ABDF

• Project Completed Update! (See below)
• Location:Kattankudy, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
• Recipients:40-50 students
• Objective:Provide ESL books
• Final cost:$128 US

English instruction is slowly becoming the norm in Sri Lanka. Especially among the Tamil and Muslim communities, fluency in English is the only way for children to advance in society and benefit their families and communities. Unfortunately, although the government has mandated English instruction, it has largely been unable to follow through with the resources to do so, especially in the minority communities on the east coast.

Studying hard.

One result of this has been a boom in the English tutoring industry. Unfortunately, the caliber of the teachers is sometimes low, and quality lessons can be expensive, up to Rs750 an hour, or around $7. Obviously only the well-off can afford quality tutoring, and the lower classes, particularly the impoverished, are largely left out. This, of course, only reinforces economic divisions and perpetuates the cycle of poverty found here.

The civil war in Sri Lanka has gone on for 25 years now. Before the war, Muslim and non-Muslim Tamils lived in and amongst each other and had extremely close relations. But ethnic cleansing on the part of the LTTE created segregated Muslim communities, and severed these formerly close ties. Now a whole generation has matured on both sides where these traditional ties and friendships no longer exist.

Marliya Izzadeen, KETP founder.

The Kattankudy English Tutoring Project seeks to counteract all this. Led by Marliya Izzadeen, a certified instructor fluent in English and supported by five volunteer teachers, the KETP offers after-school classes in English a low or no cost. Those families that can afford it are charged Rs250 (about $2.50) per month for four lessons a week, to offset the cost of lesson materials. About 20% of families can’t afford this, and those children are admitted cost-free. Additionally, although Kattankudy is nearly 100% Muslim, about a third of students are either Hindu or Christian; this mix is intentional on the part of Mrs. Izzadeen, and a higher percentage is hoped for as word spreads of safe neutral ground for kids to meet. Free tuition is on an as-needed basis without regard to religious affiliation. Casual observation notes that the classes are about 50/50 in gender composition. The lessons themselves last an hour to an hour and a half.

The classroom is an open-air shelter at the residence of Mrs. Izzadeen, in a very pleasant courtyard filled with palm trees.

An exterior shot.

The structure is well provided for in terms of desks, chairs, tables, lighting, and chalkboards. The number of students per day varies, but ABDF.org estimates an average of 40-50 students attend daily, six days a week. ABDF.org observation has noted that Mrs. Izzadeen herself is very accomplished with her students, and the volunteer teachers who help her, while not entirely fluent, are adequate for the tasks they perform (grading papers, etc.). As with the student body, the teaching staff is of mixed religious background; in fact, three of the five are Hindu.

A request has been made to ABDF.org for ESL (English as a Second Language) materials. In Sri Lanka, most ESL materials come from Sri Lanka itself, India, or China and are written by people for whom English is not their first language. Consequently, quality is uneven and sometimes downright slipshod. If ABDF.org could provide Mrs. Izzadeen with various activity- and work- books targeting different fluency levels, she will be provided with a host of new ideas for activities and lessons, and can photocopy the materials as needed.

BFF: Muslim and Hindu friends, together. L-R: Farrah, Aneesha, Dharshikka (Aren’t they cute!).

Given the possible impact fresh, high-quality materials could have on the students, the low cost of the materials themselves, and the ease at which this project could be successfully completed, this project is a no-brainer. Additionally, the fact that it brings together Muslim and Hindu children and teachers in an environment where they would not normally mix, makes this project even more desirable.

Project Completed Update - August 10, 2009

Mrs. Izzadeen with a selection of the new ESL books.

ABDF is happy to report that today, August 10, 2009 we handed over to Mrs. Izzadeen a large set of brand-new, never-before-seen in Sri Lanka set of ESL workbooks. A generous donation made by Heather and Dave Taylor of Valencia, California paid for the books, and both Mrs. Izzadeen and ABDF wishes to send sincerest thanks for the new materials.