Christmas
OSI-Sri Lanka (Pamunugama)
22 December 2006
December marks the end of the school year in Sri Lanka, and the kids all have a one-month school break. Many of our Pamunugama children visit relatives for the break, but for those without families who remain in the home, their "holiday" can be a gloomy time. Thanks to the efforts of OSI donors and sponsors however, our Pamunugama children were able to enjoy a proper Christmas celebration, complete with Christmas tree, gifts, and lots of good food!
Our Day
The day began with our children sleeping as late as they pleased, exhausted from our holiday Colombo excursion for them the day before. In the late afternoon, we kicked things off with one of the kids' favourite activities, -a visit to the nearby Pamunugama beach. After playing ball and tag on the beach and watching a beautiful sunset, we walked the 20 minutes back to the home. Santa had apparently visited during that time, as underneath the tree were piles of gifts for every child. But first, the kids enjoyed their favourite dinner, catered chicken "kottu", followed by cake and ice-cream. Then we gathered 'round the tree and each child made remarkably short work of finding the gifts with their own name on them. They were a bit slower in opening their gifts, seeming to wish to savor the fun, and it was a very pleasant, happy time for everyone!
