REFUGEE CHILDREN EDUCATION
EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AT SRI-LANKA REFUGEE COLONY
Ceylon Repatriate Colony for Sri Lanka refuges is situated in Vetapalem Mandal of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh, South India. During the SriLanka's bloody civil war (1983-2009), many Tamil speaking people were deported as refuges to this place to save them from the atrocities committed by the SriLankan military. Words cannot express the gruesome inhuman treatment inflicted on them by the SriLankan military that brutally gunned down all the male members of their families. Thousands of women whose husbands were killed in the 26 year conflict, live in poverty and are subject to social stigma. Unable to bear the pain and shame, about 100 families miraculously escaped from the war zone and came to this part of the world with no means of survival about 33 years ago. Our former Prime Minister, Late Mr. Rajivi Gandhi allowed them to enter into India and take shelter was assassinated by the Sri Lanka military group. Ever since their arrival here, they are struggling to make ends meet and maintain a semblance of normalcy in this remote area.
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As they are Nationless people, without land and without job, they have been struggling to survive these past 33 years in this place. Although, the Central Government had allotted some 10 Acres of land in general for all the families, no proper houses were constructed and no employment is assured till today. Every day they go in search of odd jobs and live a very pathetic and uncertain lives. They are exploited by the rich land lords and factory owners who pay very little wages for their daily labour. Their daily wage is just Rupees 150- 200 which is equal to US $2-$3 per day. They earn their livelihood by working in the agricultural fields of others, doing masonry works, breaking and peeling raw cashew seeds, etc. However, there is no guarantee that these jobs are available daily and throughout the year. When there are no rains, they migrate to the nearby cities to earn their livelihood. They are an exploited and oppressed community denied of their rights and privileges.
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The condition of the women folk is deplorable and pitiable. The young girls are denied their future and are simply at home wasting their precious time and talents due to lack of education and opportunities. These vulnerable and oppressed people, are threatened by the social evils of the society constantly and lead miserable lives. As the economic condition of these Sri Lanka Refuge families is below the poverty line, they are unable to educate their children. Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Education is the only way for the poor children to come out of this vicious circle of poverty. The parents of these children cannot afford to send them to school because they are poor and do not have a steady income or job. As a result, the children are forced into child-labor and are deprived of their childhood and adolescence. They are condemned to be bonded laborers throughout their lives without any options to leave. They are malnourished and prone to diseases. The literacy rate in this refuge colony is just 20%. Due to lack of facilities, and increase in unemployment, the children work with their parents to make both ends meet. As a result, a large number of students dropout from school regularly among this refuge community of my mission. In order to attain educational development of this oppressed people, I request for your kind assistance and support in catering to the higher educational needs of our deprived poor students
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We hope that we have explained the dire need and the plight of our brothers and sisters at Ceylon Repatriate Colony. Your support and help will go a long way to remedy an inhuman situation and restore dignity to the human person of our society especially the neglected Sri Lankan Refuge children.
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GEO-LOCATION.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC situation.
Prakasam is one of the drought prone districts in the State of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is economically backward area. The main occupation of the people of the district is agriculture. Out of 56 mandals in the district, only 12 mandals have irrigation facility mainly under major source of irrigation. The project area, Vetapalem and its surrounding area do not have major source of irrigation. They mostly depend on rainfall and irrigation tanks. The fertile lands and industries are in the hands of few rich people who control entire economy. Most of the people in the target area are agricultural and unskilled workers. They are working in an unorganized sector. There is no job security. The landlords who engage the labor do not bother about the welfare of the workers. The workers are paid Rs. 150 to 200 as daily wages, which is not sufficient to maintain the family and to send their children to school. Both agricultural and artisan workers will have work only for about 6 to 8 months in a year. The remaining period either they have to migrate to other parts of the state in search of work, which are agriculturally and industrially developed or borrow loans from the land lords.
SOLUTION.
Taking into consideration all above circumstances, the financial assistance for the education of Sri Lanka Refuge children is indeed the need of the hour as poor innocent live are at risk. The parents too are interested to send their children to school for their better future, but unable to materialize their dream an account of their acute poverty. The sanction of this project will surely lift up the lives of poor refuge children and pave a bright future for them. This will help them to come up in their lives along with the other children of the society and enable them to live with dignity and respect. Above all, this project will promote to safeguard the precious childhood and adolescence of the children which is robed from them by our inhuman society.
Providing Education of Children at SriLanka Refugee Colony in the Catholic Diocese of Nellore.
The Parish priest of Vetapalem will take up the responsibility of supervising the implementation of the project for the education SriLanka Refugee children. This will be done as per the norms and guidelines of the Donor Agency and a completion report will be submitted immediately after the completion of every Financial Year.
PROJECT COST.
Providing Education of Children at SriLanka Refugee Colony in the Catholic Diocese of Nellore would cost around ₹6,33,000.00 ($9,043.00). Any small or big contribution to realize this most urgent and relevant Project is deeply appreciated.
ACTIVITIES.
