The Japanese ‘Childfund’ Organisation has gifted 500 bicycles to Sri Lanka to facilitate the daily school attendance of schoolchildren in remote areas.
The official handover of these bicycles was held yesterday at Battaramulla Waters’ Edge under the Chairmanship of Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha with the participation of Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hadeaki, representative of the Japanese ‘Childfund’ Organisation, Yuko Ishanda and the National Director of the Sri Lanka ‘Childfund’ Organisation, Aditi Ghosh.
Deserving students between the ages of 12 and 16, with transportation difficulties, have been selected from 108 schools in 12 Districts such as Moneragala, Puttalam and Mullaitivu to receive this batch of bicycles already in Sri Lanka. One of the main criteria considered in providing these bicycles is that the distance from home to school should be at least 2.5 km. Financial difficulties and other difficulties of the students’ families are also taken into consideration here.
Sri Lanka has received this grant at the request of the Sri Lanka ‘Childfund’ and these bicycles will be given to the needy students, with transparency, under the supervision of the Japanese Embassy and the guidance of the Ministry of Education, through the Zonal Education offices.
Dharma Sri Abeyratne