First two schools due to be completed by end November – others close on their heels
Two schools which were completely destroyed by the tsunami of 26th December 2004 and have been
rebuilt as new model schools are due to be completed by end November and will be ceremonially opened
in the first week of December 2005.
The tsunami affected 182 schools throughout the country including 92 which were totally destroyed.
A total number of 85,000 students and 3,400 teachers were without schools after the tsunami disaster.
Rotary Sri Lanka was one of the first organizations which offered to rebuild the schools and 25 schools
spread across the country were allocated to Rotary for rebuilding.
Al-Aqsa Vidyalaya in Pottuvil in the East of Sri Lanka, and Randombe Kanistha Vidyalaya in Ambalangoda in the South of the country have both been on schedule with their reconstruction programme and are expected to complete their construction by the end of November.
Al-Aqsa Vidyalaya is a Primary and Secondary Grade school with classes from Grades 1-10(O Level). The
school has 16 Teachers and 504 students, 273 boys and 231 girls.
Randombe Kanishta Vidyalaya is also a Primary and Secondary Grade school with classes from Grades 1-10 (O Level). The school has 18 teachers and 264 students 146 boys and 118 girls.
Work is on at a furious pace at Al Aqsa with a workforce of nearly 200. The sparkling white new boundary wall
provides a spectacular backdrop to the constructions taking shape inside it. The Principal’s and Staff quarters are almost complete as are the administration and classroom blocks.
Work at Randombe was hampered by heavy rains and difficult accessways but the pace has picked up and
the work is on course to be completed by end November.
Construction work in several other schools is also progressing on schedule and many other schools are expected to be completed before the first anniversary of the tsunami – in time for the new school year.
Al-Athan Vidyalaya in Nintavur, Uthayapuram Vidyalaya in Kallar both in the East and Uswathun Hasana Vidyalaya in the southern port of Galle are all progressing well and the students of all these schools should be able to start the new term in 2006 in their new model schools.
The Lead clubs and Associate clubs have done a great job in managing the schools allocated to them by
the Apex Committee which together with the project Office staff continues to drive the project offering advice,
ensuring timely payments to contractors and liaising with our overseas partners.
