Connecting with Sri Lankan Sisters and Brothers

My daughter and I's trip to Sri Lanka was a wonderful adventure that provided us with many beautiful opportunities to visit friends we made three years ago, and to join with our friend Tenzin Lekdron, to run some workshops in a Women's Refuge - The Kandy Women's Development Centre. The Centre provides a home, access to education and training, support and rehabilitation for women suffering from the effects of abuse. We shared some rather chaotic, fun workshops with the 47 women, staff and 9 babies there. We baked sourdough bread, chocolate cake, nut and coconut balls, made cards and did various crafty things (of the textile nature).

The Women's Development Centre in Kandy provides a home and support for women who have suffered sexual abuse, incest and physical abuse. Many of them are pregnant and lactating mothers. They are given a safe haven, access to health services, education and some training at the Centre. We were certainly humbled, inspired and deeply touched by our experience there. The wonderful work of the staff and deep respect, support, optimism, love, friendliness and compassion amongst all there was so heart warming.

It was wonderful to form a connection with the centre and the wonderful people there to work together and to make future plans.
 
The connections we formed in Sri Lanka fit perfectly with the new direction POM seems to be taking this year. As I mentioned in my last blog I will continue to make POM about

• Writing my weekly blogs, sharing heartfelt wisdom.
• Teaching yoga, meditation,
• Supplying POM home-craft related items such as embroidered towels, aprons, eye-pillows (for yoga shavasana and our 5 minute a day rest), crocheted wash cloths bags and  food items such as tomato sauce, lemon cordial, biscuits and sourdough bread. I have set up a little shop here at home.(of which I am the best customer). Plans for the  shop include stocking 'Sri-Sisters' products and the development of an online shop on the POM website.  
• A large proportion of the sale of POM (and Sri-Sisters) products, my yoga teaching and future craft/cooking workshops is used to support my friend TenzinLekdron and her wonderful work in Sri Lanka and at the Women's Development Centre in Kandy.
• Running craft and cooking workshops and a weekly crafternoon. (Will keep you posted)

Some new innovations following our trip to Sri Lanka include

• Getting the women at the Women's Development Centre to weave the fabric for the aprons and tea towels and make them up for me.  The women there hand weave beautiful fabric. I have placed an order for the hand woven aprons and tea-towels and fabric for eye- pillows from them.
• Getting some hand made pottery mugs and dishes from a local village group of women potters, to make beeswax candles. 
• Setting up an online shop to sell the aprons, tea-towels, eye pillows and beeswax candles. (for starters). And selling them at my little home shop at home too.
• Assisting with setting up some activities and projects at the women at the WDC. The goods produced can be sold at local community markets in Sri Lanka serving the tourists and expats. 

I look forward to sharing with you all - thank you so much for your support and interest.
​Maree xx