Maharagama Youth Teaching

For one reason or another, myself, Rachelle and George only started youth teaching last week and have now spent two lessons with a group of hairstylists. The youth centre runs many courses for pupils from ages 17-29 (as I've seen) from bakery courses to air conditioning to beauticians where they learn their trade on site in the classrooms. I love their 'uniforms', basically dressing all in white, and with the occassional monks that walk around, I think the centre has a very pure and peaceful air about it...may be that's just in contrast to the conditions in our other projects.

In the first lesson, as they speak relatively good English, we did conversational roleplay with them - how to book an appointment on the phone - and taught them the English words for hairdressing tools and styles. This week we began to help them with CVs, for some crazy reason any job interview they have is all in English. Unlike in the orphanages, the youths are there because they are really keen to learn and you can see the enthusiasm in their eyes at having a real English person stood teaching them, which makes working with them really enjoyable. After the volunteers who teach the beauticians getting facials, I think a new hair-do is in order next week!