LISTEN TO AN UPDATE FROM NICK...CLICK ON THE LINK AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE. NICK IS TALKING TO RACHEL SLOANE >> On behalf of the British charity, Project Trust, I will be teaching English and computing to trainee Buddhist Monks. With my project partner Bob (from Essex) we will be the first long-term volunteers that the project has had and so will strive to be accepted by a very different and complex Sri Lankan society.  | | Project Trust headquarters |
In August 2003, I travelled to Project Trust Headquarters on the Isle of Coll, in the Scottish Hebridean Islands. During a rain soaked week I undertook activities such as sheep herding, digging potato beds and pulling up ragwort, as well as completely different tasks such as teaching lessons and presenting a chosen aspect about the community of Coll.
The week gave PT the chance to learn more about the individuals that had applied and for us potential volunteers to learn more about the charity itself. Perhaps the most important part of the week was learning about the various countries and projects that PT offer to volunteers like myself. At the end of the week it was my chance to rank the countries in their order of my preferred choice. A letter was to be sent in the next week to inform me whether I had been selected.  | | Isle of Coll |
I was on top of a mountain in the Lake District when I heard by phone that the letter had arrived. Having given clear orders that the letter was not to be opened until I returned, it was a nervous wait. However, some detective work had revealed that the letter was of an A4 size and so I was confident it was a positive reply. The letter revealed that I had been chosen for Sri Lanka (my first choice), with two back-up countries of Uganda and Malawi. Along with the excitement came the reminder that in order for the year to happen I was going to have to fundraise £3850.  | | Volunteers training on the Isle of Coll |
The next trip was to Ipswich library where I spent days putting together a list of charitable trust addresses and producing an appealing and informative leaflet giving the details of what I was trying to achieve. Nearly one hundred letters were circulated all over Britain. Over a space of six months, and along with hoards of rejection letters, came cheques totalling around £2000. Non-uniform days which I organised either side of Christmas at both Claydon and Thurleston high schools brought me closer to my total. Fundraising filled the time from August until May, when the next important letter from PT arrived detailing my particular project at the Sri Bodhiraja Foundation. The details were still patchy but the thrill of opening the letter, although bringing back good memories of selection, also highlighted how much time had already passed by, and how much closer the reality was.  | | Sri Lankan sunset |
Confirmation from PT that the total fundraising amount had been raised came a few weeks before I was due to travel to Coll for a training course in July. The course enabled me to learn a lot more about my project, to learn more about Sri Lanka, to eat with my right hand in typical Sri Lankan style and most importantly to meet my project partner. The week was intensive but incredibly enjoyable, having a more relaxed feeling compared to the harsh and competitive environment of selection. The day after I arrived back from training I had an interview with Rachel Sloane on award-winning BBC Radio Suffolk which presented me with the chance to act as a foreign correspondent during my time in Sri Lanka.  | | At BBC Radio Suffolk, before departure |
It's a fantastic opportunity for me to let the whole of Suffolk know how I am getting on throughout my year in Sri Lanka so listen out and look for updates on both the radio and the BBC Suffolk website. It is now just 21 days until I leave for Sri Lanka to teach trainee Buddhist monks in English. Conditions are basic in the Monastery with limited amounts of electricity and no running water. A liking for HOT curries for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a passion for cricket will be essential, but a rewarding and hugely educational experience lies ahead for me.
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