‘We will be back for more’
View(s):Zurich International School students who were here on a sports and community service tour share their life-changing experience
For 35 students from the Zurich International School their visit to Sri Lanka recently on a community service trip was far more than just a school trip, for most it seemed a life-changing experience.
Getting to know the children: At MENCAFEP Nuwara Eliya
As part of their school’s yearly curriculum, these students, aged between 15 and 17 years, are expected to visit a developing country of their choice and work with local communities to teach, learn, respect and understand how differently-abled children live and communicate.
Organizing this annual event locally is the Thaabit Ahmed Football Academy (TAFA) run by founder Thaabit Ahamed. “This is the 5th year that we have been conducting this event and every time it’s a different learning experience for us,” says Thaabit. “Travelling with the students and watching them learn, communicate and experience such life-changing moments is indescribable.”
One of TAFA’s longest relationships has been with the Zurich International School. The students of this school have to experience each of the curriculum’s pillars of learning: ‘Learn, Care, Challenge and Lead’, which cultivates an environment of community service for its students. For the past five years, students from ZIS have visited Sri Lanka on football and community service tours every summer.
Founded in 2009, by local football coach Thaabit Ahmed, with just five students, the Thaabit Ahmed Football Academy is now home to over 100 students ranging from three to 18 years and eight coaches. Apart from providing a much-needed place for children and teenagers to practise football, the academy has many international partnerships. Apart from the annual visit by ZIS, selected students from TAFA tour Singapore, Thailand and Italy for coaching camps every year.
“Personally, this trip was really fantastic,” said 17-year-old Magda who is originally from Georgia. Her eyes well up as she speaks about the life changing experience of working with the differently abled kids of the MENCAFEP schools. Founded by Ranji and Chris Stubbs, MENCAFEP schools provide early intervention and support systems for many mentally underdeveloped children to help them become productive members of society. “I come from Georgia, which is also not a developed country and it felt homely, in a weird way. The people and the lifestyle are very different but I felt a connection,” Magda said.
All smiles: A bright-eyed trio in Batticaloa
The ZIS students, 35 in all, were split into two groups – Service and Sport. Having worked previously with Habitat for Humanity in Romania and Tanzania, the Service team, comprising 17 students travelled by train to the hill country to work with the 120 kids supported by MENCAFEP in Nuwara Eliya.
Seventeen-year-old Brazilian-born Tathya says they were just excited and happy to be here. “I had never been exposed to a situation of having to interact with people with both mental and physical handicaps. It was a challenge to communicate with the kids because of the language and their disabilities. So we had to look to their teachers for cues and learn from them through song and music. I think this was one of those instances where we definitely learned more from them, than they did from us.”
They also learned traditional dancing with the kids at MENCAFEP, switching roles for the duration of the lesson and becoming the student, and following the kids who knew what to do to each drum beat. “There wasn’t a fixed plan or structure going in,” says Adele, one of the chaperones on the trip, “but everyone adapted to the situation well.”
During their trip they also visited the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, climbed Piduruthalagala and stopped at a tea estate to learn the art of plucking. There was also a visit to Negombo. The Sport group travelled to Batticaloa by bus and apart from teaching and playing football with the kids at MENCAFEP Batticaloa, conducted a football coaching camp for the school and the surrounding community and took part in various classroom activities.
“Seeing how the children recognised us right away, when we went back on the second day was a good feeling,” said Juan, a 17-year-old from Chile. The students, all of whom are avid football players worked for several months pre-departure, collecting sports shoes, socks, bags, uniforms etc., to donate to MENCAFEP and the local club members of Saunders in Colombo. Juan added, “If they were able to offer the little bit of food on their plate to us, then we really have to step up and offer them whatever we can.”
“We’ve also collected enough funds to support the staff costs for one more year,” said Steve Burnham, head of Grade 10 at ZIS and one of the chief organizers. The group also cleared a plot of land adjacent to the school, which would be converted into a children’s playground and of course, took a break from all the football to play a game of cricket.
Fun on the field: ZIS students conduct a football coaching camp in Negombo
“Last year I went to Ghana, but this experience was so different and better. Despite the disabilities and language barrier it was so very easy to work with them. I found them to be very open with us,” said 16-year-old Sophia. After completing several days of activities in Batticaloa, the group headed to Adam’s Peak, climbing to the top and back in a record three hours. “We just ran all the way up and down,” they laughed.
Organizers TAFA, also ensured the visiting students were given uniquely Colombo experiences, with a kite-flying session on the Galle Face Green and a tuk tuk challenge. The ZIS students also conducted a coaching camp in Colombo for the members of Saunders Sports Club and played a few friendly matches with the TAFA teams. “The whole trip has been a unique experience,” claimed South African Tamsyn, one of the sports group.
They left Sri Lanka with journals of memories, hearts full of gratitude and hands that have experienced hard work, keen to tell their friends back home of their experiences with MENCAFEP. “We will be back,” they all said in unison.