Japanese assistance to reconstruct tsunami affected schools in Batticaloa and Ampara districts

The Government of Japan has provided Rs. 343 million for the reconstruction of five Tsunami affected schools in Batticaloa and Ampara districts. The construction work has completed last year and the schools were officially opened for educational activities today.

A large number of schools along the coastal belt in Sri Lanka were damaged by the tsunami and the school activities of the children were disrupted. The reconstruction of these school buildings was an essential factor to enable these schools to function as before. In this regard the Government of Japan in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka had allocated grant funds amounting to approximately Rs. 1.5 billion for the reconstruction of thirteen tsunami affected schools in Hambantota, Galle, Kalutara, Ampara and Batticaloa districts.

The five reconstructed schools are Olikulam Al-Hambra Vidyalaya, Kathankudy, Anver Primary School, Kathankudy, Puthukudyiruppu Kannaki Vidyalaya and St. Theresa Girl's School in Batticaloa District and Km/Abzan Vidyalaya, Pottuvil in Ampara District. The total number of Muslim, Tamil and Christian students that will benefit from the reconstruction of these five schools is approximately 1,500.

These all schools were reconstructed by local constructors, and the labor force power was drawn from the local people.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted in carrying out the feasibility studies and designing of the buildings, while Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) coordinated the implementation of project.

The grant funds for the construction of the schools is a part of the US$ 80 million Non-Project Grant Aid made available by the Government of Japan towards tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction work in Sri Lanka. A major part of this grant funds was utilized for a wide range of rehabilitation and reconstruction work including fisheries, electricity, health, water & sanitation, construction of schools, bridges and police stations as identified by Government of Sri Lanka.

The Government of Japan has been supporting various projects from grassroots level to large infrastructure level through its Official Development Assistance over 50 years considering regional, religious and ethnic balance with a view to benefit all communities throughout the country. The final goal of all these support is to 'alleviate poverty' and to facilitate self help initiatives among the people of Sri Lanka to achieve a sustainable development.

M.S. Ameer Ali, Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services and Mr. Noriaki Sadamoto, Second Secretary, Embassy of Japan were present to mark the opening of the schools.

The People and the Government of Japan sincerely hope that the reconstructed schools will enable the children to continue their education and will assist in the development of Sri Lanka in the future.