Sri Lanka

The small town of Dickwella in the South of Sri Lanka is a predominately Sinhalese community. Only 5% of the community is comprised of Tamil-speaking Muslims. Of the 78 preschools in the area, only two cater specifically to the Tamil community. Classes at the Minhath Preschool are taught in the native language and children receive instruction in Arabic so they can read the Koran.

The preschool classes, which are based on the Montessori Education Model, include academics, art classes, performance events, and sports activities. We finished out the year with 21 children enrolled, ages 4-5 years old, with 4 teachers and one caretaker.

Project Objectives:

• Support the preschool with all the facilities that the children need for their education
• Implement special incentive programs for Tamil medium preschool teachers to develop their knowledge
• Expand the preschool building into a multi purpose community center
• Financial support to maintain the school building and premises
• Financial support for the annual school program/events

End of the Year Concert

We celebrated the end of the year with a concert given by the children for the parents and the community (see photos below). With the increased popularity of the school the space available is not sufficient any longer, and we are now trying to raise funding for a building expansion to be used as both a community center and for other school events.