2009
Student Support Programme
VISION.
The student support programme was launched in 2009 supporting an initial 27 children that were displaced from Vanni and located in the Jaffna district.
WHAT WE DID.
The financial assistance was given to children who had lost either one or both parents to the civil war. We wanted to ensure that their education was not interrupted by the impact of the civil war.
The programme was subsequently expanded to cover children situated in the Vanni and Baticaloa regions. We reached the milestone of supporting 200 students by 2014.
The various villages that are covered by this program are given in the following list:
- Batticola: Kovil Kulum, Muthalai kuda, Oluvil, Arayampathy & Kokkadichcholai
- Jaffna: Kayts, Delft, Mandai Theevu, Kokuvil, Kondavil, Kudathanai, Sandilipay, Suthumalai, Sanguveli, Manipay, Navali, Ealalai, Ilavalai, Telipaiai, Mallagam, Chunnagam, Inuvil, Navatkuii, Uduvll, Nallur and Jaffna Town
- Vanni: Muthayankattu
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Guardians of the students were given a monthly allowance of 1,000 rupees to aid the students in their studies. In addition, they are also given an extra monthly donation at the beginning of the school year to cope with the initial costs that arise. Child First (UK) have organised various essay, poem and art competitions for these students and many entries are published in our annual magazines.
It is worth pointing out that some of the beneficiaries have completed university education, whereas others are currently undergraduates. Moreover, some of the beneficiaries have secured scholarships by competing in an all—ceylon exam for 5th grade students. ​