Amalie Bruun has travelled on every volunteer trip to build in Sri Lanka since her first time in 2009. Her contribution is incredible and so is her love for the work we do and the people of Sri Lanka. Amalie’s full-time job is managing all the logistical and financial aspects of the production of a commercial or other content. As part of a recent assignment, she visited Sri Lanka and wrote this blog for us.

Last April, while building homes for two families in need in Sri Lanka, the volunteers of Team 15 learned about another family living in a desperate situation.

For the first 28 years of her life Jaynatha believed that the many challenges she had to face were “karma” resulting from misdeeds in a past life. Then in just one year her karma changed. Here is her story.

The school is called San Jose Obrero. 400 students attend this primary school to grade 5. Our project is to renovate a storage building to be used for the children’s advocacy group DESNNA who work to prevent violence against children. We are also working on the bakery classroom where each of the children attending school learn to bake. The profits go back to children at the end of each year. The children love us – and we them! We have developed a huge fan base- the children follow us around and hug us all the time!

Such a wonderful start to our last day arriving at Adeesha’s to participate in the blessing ceremony for his home. We were warmly welcome by the family and the traditional celebration began. Jaynatha presented all the volunteers with a wreath of flowers and Lalith followed with a leaf from the Boda tree. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, we were all invited inside to light candles as a blessing for the new home.

Everyone is raring to go. Lots of parging, painting, flooring to do and of course the inevitable sand sifting. Today we will give gifts to the families and tips to the workers to thank them for working through their New Year’s holiday. The volunteers have brought loads of presents and everyone chipped in some rupees. By days end…..

We’re in the home stretch of completing this house for Adeesha and his family – the #1 goal for Team 15’s time here.

The volunteers worked hard this week definitely earning their day off. It was time to go to the beach, catch up with old friends (while meeting new arrivals) and visit a tea plantation.

Today we were Bruce’s Angels — Hilary, Penny, Julie, Susan and Beth. Our jobs were easy for good girls like us: cleaning and smoothing a floor, sifting sand, building walls and let’s not forget dancing with Sarath!

The story for today is sand and plaster. Plaster on the walls. Sand pretty much everywhere – on the floor, in the shoes, on the face, bucket brigade to get it to the second floor.