SFC to host fifth annual Christmas Carnival on 28 December
Saturday, 27 December 2014 00:10
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The annual Smile Foundation Ceylon (SFC) carnival started with 250 kids in 2009, and grew to an 800 kids in 2013. The fifth annual Christmas carnival will be held this year, on the 28 December, at the small club grounds of S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia.
The Carnival this year is being organised to accommodate 1,000 street kids and orphans. Smile Foundation plans on reaching out to children in the east cost of the country next year, by having a second carnival in Trincomalee.
Smile Foundation President Vivek Jayasuriya stated: “Primary education net enrolment is 97% and survival rate to Grade 5 is 97.39%, with boys (96.86%) trailing nearly a percentage point behind girls (97.93%). However, despite the high access and coverage levels, an estimated 1.9% of primary school and 3.7% of junior secondary aged children are still out of school. Our foundation has pledged to make a difference.”
Their main aim is to ensure access to quality education for the poorest and most marginalised kids in society. But access is not enough. Once in school, children need to be assured of a safe environment enabling them to realise their potential. As a minimum standard, SFC believes that education must result in sufficient levels of literacy and numeracy. This enables people to lift themselves out of poverty and continue to improve their lives.
“Our education programs work to ensure the various factors necessary for quality education are addressed – teacher education, community involvement in education, classroom construction, development and supply of materials. We help communities to identify the obstacles to education for their children. Overcoming these obstacles plays a pivotal role in our ‘Smile’ programs,” Jayasuriya further noted.
SFC has pledged to help provide books for over 4,000 orphans and street kids in 2015, by providing them with the books they require for school. They are looking for sponsorships and donations for both the Carnival and the books for the 4,000+ kids.
The website http://smilefoundationsrilanka.com provides access to information on what SFC does and in what capacity you can get involved to help them. It also contains a payment gateway for donors to directly supply funds to the charity. Whether it is in the form of Money or time, SFC welcomes all individuals interested with arms wide open.
Unofficially founded in 2009 as Smile Sri Lanka, Smile Foundation – Ceylon is now a registered charity organisation in Sri Lanka. The founder and current President of the organisation is Vivek Jayasuriya.
Smile Sri Lanka was started in order to give children a brighter future by means of proving orphans and street kids with education, leisure events and financial support. Their mission is to help the less fortunate and orphaned youth of the country by equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills and ability to succeed in the future.
It is the aim of the organisation to bring awareness to the more fortunate youth of the country, the living conditions and the plight of the orphaned and street kids of Sri Lanka. Through this it hopes to build a socially aware youth and to instil philanthropic values in the Sri Lankan society. The team consists of a bunch of very energetic volunteers and a combination of professionals who combine their skills to help make SFC’s programs successful.
For further information contact: Smile Foundation Director – Communications Tarik Jayasuriya 0773111374.
