SITHIVINAYAGAR – HINDU COLLEGE HOSTEL

This hostel now looks after 66 children as at 31 March 2015 and 65 children as at 31 March 2014 (95 as at the previous reporting period). The majority of the children at the hostel has lost one or both of their parents or is under the poverty line. These children are paid Rs. 2,000 to 4, 000 per month tomes their cost of lodging, meals and tuition fee. By Way of indication, While 14 of these children are housed at the hostel, 41of them, stay with their families. In order to bring these children’s educational and other basic needs to what may pass to be at least an acceptable level; the Trust through the support of its donors ensures continued support by Way of quarterly contributions. The school grades of the children at the hostel range from grade 1 to Advance level. At present eleven of the hostel’s children are following Advance level classes. During 2014, 8 of the hostel’s children sat certain Advanced level exams and another 4 the Ordinary level exams .Pre-schools Mullaithivu whilst many pre-school existed in the district before commencement of civil strife in Mullaithivu, a combination of damage and destruction of buildings and a lack of funding during the troubled era resulted in a cessation of basic educational operations. The basic educational needs often young became a burden when raising children as a single parent with so many misfortunes, hardships and without financial capacity. It is with this in mind that the Trust initiated the pre-schools project with the help of leaders and other stakeholders from the area. The Trust has now opened 5 pre-schools in the most neglected areas with more than250 children, an increase from 200 children as at the last reporting period, in attendance in total with 2 teachers at each pre-school. The Trust has provided uniforms for both the children and teachers and also provides one basic meal to ensure that each child receives at least one balanced meal per Working day. This initiative doubles as a community service project by providing employment to teachers. The pre-schools also provide play items for the children and annually arrange sports meeting which parents/ guardians and the villagers support enthusiastically. Most of the children’s parents typically cannot afford to provide a nutritious meal to these children. Hence, the daily meal program serves as a motivation to attend school regularly and thus be provided with healthy meal and avoid mahmtrition.