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Regional reporter to visit tsunami-hit island

A regional press reporter is taking a three-week sabbatical to work in the tsunami-hit region of Sri Lanka.

Reading Evening Post health reporter Natalie Slater, pictured, will visit the Beruwala region in the south east of the island to catch up on the housing programme funded by Reading people and supported by the paper.

Evening Post deputy editor Hilary Scott was one of the founding members of Reading charity RITA (Reading Initiative for Tsunami Action) and Natalie’s trip will aim to further build links between the two communities.

Donations to the charity, that was set up following the natural disaster in 2004, have helped to build eight new homes for families that were made homeless in the disaster but money is still needed to complete the final four houses planned.

Said Natalie: “During my three week stay I will be visiting schools in Beruwala to help write newsletters to bring back to schools in Reading and to try and improve the communication links between the pupils.

“I’m also taking lots of pairs of reading glasses as there is a huge shortage there.”

Natalie will be filing regular updates of her progress on her blog