Habaraththawala Vidyalaya: A Dual Purpose Building
Demographics
Name of the School: Habaraththawala Secondary School (Grade 1 to 11)
Location: Palagla, Anuradhapura District of North Central Province
Number of Students: 230 (113 Boys & 117 Girls)
Number of Teachers: 16 (4 Gents and 12 Ladies)
Community: Habaraththawala, Galweiyawa & Uluketawala
Population: 500 families (All are farmers)
Facilities: The school features a dual purpose building that supports various educational activities.
This information reflects the state of Sri Lanka education as of February 2020.
A dual purpose building to accommodate a school auditorium and 4 classrooms
We identified Habaraththawala Vidyalaya, a school that serves the children of a small farming community in the north central province of Sri Lanka. While it operates within the government education system, its current facilities are insufficient for the approximately 250 children enrolled.
After consulting with the national department of education, Habaraththawala was selected from several candidates in need of support, ensuring the project has backing from both the community and the government.
AEW has agreed to finance the construction of a dual-purpose building that can accommodate four classrooms or be reconfigured with movable partitions to serve as an auditorium, which is currently lacking in the school.
Existing Facilities
The teachers at Habaraththawala are dedicated and committed, having remained with the school for many years. However, they face challenges due to a lack of basic facilities, as some classes are held in makeshift corrugated iron and thatch buildings. Despite these conditions, the children are eager to learn and strive to excel in their studies. Notably, some students have achieved remarkable success, with one even reaching the finals of a national music competition in 2019, showcasing the potential within the Sri Lanka education system.
Phase 1 Construction - AEW in 2018 agreed to finance the construction of a dual purpose building
Since then, AEW has raised between $8,000 - $10,000 each year through events like Afterglow. As a policy, all funds raised have been invested in the dual purpose building project right away, allowing you as donors to see progress.
The school community in Habaraththawala embraced the project wholeheartedly, contributing labor and the sand required for construction.
By the end of 2018, the foundations and framework of the dual purpose building were completed. Some of the funds raised during this time were also donated to purchase basic office equipment, musical instruments, and other much-needed items that support Sri Lanka education.
Phase 2 - The roof and walls erected by the end of 2019
Although incomplete, the dual purpose building in Habaraththawala was immediately put to use. The pandemic in 2020 resulted in a pause of nearly 2 years for both fundraising and construction. Then, the economic crisis in Sri Lanka in 2022 led to material shortages and an escalation of costs. Thankfully, construction work on the dual purpose building resumed in 2022. The concrete floor was laid and walls plastered, allowing the building to be used on a more consistent basis for Sri Lanka education.
Phase 3 Handover
On 4th April 2023, the dual purpose building located in Habaraththawala reached a major milestone. It was declared open and accepted as an asset of the Department of Education, contributing significantly to Sri Lanka's education landscape!