Enhancing education in Welikanda

Sara Pathirana

SamataSetha Foundation, during the past years, has made an immense contribution to uplift children’s education in war-affected areas. They have provided facilities to enhance children’s knowledge on Information Technology (IT).

Helping students endeavour

LankaCare UK is a British-registered charity that works in collaboration with the Samatasetha Foundation which is a non-profit making and non-governmental organisation (NGO). A function was held recently at the Welikanda Singhapura Junior School Auditorium in Polonnaruwa.

The students have held a concert with donations of computers and textbooks under ANCL Editorial Director Seelaratna Senarath’s guidance. Mahaweli Regional Officers W M Ranjith Perera, Residential Project Manager (RPM) and M K G Amarasiri also took part. LankaCare UK strives to assist people affected by the ethnic conflict, natural disasters. They also focus on School children and young people who lack proper skills required for a respectable job. Another major fact that the charity aims to eradicate is poverty in our communities and help students endeavour in their educational aspects.

Back on track

People who had gone through the trauma of the war lived in fear and in miserable conditions that entailed them to cope with very limited resources. Students had their education hampered. In order to uplift people from situations like this, LankaCare UK focused on trying to bring back educational standards back on track for these children.

“This Foundation, which is affiliated to LankaCare UK, during the recent past, has done a significant and commendable role in uplifting education and to emphasise the importance of IT and technological education. This is also included in the Higher Education curriculum and especially to work on getting this field out there, into remote areas,” Senarath acknowledged in his speech at the event.

This was a request made by the School Principal, Pathmasiri Ganegoda, who stated: “We have now embarked on a new phase in life and we should be proud of our students here as they have gained much improvement through hardship, having suffered a shortage of equipments necessary to gain computer knowledge.

Reaping the benefits

RPM officials, who also decided that this school needed facilities to cater to its students, explained: “IT knowledge is a must in this present day. Without this, higher education is hindered. The equipment that had been presented to these children will assist them to gain a significant facet of society and even to those who have not seen a computer till now.

This will also pave the way for their school curriculum as well,” LankaCare UK Secretary General Keerthi Sumanasiri said that The Foundation also has the agenda of presenting scholarships at its annual event to students at this school as it was found needy.

Deputy RPM, M K G Amarasiri said during the event: “We want to convey our gratitude for having initiated this event in this region. It was a long felt need and the Foundation came to assist our children with this endeavour. I hope that the children will reap the benefits of this contribution.”

The Foundation worked on opening many educational centres in remote areas.

They will be working on opening a centre with IT facilities in Singhapura.

Sumanasiri added that their presenting of computers and books to the Junior School would go a long way to enhance further education of these students who were unfortunate due to some reason or the other.

The event went forth with the presence of M K G Amarasiri-Deputy RPM who represented W M Rangith Perera, the RPM of System ‘B’, Mahaveli Board, the 24th Regiment-National Security Guard, Major S K H Priyantha, Captain M Kariyawasam and STF Representative Captain Hindagolla, Former Director, Mahaveli Board, K Ariyathunge, Singhapura Block Office Manager, W M Sugath Weerasinghe, HR Officer, P K M Kulathunge and Land Officer, A M A Gamini Bandara.