Zahira Primary school Hambantota gets new building complex

COLOMBO: Zahira Primary School, Hambantota will receive primary school buildings under the UNICEF Schools Infrastructure Reconstruction Program. Earlier this month, the new buildings for Siddhartha Primary School in Galle district were opened, a UNICEF press release said.

This program aims to rebuild a total of 35 schools, which were destroyed or heavily damaged by the tsunami, as well as schools which have received children moving to newly constructed resettlement communities.

It will benefit about 20,000 children and teachers across the country. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Sri Lanka supports the program, and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) manages construction. Zahira School was one of the seven schools worst affected by the tsunami in the Hambantota district.

Ninety eight students, five teachers and the principal fell victims to that fateful tragedy and the entire primary school section was destroyed.

Now the 500 students of the primary school have 12 new spacious classrooms, more play area, new sanitation facilities, staff quarters and a safe parapet wall around the school.

Facilities have been designed to create a child friendly learning environment where interactive teaching and child participation help children fully developed their potential.

According to UNICEF's Representative in Sri Lanka, Jo Anna VanGerpen, the provision of a stable and secure environment for learning is of paramount importance so that children are able to move beyond the sad experience. The new schools provide a better learning environment through larger classrooms, better equipment and more play space.

"This child friendly approach is applied to all school reconstruction in all tsunami affected areas," she emphasized.

Reconstruction of Zahira Primary School is financially supported by the people of Britain, the Hunter Foundation and footballer David Beckham through the UK National Committee for UNICEF, one of 37 committees from around the world that raise funds to support UNICEF's work for children globally.

The Committee donated more than US 1 million dollars to support the reconstruction of Zahira Primary and Secondary schools.