ABDF

• Project Completed Update! (See below)
• Location: Kaluthavalai, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
• Recipients:400 students, 50 volunteer staff
• Objective:Helping teachers teach their students
• Final cost:$717 US

Kaluthavalai (Ka-loot-ah-va-lee) is a village on the outskirts of Kaluwanchakudy, about 25 km (18 miles) south of Batticaloa. The community is comprised of sustenance rice farmers and bettle leaf harvesters. The area has the general reputation of being one of the more backwards of the District’s costal strip. Needless to say this reputation is only cemented in the public eye by the dismal state of the three village schools.

Class is in session!

The Program Director was astonished, and delighted, to discover the Education Development Society and its facility. The EDS is an all-volunteer ad-hoc group of local teachers who banded together in 2002 to improve their students’ chances at a good education. The group is extremely grass-roots yet sustainable, and has managed to put together an excellent program for 400 students a day, six days a week, on no budget whatsoever. Students are served free of charge.

Some of the volunteer staff.

The current site is an ex-tsunami shelter complex of open-air schoolrooms. Other than the structures themselves, the group has had no outside help, although occasionally they can pressure local businessmen to lend a hand. There is electricity, the bills for which are paid for by the teachers themselves, as are all the programs’ expenses. But otherwise the site, while well maintained and clean, is primitive. For example, each classroom only has a piece of broken chalkboard on the wall, rather than a whole one. In most classrooms students sit on 2x4 board benches at long desks which are nothing more than 2x4s lined up end to end.

The project uses materials from old tsunami shelters.

As mentioned above, the student population of about 400 attend classes for free, six days a week. In Sri Lanka there is a major national exam given after the 8th grade; therefore the students taught are all from the 6th – 8th grades.

Classes often run until after dark.

ABDF.org was introduced to the EDS by a mutual friend who hails from Kaluthavalai. We await a list of needs from the group. ABDF.org is eager to help this group, as it is a prime example of grassroots self-help and community activism. Such efforts are unusual in Sri Lanka, and should be encouraged as much as possible.

Project Update - April 12, 2009

In early April 2009 ABDF.org ordered a new ronio machine to be given to EDS Kaluthavalai. ETA for the machine is April 17th; we expect to deliver it on the 20th. Stay tuned.

Project Completed Update - April 25, 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The new ronio machine!

This evening the ronio machine was received at EDS in Kaluthavalai! The machine was packed atop a trishaw and driven the 20 kilometers south to the EDS site.

Project Director Bennett Hinkley unveiling the new ronio machine.

Much to the surprise of the Project Director, who normally hates big shin-digs, the kids and their teachers lined the street in the school. As he walked down the street, he was applauded and festooned with fresh garlands and at the entrance to EDS he was sprinkled with holy water and had ash and saffron power smeared on his forehead the Hindu symbols of blessing and greeting. The actual unveiling ceremony was mercifully short, and was followed immediately after with tea and sweets with the volunteer teachers.

Happy children surround Bennett at the celebration.

The volunteer teachers and Bennett at the unveiling celebration.

In addition to the ronio machine itself, ABDF.org provided ink, a box of stencils, and paper; a sort of starter kit.

All in all, the volunteer teachers were very grateful, as was obvious by the wonderful reception.

A very special thanks to Gene Risi for providing the funds for the ronio machine.