UNICEF's tsunami school rebuilding nears completion

UNICEF's post-tsunami three-year Re-Building with Children Recovery Plan, is fast nearing completion. Responding to a request of the Education Ministry, UNICEF committed to building 21 schools islandwide, to replace facilities damaged or destroyed by the tsunami.

Fifteen schools have already been completed and six schools are due to be handed over before June this year. UNICEF responded positively to a request by the Education Ministry, in 2006, to support the construction of additional 11 schools, where other donors had withdrawn, bringing to a total of 32 schools in its reconstruction programme in the tsunami affected districts.

The additional 11 schools are Ginthota Maha Vidyalaya, Martin Wickramasinghe Vidyalaya (Galle district), St. Servatius College, Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya (Matara district), Abdul Majeed Vidyala, Kinniya (Trincomalee district) St. Johns Vidyalaya- Akkaraipattu; Arunodaya Vidyalaya-Akkaraipattu; Al-Bahariya Vidyalaya-Kalmunai; Shams Central College-Maruthamunai; Sri Mamangam Vidyalaya- Kalmunai; Malharu Shams Vidyalaya-Sainthamaruthu (Ampara district).

"Since the request was made to construct the 11 additional schools, UNICEF has worked closely with the communities throughout last year to develop, designs and sort out land issues and other complexities that had delayed the projects. Local management companies are now being engaged and we expect construction to be in full swing by October this year" UNICEF Chief of Education Ita Sheehy said.

Thousands of boys and girls in the tsunami affected regions in the Jaffna, Batticaloa, Ampara, Galle and Hambantota districts, who were faced with the travails of getting only snatches of learning in temporary huts, have moved into their brand new schools, with a great sigh of relief.