Education

Muslim Aid Sri Lanka brings 116 year old school into the modern age

The oldest Muslim religious school in Sri Lanka, located inside the historic southern fort of Galle, has been brought into the modern age by Muslim Aid Sri Lanka (MASL).

Five computers donated by Muslim Aid Australia were installed in the 116-year-old Arabic college, to form the core of computer classes for the 500 students studying there. At the moment only the senior students in their final year are benefiting from the computers but the college plans increase the number of computers for the different classes. With the limited number of computers, each student gets nine hours of lessons and practice per week.

“Before we received these computers from MASL, the students had no knowledge of how to use them at all and they had no opportunity either,” said teacher Moulana Abdul Rahman “We are very grateful to MASL for giving us these computers.”

He added that by using the computers, the students had learnt to type and their had English improved significantly. They have learnt MS Word and will move on to Excel and other applications.

Housed in an old post office built by Sri Lanka’s Dutch colonisers with high wooden beams and ornate doors, a specially air-conditioned room had to be renovated to keep the computers out of the humid air.  

In addition to their religious studies, the boys learn the usual school curriculum. Many go on to be religious teachers while others get government jobs or start their own businesses.

For 19-year-old Safran, the college’s computer classes are a dream come true,

 “I knew a bit about computers but now my interest and knowledge have grown. When I finish here, I will join a computer company,” he said.

Twenty two underprivileged religious schools around Sri Lanka have received 84 computers under MASL’s Campaign For Computer Literacy. They were distributed to Muslim schools, Christian seminaries and Buddhist temples.The second hand computers were cleaned, reformatted and installed with software by MASL. Accessories were bought to match the computers.

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School Children Benefit From Muslim Aid Kitchens

On a sunny, breezy morning in Bengamuwa School, there is a hive of activity. Students from nearby schools have come for a sports festival. Boys and girls of various ages head for the sports field while others climb steep stairs to classrooms perched on the hill. Smaller children trudge from the Muslim Aid Sri Lanka (MASL) funded kitchen carrying blue and red buckets that hold their break-time meal.

For most of the population, feeding and educating their children is a constant struggle. UNICEF figures state that 91 percent of the population are literate so parents place great value on education and strive to scrape the funds for books and uniform.

"Many children don't get to eat at home either at night or in the morning so they faint at school. Their concentration is poor and they lack the strength to study, the drop out rate is very high," says Principal D.M Chandrasiri.

Unlike the coastal areas of the south where fishing provides a reasonable income, the people in the interior have to rely on daily labour work for survival. Even those with their own fields of rice or vegetable plots are dependent on rainfall for cultivation.

The World Food Programme which began to distribute rations to provide meals in schools, gradually improved the attendance, health and nutrition of the children, however, the meals were cooked in unhygienic conditions in a temporary shelter, which leaked in the rain.

Muslim Aid Sri Lanka's office has built 19 kitchens benefitting 11,600 children in Matara and will construct 81 more in the adjoining districts of Galle and Hambantota. Under their Food For Education programme (FFE), parents and staff help in the construction of the kitchens while four mothers prepare the meals each morning. The kitchens are basic cement structure with a wood-burning stove. The school now feeds 736 children every day. Some of the vegetables come from the school's own garden while the rest is brought by the parents.

 “I want to thank Muslim Aid very much for helping us to get the kitchen; I can't even begin to tell you how much it has helped us. We used to get many sick children because of malnutrition or eating unclean food but now that sickness is much less. Children are learning better and they are healthier,” said 12 year-old student Sanduni Tharika.

According to Principal Chandrasiri, attendance has gone up by 10 to 15 percent since the kitchen was opened nine months ago. "I have seen a great improvement in the children overall,” he said, "and for that I am very thankful to Muslim Aid.

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Muslim Aid Computer and Science Lab in Huda Public School, Khushab.

A computer laboratory and a science laboratory donated by Muslim Aid Pakistan Field Office were opened in Huda Public School in Pakistan’s Khushab district. The school is situated in an underprivileged and neglected village approximately 150 kilometers from Islamabad where most children do not have access to quality education due to a lack of resources. The village does not receive assistance from the government or aid organisations.

In a country where less than 50 percent of adult Pakistanis are literate and only 21 percent of children are enrolled in secondary school (according to UN figures), adequate equipment is paramount in encouraging pupils to attend school and to develop the necessary practical skills needed in later life. The laboratory will be run by the school and monitored by a management committee comprising of a Muslim Aid representative, a school representative and an educationist.
Principal of the school, Abdullah Jasra said staff, students and parents appreciated the donation of the laboratories, worth one million Pakistani rupees.

Dr Ibrahim Khan, who is in charge of the laboratories said,

“Now you can say that our school is a real educational institution. In this remote and rural area which is just a desert, you will not find these kinds of science and computer laboratories. Thanks to Muslim Aid, students can now do experiments and learn practically.”

Samia, a student at the school said,

“I have a dream that one day I will become a doctor but in my school we never had a science laboratory. Now not only has Muslim Aid given us a science lab but we will also have a computer lab. Thanks for coming into this remote area and providing us with this beautiful gift, which will always remind us of Muslim Aid”.

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The Protiti School, Dhaka

The children at Protiti School in Adabor, one of Dhaka's numerous middle-class suburbs, wear cheerful pink and blue uniforms with smart ties. They are neatly dressed and seem eager to attend classes.

Protiti School started in 2005 with 87 students, financed by funds from Muslim Aid UK. The school has now grown to over 119 students and 12 teachers educating children from nursery school to 12 years. Most students go on to study further at other institutions. All the teachers are trained to university level and have teaching degrees.
In addition to the usual subjects, the school offers computer studies, music and drawing as well as an established transport service. 

"The school's vision is to provide quality education for the poor and middle class students who cannot afford more expensive private schools. The fees are reasonable. For students who cannot afford even these fees, there is a scholarship scheme," explained principal Abdul Matin. 

In a country where the literacy rate of those over the age of 15 is a mere 47% according to a 2001 Government census. Just 57% of children are enrolled in school, and the need for encouraging attendance and keeping children in school is particularly pressing. 

Further to this, the Government census shows that male literacy is 53%, compared to 47% for females. At the school boys outnumber girls three to one and teachers are trying to redress the balance. "Ï go out into the surrounding community to explain the value of education and encourage parents to send their children, especially the girls, to school," said teacher Farzana Yeasmin. “We can do all this only because Muslim Aid is providing full support to the school.”

For Rejaul Islam Faisal, 11, who wants to be a doctor, the school was different to his previous school. "The place is neat and clean, the teachers are friendly and helpful. I enjoy the computer and music classes," said Rejaul whose father is a company driver.

For parent Swapna Begum, whose son is in the Protiti nursery, finding the school was a stroke of luck. “I was very anxious about my son’s education. I was looking for a school that is not so expensive but where the quality is up to the mark and it is close to my home. I got all these things here. I think it is a great initiative of Muslim Aid.”