Medical Camp at Bandaragama

On 5 April 2012  Projects Abroad team took a small group of volunteers to Vidhagama Temple in Bandaragama Town to do Medical Camp.  We had about 180 people attending from the town.  I saw mostly older people who came just because it is more convenient for them.  The town itself is about 11 kilometer inland from Panadura.  This area is farm area with rice paddies and fruits trees.  The temple has been here over 500 years old and is very famous to Sri Lanka people.

We all met at the Clock Tower in Panadura and Charley took the first few volunteers ahead, while I waited for the others coming from Galle.  We had two that came from Galle, Sophie Berhrendt and Jochim Johansen and I thanked them for traveling over 2.5 hours to take part in this activity.  This shows their true dedication in wanting to help us today.  Sophie is really good with helping Roshini in the Pharmacy department, while Jochim is good with taking blood pressure and sugar level test.  I’ve enjoyed working with them at every Medical Camp they attended.  The other volunteers who came were Teresa Siller, Sophie Junker and Patricia Farina.  Everybody help and did a good job today.

My job was to take lots of pictures to post on facebook and Newsletter. I must have taken over one hundred pictures but I can only use a few here for you to see. The little monks did not want their pictures taken but a few didn’t mind.  You can see in their smiles that they enjoy seeing western people at their temple.  What I have been told is that not too many western people come out to their town, so when one does it’s like big thing.  You get stared at lot and a few would say “hello!”  I just love chasing the little monks because they were playing with me.  They are all so cut in their orange robe.

The activities went faster than usual and we were able to take care of all the patients by 12 noon.  The Lions Club of Wadduwa donated reading glasses to the people who needed them.  We work with them at every Medial Camp and they often provide food for the people who come.

By the time we packed up and left it was around 12:30 PM.  We went to Casserole for lunch for some delicious Chinese food afterward.  When I look at the clock again it must have been around 2:30 PM when we left the restaurant.  Our day has been good and our hearts are light because we did something good today.

Chane Sutsadang

Social Manager - Sri Lanka