Tropical Green Exports and Ceasar Sustainable Invest BV have launched a campaign to support the IT education of the children of a nearby school. In the area, facilities are limited and exposure to technology is lacking. Many of the children in these areas need to be supported with computer literacy skills and exposure to have the best chance for the future. The Northern province of Sri Lanka is the most economically impoverished region in the country and is still reeling from the aftereffects of the war. Although conflict itself is a bygone era, the aftereffects of it and economic devastation is visible and hard felt by the population in the area.
In an attempt to support the children, Tropical Green Exports and Ceasar Sustainable Invest BV invite the members of the horticulture industry to join this CSR initiative. A little bit of background and context to the area is explained by Sheahan Arasaratnam, the founder of Tropical Green Exports.
“Within the District of Killinochchi is a small town of a population approximately 15,000 called Pallai. The Pallai Primary School was established in 2014 and supports students from Grade 1 – 5 aged between 6 – 11. The school has 10 classes and 301 students with 14 teachers and 3 support staff. The school lacks a much-needed computer lab for the students to enhance their future skills. To see sustainable growth in the future, computer literacy and English is a must.
Income gaps
Primary producers and manufacturers of coco peat and coir cannot access international markets for export or even negotiate terms with other larger companies for fair price due to the lack of English language proficiency and computer literacy. This is leading to inequality among farmers and creating an income gap.
Sheahan and Menno
In support of this rural school in Sri Lanka, Menno Keizer of Ceasar Sustainable Invest BV has now commenced a crowdfunding campaign to help raise contributions towards a worthy cause of donating a Computer Lab to the Pallai Hindu Primary School. The site is available in both English and Dutch.
The funds sought will be distributed into two parts. The first part relates to the fixed assets or the purchasing and setting up of the computer class within the school. The second part of the budget relates to the maintenance and resource allocation costs towards the continuity of the computer studies. Here the costs have been highlighted for a full year. Specifically, the allocation of funds will be used towards the purchase of Tabletop Computers, UPS, Air Conditioner, and a printer. The funds will also enable wiring and installation as well. The collection amounts include a budget allocation for a dedicated resource person for up to one year, computer maintenance, stationery for students, and provision of additional electricity costs that would be incurred by the school.
Members of the horticulture industry can join the project by donating to the Computer Lab, raising awareness, generating traffic, and spreading the word amongst friends and family. This is the crowdfunding website: https://steunactie.nl/actie/schoolproject-sri-lanka-i-s-m-de-tropical-green-foundation
Regular updates on the progress of the project will be available on the Tropical Green website accessible via http://tropicalgreenexports.com/ Anyone interested in obtaining more information on the project is encouraged to be in touch with Sheahan via sheahan.arasaratnam@yahoo.com.