ABDF

First grade students show off

Last year was apparently the Year of Water. We had a lot of requests for water tanks to help villagers cope with chronic water instability; at times water was plentiful, other times, a dearth. Our tanks were built in order to help even this out a bit, and so far that has been mostly successful.

This year is turning out to be the Year of Education.

Education is compulsory in Sri Lanka, and paid for by the government, up through the equivalent of 11th Grade; after that a series of national tests determine if you proceed further. The problem, a familiar one to all teachers around the world, is one of funding. Often the standards set by government policy are not subsidized by an increase in the resources needed to meet these standards. In fact, due to the civil war and other economic strains, many schools, especially in rural areas, can’t even provide the basic necessities. As a result schools here are often left begging for resources that should rightly be provided by the Ministry of Education. And so many of the local schools are coming to us, the ABDF.

In the two months I’ve been here, we’ve been absolutely deluged with education-related project proposals. Many of them are quite reasonable, and I am slowly plowing through them, to asses which we can help with, and in what priority. We have already started on some projects; the others must wait. Of course, to a large degree it depends on funding.

Here, in brief, is a list of some of the projects that have been given to me:

A school in Earvur has requested a few pieces of office furniture (ie: filing cabinets): right now they have nowhere to keep the student’s records and other school documents, which are organized by piles on several tables and in boxes.

Kaluwankerny School, the site of one of our computer labs, has requested help in buying their marching band uniforms; the ones they currently use are almost ten years old and falling apart. While I’m all for music programs, I think this one by necessity will be of lower priority.

A school in Irunuroovil, has requested barbed wire and concrete posts to prevent wild elephants and other jungle critters from wandering the property at night and damaging school property. We’ve agreed to fund this, and you can read about the project, and the fascinating story behind it, here.

The school at Irunuroovil

The school at Irunuroovil has also asked for a few pieces of playground equipment. Right now there is nothing for the students (1st through 5th graders) to play on.

Vantharaumoolai Vidyalayam (School), the site of our other computer lab, asked us to replace desks and chairs that were destroyed by refugees during the 2007-2008 military offensive. We agreed early on to fund this, and the project is almost complete. Please follow this link.

The Education Resource Center down in Kaluthavelai, which provides free after-school tutoring to local kids, has recently requested a photocopy machine. I suspect that this situation is entirely similar to last years’ (2009) EDS after school project. I have yet to investigate this.

A preschool run by a volunteer association in Vantharumoolai has sent a request for plastic tables and chairs for their students, as well as a chalkboard and related supplies.

We’ve decided to run a pilot project in rural Navatkadu, site of one of our water tanks. The school has a dismal record in national test results, and with the school we’ve developed a strategy to improve this. It’s a great project; please read about it here.

A preschool in Kattankudy has asked our help in moving the school to a rented building, and with desks, chairs, and other supplies. I haven’t seen the request specifics yet; I’m supposed to go pick them up today.

The tsunami resettlement village at Ollikulam, site of our ongoing road project, has asked for a small community preschool to be furnished. The plan is to hold classes in the small community center/meeting hall. I have yet to receive any specific details about this one.

These are just a sample of the better proposals I’ve received. It seems that ABDF’s reputation has spread a bit, and so I’ve been flooded with requests.

All of these projects, as well as others I’ve received, seem on the surface entirely reasonable and justifiable. But the truth is you’ve gotta be very careful. I wrote earlier about the pitfalls of the orphanage industry here; the potential for abuse and scams in the school is just as big.

Refugees trashed this playground in Vatharumoolai

For example, at the beginning of each school year, which is January here, the government gives each school a small lump of money, determined by student population, for such “perishable” items as pens, pencils, chalk, notebooks, and so forth. There are some corrupt principals who pocket this money, and then go to the NGOs and other foreigners, asking for money to buy these supplies. I have seen donated computers end up in private homes. The government does not yet provide for preschool, so it’s a big business, and oft times they are set up more as money-making ventures than anything else. Anyone with a thatch roof and a couple of chairs can open a preschool and claim to be a teacher. Thus by funding a preschool, you might possibly be actually helping someone in their business, with little educational benefit for the kids.

Then there are the politics of it all. What if one of these “preschools” is opened by the wife of a higher-up in one of the militias? Even if it’s fully legit and she’s qualified, what are the ramifications of funding something that is politically connected? What if there’s an ongoing squabble or rivalry between the school principal and the local Divisional Secretary? How would that potentially affect other future projects in the Division, education-related or not? What if the principal or some other educational official is a flat out crook? How on earth do you tell the good guys from the bad guys? They don’t exactly wear white or black hats.

The situation is a swamp, a morass that you have to carefully navigate before making a decision. Or to better describe it; it’s an ethical swamp on top of a political minefield.

It takes a lot of experience here to figure it all out. You have to have the time, the patience, the open ears, and a critical perspective, to wade through all the rumors, innuendo, and occasionally, facts, and to develop a network of people you know you can trust. This is precisely where, if I may brag a bit, we have the advantage over the other, bigger agencies, with their six-month or one-year contracted foreign employees. I say it time and time again; how can you really help a community if you aren’t involved and connected with it? This is particularly true when navigating the labyrinth of the school system here.

So if YOU should give towards one of OUR education projects, YOU can be sure that it’s an honest project, with real tangible results for the kids and teachers.

OK, I’ve gotta go get those project details about the preschool in Kattankudy. And then I have my Tamil class (more on THAT next time) and then I have some meetings in the evening. So expect another letter soon – lots more to talk about!