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The event was graced by Sri Lankan Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda and other Sri Lankan dignitaries and partners.
The SIF, which has engaged in capacity building projects in Sri Lanka since 1993, developed the project, in consultation with the Jaffna Municipal Council, Jaffna Public Library, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, and the National Library Board, Singapore (NLB).
The initiative was sponsored by the Singapore Ceylon Tamils’ association and Modern Montessori International, with strong support from the Prima Group and Pacific International Lines.
“It’s wonderful to see Singaporeans – specialist volunteers, the Ceylon Tamil community and Singaporean businesses and institutions coming together with our friends in Jaffna to do good. We hope that our collective efforts will not only inspire a vibrant culture of English Language learning here in Jaffna and effect positive changes in the lives of youth in terms of better jobs and opportunities in the future, but also pave the way for lasting friendships between Singapore and Sri Lanka,” said Singapore International Foundation Executive Director Jean Tan.
This project aims to enhance the English language communication skills of the youths in Jaffna, by equipping them with learning resources in English and training Jaffna’s English language teachers in communication pedagogy and student assessment methods. The initiative also supports the Jaffna Municipal Council in meeting the community’s aspirations to acquire English skills and competencies.
Creating a conducive learning environment
The SIF worked with JPL and NLB to design and equip a mobile library so that youth may enjoy greater access to educational resources. The library’s youth section was also refurbished and 10,000 English books were donated by the NLB to create a Youth Resource Centre to provide a conducive environment for youth to learn and practice communicating in English.
Over the next 12 months, experienced English Language teachers from Singapore will serve as specialist volunteers to train 15 Jaffna English teachers in English Language communication pedagogy and student assessment methods so as to enhance the quality of English language teaching in secondary and high schools. The Jaffna teachers are expected to apply this newly acquired knowledge in their daily work and cascade it to fellow educators, parents and the wider community. Concurrently, volunteer librarians from NLB will draw upon their professional experiences in Singapore’s youth’s library services and share with their Jaffna counterparts, outreach techniques to encourage the interest of youths in using English as a communication tool.
“We are delighted at this opportunity to contribute to Jaffna’s youth by supporting the refurbishment of the library’s Youth Resource Centre – a new community space where young people can mingle and hone their English skills, stimulating their desire to learn a new language,” says Singapore Ceylon Tamils Association President Dr. R. Theyvendran.
“This sponsorship of the mobile library is an extension of MMI’s global CSR efforts to encourage reading among children in Jaffna. We are confident that this worthy effort will go a long way in providing greater access to books and learning opportunities among the less privileged children. We strongly believe in giving back to society in a meaningful way and that no child should be deprived of learning whatever his or her social background,” said Dr. T Chandroo, Chairman and CEO of Modern Montessori International Group (MMI) and Chairman of the Association of Early Childhood and Training Services (ASSETS) in Singapore.
This project marks SIF’s continued commitment to bring about positive improvements and long-term sustainability through capacity training in education and healthcare in Sri Lanka.
In 2011, the SIF first partnered JPL to enhance the services of its children’s section through physical remodelling and training of librarians. The foundation also supported post-disaster rehabilitation work following the 2004 Asian tsunami.
