Sri Lanka November 2021

Reflections from Colette

In November 2021, I traveled to Sri Lanka to hand deliver art supplies to students. With help from Sri Lankan hotels and businesses, we raised over $15,000, and provided large backpacks of art supplies to over 500 students in 9 rural schools. Many of these children had never had any art supplies at all in their lives. It was incredible to watch their faces light up as we delivered the supplies.

We partnered with a great Sri Lankan charity called the Foundation for Goodness.  The CEO Kushil Gunesarawa loved Colette’s Canvas because they have many programs for the rural children but they have never provided art supplies.  Kushil told me that the children benefit from art supplies because it can allow them to take art seriously as a career but also because they have no other form of entertainment (no books or electronics or anything).  He even featured Colette’s Canvas on the Foundation’s website. 

I had the opportunity to present Colette’s Canvas to some amazing people, such as Minister Namal Rajapaksa, the Member of Parliament responsible for Youth & Sports.  He loved the idea and wants to help me grow Colette’s Canvas in Sri Lanka! 

The challenge now is how to grow and make Colette’s Canvas sustainable.  I am very excited about my next steps, and I plan to raise more money to build Colette’s Canvas for 2022.  Many of my friends and families are interested in helping, and they may join me for the summer 2022 trip to Sri Lanka.  And my big goal for 2022 is to raise enough money to provide art instructors and scholarships for the students, in addition to the art kits!