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More than 100 students have successfully
graduated from English and computer skills classes held free of
charge in the Seenigama region, thanks to the support of Geneva
Global and USAID.
At the graduation ceremony held on the 27th February, students
from the Madampe, Telwatte and Rathgama English and Computer
Training Centres became the first graduates through the project,
which commenced a year ago.
Guest of honor at the event, Geneva Global’s Jeffery Fernando,
spoke of the importance of providing youth with the opportunity
to learn computer and English skills, declaring that throughout
his career he had ‘never been happier’ than when witnessing the
many joyful students who had completed their course
successfully.
The English and Computer Training Centres are administered by
the Foundation of Goodness, and were chosen as one of 50 local
projects in Sri Lanka to be provided with a ‘Building for the
Future’ grant to fund training for 15 months.
The Centres offer students the opportunity to undertake courses
in practical English and computer skills that will enhance their
prospects for employment, and give them a positive sense of self
as they attain new knowledge.
Geneva Global and USAID’s support for the centres is a
significant contribution that enables development of English and
computer literacy in these rural villages, as well as assisting
the overall economic development of the region through improved
skills sets.
It is estimated that by the completion of the project’s first 15
months, more than 1,000 village youth and dependant family
members will have benefited from the training offered in the
courses.
With the first intake of students now successful graduates, the
Foundation of Goodness is seeking ways of making the project
sustainable in the long term to ensure that village inhabitants
continue to be provided with opportunities to expand their
knowledge through education.
Mrs K Disna Dilrukshi, a student at Rathgama
Centre, spoke of how lucky she was to learn Computer and English
in such a well-disciplined Centre and that now she can help her
son in his studies. She thanked Geneva Global and the Foundation
of Goodness for giving a chance to not only rural children and
youth but also the adults to develop their skills in Computer
training.
Miss Nirosha Chamali, a Pathegama student of the Thelwatte
Centre, explained how as a volunteer who was involved in many
community services, learning computer and English had helped her
in so many ways: browsing the internet for information, drafting
letters and communicating with foreigners to name a few. She
also praised the tutors for the effort they put in not only to
teach the students but also guide them through difficulties and
help them whenever they needed help even after the course was
completed. She wants to develop her skills and continue to
volunteer to help the less privileged with the Foundation of
Goodness, and said the aid of Geneva Global had helped her.
Master Lasantha Manaram, a student of the Thelwatte Centre,
mentioned in his speech how much he liked to learn computer and
how he once crept into the Computer Centre without permission
and had been caught by Mr Sampath Viraj - the Co-ordinating
Secretary to the Foundation of Goodness in Seenigama. He also
said that because of the kindness and compassion of the many
donors that the rural children and youth are able to develop
their skills by learning computer and English and be exposed to
the wider world of technology without fear. His ambition is to
become a computer wizard.
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For more information on the work of the Foundation of Goodness, see www.unconditionalcompassion.com.
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