls found out that I would be leaving in a little less than two months.

Nirukshi and I organized a birthday party (my birthday was the day before, July 12th) for the girls, complete with balloons, noisemakers, cake, and "buns" (i.e. burgers) from McDonald's that Nirukshi had gotten for free by filling out 20 comment cards. Rachael was introduced as the new Country Director, with Nirukshi explaining that I would be leaving in the near future. As soon as this was said the mood in the room changed, with two girls beginning to cry. It broke my heart to see them unhappy, and also forced me to think about leaving in a way that I had subconsciously been avoiding.

The party was overall a success: the girls loved their buns and party favors, and I even followed the Sri Lankan tradition of feeding everyone, including Nirukshi and Rachael, a bite of cake.

Things became more serious again towards the end of the workshop when one of the girls told me she would be leaving to go home within the week. Tears were streaming down her face when she looked at me and said "Ellen Miss, don't forget me." I pointed to her, and then to my heart. "I won't." When the Emerge team piles into the car to leave Ma Sevana the girls will usually wave us goodbye. Today this certain girl kept waving until we were out of sight, not breaking eye contact with me until the gate closed behind Nirukshi's car and we were back on the road.

After visiting Ma Sevana we usually stop by the Vocational Training Center (VTC) where many past program participants learn English, computers, how to sew, and other useful vocations. When we arrived, we were told that another one of our girls was going home. In her case, she was being sent to an aunt's house, and she looked worried and scared when she spoke about her uncertain future. She had been living away from her family, and society, for over four years. And for the second time today I heard "Don't forget me."

I've become so intertwined in these girls lives that it's hard to imagine not remembering them. But many times, like this afternoon, I realize they are more realistic and grounded than I am. I came to Sri Lanka with the hope that I could make their lives better, and I'd like to think I have. But at the end of the day, these girls know that while people come, they also leave. And where I am going none of them will be able to follow. It's something that hits me hard, to think of these girls as sisters and realize that they will never visit me, and that if I am to see them again it is my responsibility to get myself back to Sri Lanka. "Don't forget me." They say this because not forgetting is my responsibility. They understand that between the both of us I'm the one who is moving on, who will have the capacity, and ability, to forget.

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The Emerge Lanka Foundation Exists!

Posted by Ellen on Thursday, July 09, 2009

Yesterday I received the official documents from the Sri Lanka Registrar of Companies that approved Emerge Lanka Foundation as a charitable company (company number GA2271). This approval is the culmination of my work in Sri Lanka, and very fittingly arrived two hours before Emerge's new Sri Lanka Country Director did.

When I arrived to Sri Lanka in late-August of 2008, I realized that we needed to formalize and standardize our Bead Program before we would be ready to expand to other homes or projects. Hence I developed our Bead Program curriculum framework, which subsequent Emerge team members worked on implementing, improving, and building upon.

After spending most of 2008 working on the Bead Program, 2009 was the year of the legal entity. As the curriculum was being developed, I concluded that before we tried to roll out the Bead Program to other locations, we needed legal standing. While it would be possible to continue partnering with preexisting organizations, if we wanted to have the impact that Alia, the Emerge team, and I envisioned, we would need some kind of leverage. And that leverage would come with becoming an official organization, and having the ability to operate in Sri Lanka on our own.

In January I began the quest of forming Emerge Lanka Foundation, a local charitable company that would be tied to Emerge Global in the USA. My first several weeks were spent trying to identify a lawyer who could help navigate the legal system. I was introduced to Sumi through a friend-of-a-friend, and it has been one of my most serendipitous finds in Sri Lanka. Sumi is a smart, savvy, and powerful woman. She doesn't take no for an answer, and problem solves incredibly well on the fly, two things that are required to get anything done in Sri Lanka. In our first several meetings her determination and dedication were evident, and from that point on Sumi and I were a team, working together with the same goal of becoming an approved charitable company.

The process was long, with lots of roadblocks along the way. Letters of support we were promised were rescinded. Legal documents that had been approved were denied. Forms that were submitted were sent back because it was decided entries should written in all CAPS. Setting up Emerge Lanka Foundation has been an incredible learning experience. I've learned how to work with all kinds of people and come to solutions that are mutually beneficial for both of us. How to stay calm and not get flustered even when things seem unfair. And most of all, how to laugh at the absurdity of situations (and people) and keep on going regardless.

Our work isn't finished. Next we'll be establishing a local bank account, speaking with Inland Revenue about tax exemptions on VAT and import/export duties, and setting up our accounting systems to name a few. But at this point, all I want to do is share my excitement, and tears of joy, with all of you. So join in my elation, and throw a mini Emerge party wherever you are!

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The Ma Sevana girls get their vitamin fix

Posted by Nirukshi de Lanerolle on Wednesday, July 01, 2009

On her recent visit to the US Ellen, my youthful and vivacious Boss, created an impact with the students of Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana when she shared the stories of the girls at Ma Sevana. The students of Mrs. Coors Fashion and Textile Class, excited about the work we do at Emerge, wanted to send back gifts for the girls in Sri Lanka. When Ellen and I had our usual Skype chats which we had planned prior to her departure she asked me what would be the most appropriate gifts that could be given to the girls and I named a few. One of the suggestions I had made was to give them some vitamins which they need frequently due to the infections they catch so easily.

When Ellen came to Sri Lanka she brought donations of bags which the students of the Fashion and Textile Class made themselves along with hair brushes and toiletries sponsored by Wal-Mart and the girls were overjoyed to receive these gifts.

Donations collected in cash to buy vitamins by the High School girls were purchased personally by me. Since the girls and their kids at Ma Sevana love the taste of vitamin C and Cod Liver Oil, we came up with this bright idea that we would make it a habit to give them their favorite vitamins every week prior to commencing their beading class.

When we went down to the orphanage on Monday last they all came in line and wanted their peththa (tablet). It was a fun experience to give out the vitamins and fish oil capsules and it was also rewarding because not only did it make for a lively class that day but we were assured that they would stay healthier in the long term.

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Eating With My Hands

Posted by Ellen on Thursday, June 25, 2009

Four days ago Emerge Global was featured on the front page of ColomboPage, a Sri Lankan internet newspaper. With the title "A beaded necklace can transform the life of a troubled teen in Sri Lanka," the article is a beautifuly written tribute to the work that Emerge Global is doing in Sri Lanka. I met the author, Chandrani, when I was back in the United States in August of 2008 and when I found out she would be visiting Sri Lanka, along with her family, I was excited to meet up with them again.

Apparently my love of Sri Lankan cuisine, and the process of eating it with my hands, left a lasting impression. One of the most enjoyable things about living in Sri Lanka has been learning about and immersing myself in the local culture. The point of traveling is to learn and try something new, so trying to eat with my hands always made sense. I have to say I still don't have the technique mastered, and eating string hoppers with your hands is much easier than rice and curry. Regardless, I'm glad that my attempts at cultural acclimation were noticed. Ironically enough, the same day this article was published a matron and nurse at Ma Sevana teased me (in Sinhala, so Nirukshi had to translate) about my inability to eat with my hands correctly. After that, this article was a nice confidence-builder.

I encourage you all to read the article, forward it to a friend, and check out ColomboPage.com for more articles about Sri Lanka.


Until next time,
Ellen

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