ABDF

• Project Completed Update! (See below)
• Location: Vantharumoolai, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
• Recipients:1,500 students
• Objective:Computer lab for rural school
• Final cost:$1,030 US

The old Vantharumoolai administrative building, built around 1925.

Vantharumoolai (Van-TAH-roo-moo-lie) is a village about 18 miles north of Batticaloa, on the road to Kaluwankerny, site of last year’s computer lab. The town is mostly made up of rice farmers, a handful of small shopkeepers and craftsmen (mechanics and such), and a few employees of Eastern University, which is some 5 miles south.

V. Sadesh, the school IT teacher.

V. Sadesh, who maintains the Kaluwankerny lab, and teaches the newly-mandated IT classes there two days a week, also teaches IT at Vantharumoolai for the remaining three days. The problem at Vantharumoolai is the same as that we discovered in Kaluwankerny; the school has 12 computers sitting in a room with no resources to create a lab for them. Sadesh, with whom we worked last year, approached ABDF.org with a request to create a similar space at the Vantharumoolai school.

Students at Vantharumoolai school.

The request is pretty straight-forward: 12 computer tables, 12 chairs, and the hiring of a local contractor to do the networking and get the computers up and running. ABDF.org will use the same contractor as we did last year; as the owner is a friend of the Program Director (and to whom he has brought lots of business) and he worked on our Kaluwankerny site at a reduced rate. He has agreed to work for a similar reduced fee for this project.

More Vantharumoolai kids.

The response to last years’ project in Kaluwankerny was so positive that we are pleased to repeat it in Vantharumoolai. With any luck the lab will be complete by the first day of the new school year.

Project Completed Update - August 25, 2009

A moment of levity in front of the lab.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 was the official opening of the new computer lab at Vantharamoolai Vidyalayam. And by coincidence, the ten extra computers promised by the Ministry of Education were finally delivered to the school, bringing up the number in the lab to 15.

Huge relief – it works!

Our Project Director, Bennett, reports that the lab was done very well; in addition to the tables and chairs and all the new wiring and outlets, the room was completely re-decorated, including a new paint job. He was very pleased with the results and, after the new computers are installed over the next few days, it will be complete. The timing couldn’t be better, as the new school year starts Monday the 7th of September.

Receiving garlands is a sign of thanks and respect in Sri Lanka.

Some of the school's students who will be using the new lab.

Bennett is relieved to report that the opening ceremony was short and low-key; just how he likes it. There were only three brief speeches, including his, which must be a record in Sri Lanka for shortest public ceremony. After, a small lunch of delicious village food was served, which made Bennett even more happy.

Our partner, Balan, standing in front of the ten new computers.

Our thanks to Balan Koneserajah, our local partner on this project, without whom the computer lab would never have come into being.