austraLasia #1988
Don Bosco Skills Training Centre Ahungalla Sri Lanka
AHUNGALLA: 23rd November 2007 -- Substantially funded by Australian donors, the Don Bosco Skills Training Centre at Ahungalla in Sri Lanka's south west, was officially opened on 15th November. The area was devastated by the Tsunami on December 26th 2004. Present at the opening were Bro Michael Lynch SDB of the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund (ASMOAF is essentially the Australian Salesian Missions Office under the title recognised by Government), Dr Greg French, Australian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Mr Piyasena Gamage, the Sri Lankan Minister for Vocational Training and Apprenticeships, Mr Bruce Bartrop and wife Adela from Ballarat, Victoria (Australia) representing the Freemasons of Australia and New Zealand, the largest donors - and ten Buddhist monks.
AUD440,000, plus a further AUD175,000 from donations to Salesian Missions Tsunami Relief came from the combined efforts of the Salesians and the Freemasons of Australia (New Zealand). ASMOAF has been the central organising body for the project. The centre will be fully equipped and furnished as funds become available and will have facilities to teach: Dye and Mould making (with welding and machinery training), Information Technology, Inboard and Outboard Motor Repairing.
An open hall and classrooms alongside the Centre are used almost daily by more than 1,000 primary and secondary school students for tuition coaching and as a quiet study venue to do homework. Sporting facilities including a basketball court and a volleyball court will be added when funds become available for construction.
In his speech during the Opening, Mr Piyasena Gamage expressed delight that a Don Bosco Technical Centre was being established in Ahungalla. The Don Bosco Schools, he said, were the best providers of technical education in Sri Lanka.
Two Buddhist monks, in their addresses, reflected on their past highly cooperative working relationship with the Salesian priests and brothers for the benefit of young people in Sri Lanka.
Adjacent to the Centre is a Boarding house/hostel, financed with funds from Italy, to cater for 50 orphans or semi-orphans and a further 50 students undertaking skills training.
Ahungalla is a coastal fishing village, part of the divisional secretariate of Balapitiya in the District of Galle. Population in the local district is around 70,000, with more than 10,000 under the age of 18. It is an agricultural area with rain-fed rice paddy cultivation, coconuts on the coast and rubber and cinnamon in the interior.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Don Bosco Skills Training Centre Ahungalla Sri Lanka
AHUNGALLA: 23rd November 2007 -- Substantially funded by Australian donors, the Don Bosco Skills Training Centre at Ahungalla in Sri Lanka's south west, was officially opened on 15th November. The area was devastated by the Tsunami on December 26th 2004. Present at the opening were Bro Michael Lynch SDB of the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund (ASMOAF is essentially the Australian Salesian Missions Office under the title recognised by Government), Dr Greg French, Australian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Mr Piyasena Gamage, the Sri Lankan Minister for Vocational Training and Apprenticeships, Mr Bruce Bartrop and wife Adela from Ballarat, Victoria (Australia) representing the Freemasons of Australia and New Zealand, the largest donors - and ten Buddhist monks.
AUD440,000, plus a further AUD175,000 from donations to Salesian Missions Tsunami Relief came from the combined efforts of the Salesians and the Freemasons of Australia (New Zealand). ASMOAF has been the central organising body for the project. The centre will be fully equipped and furnished as funds become available and will have facilities to teach: Dye and Mould making (with welding and machinery training), Information Technology, Inboard and Outboard Motor Repairing.
An open hall and classrooms alongside the Centre are used almost daily by more than 1,000 primary and secondary school students for tuition coaching and as a quiet study venue to do homework. Sporting facilities including a basketball court and a volleyball court will be added when funds become available for construction.
In his speech during the Opening, Mr Piyasena Gamage expressed delight that a Don Bosco Technical Centre was being established in Ahungalla. The Don Bosco Schools, he said, were the best providers of technical education in Sri Lanka.
Two Buddhist monks, in their addresses, reflected on their past highly cooperative working relationship with the Salesian priests and brothers for the benefit of young people in Sri Lanka.
Adjacent to the Centre is a Boarding house/hostel, financed with funds from Italy, to cater for 50 orphans or semi-orphans and a further 50 students undertaking skills training.
Ahungalla is a coastal fishing village, part of the divisional secretariate of Balapitiya in the District of Galle. Population in the local district is around 70,000, with more than 10,000 under the age of 18. It is an agricultural area with rain-fed rice paddy cultivation, coconuts on the coast and rubber and cinnamon in the interior.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
