Hi

yesterday left early yo travel to Kandy, on the way it struck me once again what a stunningly beautiful place Sri Lanka is.

I went up to Kandy to meet Pearl Stephen who founded and runs the Women's Development Centre. It all started in her front room and now it has centres for women fleeing DV, a home for girls and young women who have suffered abuse, training centres and so much more. I met to discuss how we might buy in some of there expertise, particularly around business Enterprise and micro-credit.

I've met a couple of amazing women and the WDC.

I met Chudra -Thilika about a year ago, she explained that she had studied business ans commerce to MA level and after leaving university got a job in a big company. Her journey looked set to move her up the levels of ''success'', good salary, good car etc. but after a few year she decided this was not where she wanted to go. She left her job and now works at the WDC training poor women in enterprise skills. I always find such stories an inspiration, but particularly in the context of a developing country. Most are so glad to get away for the mire of poverty that chosing a simpler lifestyle is jus not done. Chudra thilika really is on the road less travelled.

I also met Pearls PA . She informed me that she loves to read English books and has a library. I thought maybe 15 or 20 books. No-- 600! and her favorite author is Shakespeare . She started going off on one about the philosophy of Shakespeare. I was lost but I hopefully nodded in the right places- so I think I had her fooled.