Ratmalana Change Makers Club goes on a Educational Trip

28 March 2009

Alliance Development Trust (ADT) organized an educational trip to the Planetarium, National Museum of Colombo and the National Museum of Nature & History for the children of the Ratmalana Change Makers Club on the 28th of March 2009. On the 28th morning, 65 children between the ages of 7 -18 gathered at the Ratmalana club premises in anticipation of an educative & fun filled day’s programme. The ADT staff accompanying the children laid the ground rules before the children got into the bus. 5 ADT staff members along with 3 Buddhist monks and the President of the Women’s Welfare Society at Ratmalana accompanied the children on this excursion.

Excitedly the children scrambled out of the bus at the Planetarium, which was the first stop. This was their very first visit to the Planetarium. The children gained immense knowledge as they keenly took down short notes on different stars, planets and how they were placed in the solar system. The children found their experience at the Planetarium very informative.

The next stop was at the ‘Viharamahadevi Park’, where the children had a time of relaxation and a delectable lunch enjoyed by all.

After lunch the children visited the National Museum of Colombo. The children and ADT staff showed great enthusiasm as they walked about studying the historical events & different eras ruled by Sri Lankan kings. At the National Museum of Nature & History they saw different kinds of trees, animals, reptiles and importantly how a little seed which shoots off a plant grows to become a tree. The children also saw the life cycle of reptiles, frogs and turtles.

By evening, although the children were very tired, they wanted more fun & didn’t want to go back home. The ADT staff took the children back to Viharamahadevi Park, where they played to their heart’s content. All the children mentioned that they had learnt a lot of interesting information from this trip and also had loads of fun, which they usually don’t have in their drab lives.

As an organization working with children, we were delighted to see these children enjoying themselves & having fun. They come from poor families facing many hardships. But this day was special; it was a time spent on learning new things & ended up with much fun & frolic. It was a most memorable day etched in the minds of these children.