Kim Peatfield was on holiday with her husband and daughter Isabella, known as Bellie, when the tsunami waves hit the Sri Lankan resort where they were staying. Friends and relatives immediately started raising money in Isabella's memory.
By February the Isabella Peatfield Memorial Fund had raised 20,000.
The Peatfields chose to donate the money to Sri Lankan children whose lives had been affected by the tsunami and returned to the island to find a suitable project.
During the trip they visited Ruhunu State Orphanage in Galle, a major town on the south coast. The orphanage cares for 48 children aged from birth to five years and was suffering from extreme staff and resource shortages following the tsunami.
Mrs Peatfield said, 'What struck me after years of taking both my son, Oliver, and Isabella to nursery was the lack of any structured play. The children are physically well cared for but emotionally neglected. Babies are left in their cots all day and the toddlers turned out into the dirty playground.'
Some money from the memorial fund will be spent on refurbishing the play area. Further funds will be used to sponsor two experienced nursery workers to be employed in the orphanage for at least two months.
The nursery workers will establish new routines and manage the children's care. Mrs Peatfield said, 'I hope they will start work very soon. The Isabella Fund will pay their salaries, flights and accommodation. They will have to be made of strong stuff, as it will be no holiday, but it will be a chance to make a real difference.'
Anyone interested in the placements should send a CV and covering letter explaining their skills and strengths to Sri Lanka Nursery Nurses, PO Box 9698, 1 Wrens Court, Lower Queen Street, Sutton Coldfield B72 1GA.
* Nursery World always recommends checking out details of overseas jobs thoroughly