During my multiple visits to Galle in Sri Lanka I have always volunteered at the Ruhunu Orphanage, specifically working with children under 4 iand newborns. The environment these children live in meets only their basic needs of shelter, food and clothing; they have no belongings of their own, no personal space, no dignity and very little individualisation. Infections are common, clothes come out of a communal bag, they are not provided with nappies (despite them being donated), and affection and cuddles are actively discouraged,

The annexe these 40 or so children live in has virtually no stimulation: emotional, educational or environmental - there is no colour, no safe play area, toys are kept in cupboards and brought for show when guests visit. The children spend their day in a mud green concrete play pen, with no structured play or activities and 2 or 3 cheap toys to share between them all. The children go outside to play for a short time in the late afternoon. Outside the play equipment is in a serious state of disrepair: the swings have no seats, the see-saws have no seats and are dangerous for trapping little fingers, the roundabout is iron and heavy and lurches dangerously into the ground and the spring riders have no seats and rusted springs. Volunteers try to help the children have as much fun on these outdoor toys as is safely possible but they are in urgent need of repair or replacement. Often, in the absence of appropriate and safe resources, children will fight to play with a twig or seed casing they have found lying on the ground.

With this lack of constructive outside play in mind, I am dedicating my solo 800km Camino des Frances trek during September 2017 to remedy this situation by raising funds to provide some new outdoor play equipment, particularly swings and see-saws. Please support me and my tired legs by donating whatever you are able - it all adds up!!