Nirukshi de Lanerolle Program Coordinator Emerge Lanka
Nisaladiya Sevena (The Shadow Beside the Still Waters) is the shelter where we commenced our program a few months ago. It is situated in Negombo, 50 kilometers north of Colombo. It takes us around 2 and half hours for the journey and, to reach the shelter, we leave home around 7.30 in the morning. Although it is a long drive, we enjoy it very much.
25 enthusiastic girls joined the program and 12 of them received their stage 1 certificate in their Beads-to-Business curriculum within the first month of the program! They will receive their stage 2 certificate next week. These girls are an energetic and bright bunch of teenagers and we look forward meeting them every week.
In order to reach the stage 2 certificate, 16 journals will need to be complete and they will need to play the role of mentor, banker, and shopkeeper in the program 3 times.
I enjoy reading their journals, some want to be teachers, fashion designers, dancers, singers and another a flight stewardess; I am amazed at how eager they are.
I love these girls and in return they love us, too. I am so glad we could work with them and be a part of their future journey and impart our knowledge and skills on to them.