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2009-01-13
Provincial Director of Education, Government Agent of Batticaloa, Principal of Arasadithivu Vigneswara Vidyalayam School, students, parents, and community residents. On behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, I am pleased to be here today as we celebrate the start of great changes at this school, which will benefit the entire community.
As the development agency of the US Government, USAID is committed to helping communities in the East return to a normal way of life as quickly as possible. To make that happen, we believe that local residents need jobs and communities need important services, like schools, to function effectively.
At USAID, we realize how important schools are to community life, and the important role they play in creating a better future for children in Sri Lanka.
This school has a long history, and at times it has been a struggle for the community to keep this school open so that local children had a place to learn. Though natural disaster and armed conflict have damaged the building, they have not damaged the spirit of the community.
That is why USAID will construct a two-storey building with 10 new classrooms and renovate another five existing classrooms. These renovations will create more space so that students have a clean, safe, and inspiring place to learn each day. I understand that right now, there are about 850 students at this school, so it is apparent that improving this school will directly impact many families in this community.
These improvements will also allow teachers to do their best work, providing them with some basic facilities that will make their jobs easier. As the only Advanced-Level school in the division, this school plays a vital role in helping the next generation of young people get an education and find a good job .
The local community will benefit from these renovations as well. Having a school that better meets the needs of all children will help residents return to a normal way of life and re-establish roots in the local community. An improved school also ensures a brighter future for young people, encouraging them to stay in school, get an education, and eventually find a good job that will give them financial independence.
At USAID, we couldn’t do this work without funding from the U.S. Pacific Command, a part of the U.S. Department of Defense, which has joined USAID to provide humanitarian assistance to communities in Eastern Sri Lanka. Thanks to the U.S. Pacific Command, USAID is able to improve two schools and one hospital here in Batticaloa District and five schools in Trincomalee District.
I also want to thank our contractor, DAI. They will be working in your local community for the next few months to renovate the school, and I know they are committed to building a better future for all residents.
Lastly, I wish to express my appreciation for another key partner, the Provincial Director of Education, who is USAID’s grantee for this project. The Provincial Director, working in collaboration with his national- and divisional-level colleagues, was instrumental in helping to direct the U.S. Pacific Command’s resources and USAID’s assistance to this community, and in obtaining government clearances and approvals to make today’s groundbreaking event possible. We look forward to continued cooperation and support from the Provincial Director and his colleagues as construction begins.
Thank you again for having me today. I look forward to returning in six months and seeing all the changes to Arasadithivu Vigneswara Vidyalayam School and your community.
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