Shoes 4 Education for the not so privileged

Shippers’ Academy Colombo CEO Rohan Masakorala with Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah and DSI Group Managing Director Kulatunga Rajapaksa

• Shippers’ Academy Colombo launches a digital platform facilitated through Sri Lanka Army
• Project account opened at NDB Bank Head Office

The Shipper’s Academy Colombo (SAC) launched a Facebook campaign with the participation of the internet users to support extremely poor schoolchildren to own a pair of shoes to attend school. It is understood that a large number of rural area schools have students who don’t have proper school attire to attend classes including a pair of shoes. The Government gives them uniforms annually.

SAC CEO Rohan Masakorala said that this a small gesture and initiative by the Academy to make small children happy with a smile and to uplift the confidence/moral of rural poor children and to encourage them to go to school. 

“It all started with a small Facebook post I placed during December Christmas season that caught the attention of many. People started writing to me to get it organised so that they would support, so I had to come with a transparent and an acceptable mechanism to do this, so that right and deserving children got the shoes. It is complicated as size and gender differs as well as locations. Now we have sorted out the mechanism to distribute the best possible way,” Rohan said.

“I approached Sri Lanka Army Wanni HQ for facilitation, Major General Kumudu Perera, my Brother-in-law. Army is already helping my sister through the Hemas Outreach Program where she is doing enormous amount of work building and developing preschools in very poor areas. I requested the Army to list out initially about 25 schools in different divisions. We have now got 26 Schools, needing 780 pairs of shoes, some schools just requesting one pair. Schools will be selected island-wide depending on the need,” he added.

The Academy approached the DSI group who is supporting with vouchers and a discount to obtain vouchers. The Academy has already collected over Rs. 400,000 worth of vouchers which will be around 325 pairs of shoes, distribution of which will start next week onwards with the support of the Army.

“Many individuals came to assist me, the High Commissioner to Bangladesh in Sri Lanka Riaz Hamidullah took a lead role and handed over significant contribution at the outset when he saw my post. A large number of company executives and Sri Lankans living overseas too joined. It was hearting to see some who could not afford to contribute come forward to even support in a small way to kick this project first phase off the ground last December. I am very grateful to all of them,” Rohan said.

“The need is great, and we hope to continue this throughout the year as a continuous process. It is something that citizens and friends of Sri Lanka can get involved in and help the Shoes 4 Education project. We need another 440 pairs to fulfil the first list, information will be on Facebook and the Shippers’ Academy website soon. NDB Bank has facilitated us with a special project account to collect funds. Indeed it has come out as a good project and a satisfying opportunity for me too as a person who left the corporate world to educate others in the field that I know,” Rohan added.

For more information,

Visit the Facebook page ‘Shoes 4 Education’

Contact or email at [email protected]