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    22May, 2023
    School Based Participatory Education Development (SB- PED) intervention in Trincomalee

    One of Muslim Aid Sri Lanka’s thematic intervention areas is educational development. Under our School Based Participatory Education Development (SB- PED) intervention in Trincomalee, we engage all related stakeholders to achieve meaningful and sustainable change in the education sector.

    The project is in its 2nd phase, with Principals, Teachers, School Development Societies, Students, Parents, and Government authorities contributing to the overall goal of increasing access to, and quality of education.

    Recently, we implemented a capacity building programme for teachers, under the patronage of the Provincial Education Department and the Kinniya Zonal Education Department, to train teachers in core subject such as Mathematics, Science, and Languages.

    5Feb, 2020
    Muslim Aids supports refugee returnees and vulnerable children to start their first day at school

    On request of primary schools of Sanmuga and Sindu in the resettled village of Pallikkudiyiruppu, Muslim Aid supported 20 children with school packs to start their first day at school.

    The event was held today (03.02.2020) at the T/Mut/ Kalaimahal Hindu College with the participation of the principal, teachers and staff of Muslim Aid.

    Although the literacy rate in Sri Lanka is approximately 94%, in remote and underdeveloped villages, children are still facing severe hardships to start and continue their education. One of such villages is Pallikudiyiruppu, a resettled village in Trincomalee district where the villagers had to face multiple displacements due to the war that lasted for three decades and ended only in 2009.

    There are five preschools in five small communities in the Pallikudiyiruppu resettled village. All the families from this region were displaced to Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts and a few families took refuge in India around 10-15 years backs. All the families are poor and lost everything during the displacement.

    The parents and the preschool teachers sent their request through the District Secretary in Trincomalee to the Muslim Aid field office, five days prior to today’s event; and The Assistant Government Agent facilitated the process. After the assessing the situation, Muslim Aid Sri Lanka allocated funds and arranged the school packs for distribution promptly. This activity falls under the ‘Education for All – Up for School’ programme.

    The new preschool kids were ceremonially welcomed by grade one kids and the teachers. A school teacher spoke at the event saying,

    “We made many requests to different circles to support these kids in the past. However, this is the only time we received this kind of support. Our deep thanks to Muslim Aid and the staff of GA office for making this happen”. 

    In December last year, Muslim Aid distributed school packs to students from three ethnic communities, starting from Vilankulam of Trincomalee and reaching out to three other Sinhala schools from the Kuliyapitiya region.

    Muslim Aid celebrates 15 years of dedicated service in Sri Lanka this year. It has been operating in Sri Lanka since 2005 as a humanitarian and development agency working in five strategic areas including economic empowerment, humanitarian support; education development, health, water and sanitation. Muslim Aid’s programmes are combined with peace-building and social cohesion among communities in the country.

    3Jan, 2020
    Three rural Sinhala schools received school packs under Muslim Aid’s “Up for School 2020” campaign

    Under the campaign ‘Up for School 2020’, Muslim Aid Sri Lanka, under its “Education for All” programme brought joy to 55 poor students and their families

    The Muslim Aid team with the support of youth and the school administration, distributed 55 school packs to the poor students from 3 rural Sinhala schools in the Kuliyapitiya Education Zone.

    25 students from Wadumunna Sinhala Vidyalaya, 20 students from Uduwewa Vidyalaya and 10 students from Konwewa Vidyalaya received the school packs in December 2019 to start of their new academic year with new school materials. Religious leaders, community leaders, SDC members, teachers and parents, Grama Niladhari officer and Police officers participated the handing over events.

    Principals of the respective schools, SDC members, community leaders and two youth groups – Global Youth Club from Annukkana village and Youth Dedication from Kotambapitiya village were fully engaged in organizing the three events. All the families that benefitted from this support are vulnerable and make a meagre and irregular wages through daily labour work. These families often find themselves in despair at the beginning of a new academic year, as purchasing of school materials is forthcoming. The principals and the parents expressed a feeling of great relief having received this support.

    Religious leaders of Buddhism and Islam appreciated Muslim Aid for this form of assistance and reach, while stressing that there would not be education development or economic development in the country if we failed in building trust and harmony among the different faith communities in Sri Lanka. One of the faith leaders said, “There are forces in small numbers working hard to divide the citizens of Sri Lanka, but majority of the people are eager for sustainable peace and harmony in our country”.

    The Muslim Aid Sri Lanka team assured participants that it is ready to use all the opportunities and resources available to build trust and social harmony wherever it works; and would like to continue working together with grassroot Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities as it has for the past 15 years.