On an initiative taken by Major General GA Chandrasiri, the Commander of Security Forces, Jaffna to donate Desktop Computers and school books to schools in Jaffna and the Islands, which produced the most outstanding results at the last GCE (A/L) examination held in 2007, the Peace Secretariat (SCOPP) agreed to facilitate the collection and distribution of goods for school children.

Since, in a conflict affected external environment school children need special assistance to acquire IT literacy and make progress with their day to day school work, SCOPP appealed to Dialog Telecom for a donation of 21 Desktop Computers. In addition, SCOPP requested the Asia Foundation to provide books covering school curriculum subjects such as English, Maths, Science, History, Geography and other subjects of general interest to students. Both Dialog Telecom and the Asia Foundation readily complied, and in addition to the computers 1500 books were provided. Transport was provided free of charge by the Navy, as requested by the Operations Unit of SCOPP.

1.   Hartley College, Point Pedro
2.   Chavakachcheri Hindu College, Chavakachcheri3.
3.   St John’s College, Jaffna
4    Udupiddy Amarican Mission College, Velvetithurai
5.   Jaffna Hindu Ladies College, Jaffna
6.   Vadamarachchi Hindu Ladies College, Point Pedro
7.   Chavakachcheri Ladies College, Chavakachcheri
8.   Kokuvil Hindu College, Kokuvil
9.   Methodist Girls College, Point Pedro
10. Nelliyadi MMV, Karaveddi
11. Dr Vaithillingam Thuraisamy MMV, Velanai
12. Delft MMV, Delft.

While the following schools will be provided with computers shortly

1.  Jaffna Hindu College, Jaffna
2.  Vembadi Girls High School, Jaffna
3.  Chundikuli Girls School, Jaffna
4.  Union College, Tellipalai
5.  Arunothaja College, Alaveddi
6.  Mahajana College, Tellippalai
7.  Vaddu Hindu College, Vaddukkodai
8.  Skandavarodaya College, Chunnakkam
9   Jaffna Central College, Jaffna

Books were given to schools as follows

Jaffna Zone
1.  Vatharawaththai Vigneswarsn Vidyalaya
2.  Koddaveli Ramakrishna Vidyalaya

Thennamarachchi Zone
1.  Maddduvil Kamalasini Vidyalaya
2.  Kaithady Vigneswara Vidyalaya

Islands Zone
1.  Yaltan College
2.  Velanai Vythiyalingam Duraisamy MMV

Valikkamam Zone
1.  Aaralai Saraswathy MMV
2.  Navaly MV

Vadamarachchi Zone
1.  Valvetty Hindu Vidyalaya

The books included fiction, and the educational range was from Elementary to Advanced Level grades. They will immensely benefit the students of Jaffna who have limited access to reading materials. This donation is one of the largest, apart from the regular government provision of textbooks, including English medium ones, in recent years.

Asia Foundation’s book donation program was initiated in 1954. The program aims at donating 100,000 books among 500 institutions in Sri Lanka for the year 2008. The main focus of this program is to encourage reading and develop learning of the English Language.

SCOPP is grateful to Dialog and to the Asia Foundation for their generous donations, and to the army authorities for initiating the request and facilitating distribution. This sort of public-private partnership to assist war affected civilians to regain normalcy is very welcome, and we hope it will be replicated by other institutions.

Books packed and awaiting shipment to Jaffna

Mr. Nilan Fernando,CountryRepresentative,
Asia Foundation presenting Mr. Poolokasingham,
Deputy Secretary General,SCOPP, with books from the collection.

Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare, is seen making
a presentation to a representative from a Jaffna School.