PROJECT REPORT
Water & Top School Spots for Tea Plantation Kids (47226)
June 2021
UPDATE:
The work towards the building is progressing, but slowly.
Sri Lanka is in sporadic lock downs due to COVID.
The death tolls have risen, and there is an acute shortage of ventilators and the hospitals are overcrowding.
The procurement and distribution of vaccines by the government have been abysmal.
The majority of people have no access or been denied the second vaccine.
The schools have closed again. The COVID spike in India has gravely impacted Sri Lanka. Large numbers of people are infected in Sri Lanka (a daily high of over 2500 persons). This has impaired the progress of the work on St. Margaret School, especially travel by our representatives on the ground to supervise the work and developments.
However, the Principal of St. Margaret School, Mr. Ratnavale, requested and has re-submitted details of the building plans. There was a delay by the architect.
The Technical Officers have also visited the school and taken all the details. They have also measured the land on which the building will come up. The length and breadth of the building is to be altered a little, according to the Government specifications.
For two classrooms the extent of the land will be a litter bigger (not much).
The school and Mr. Ratnavale are now awaiting the necessary approved plans from the department.
The communication and work are closely monitored by Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe, who is OMNIA’S local agent and Director of Operations in Sri Lanka.
We are happy to report that the building project at St, Margaret's School has been approved by the Educational Authorities! We recevied a copy of the letter today. We've also received a photo of the site that has been cleared in anticipation of the new classroom. We are working with the school administration to find reliable contractors so the work can get started. The global pandemic is slowing things up - but not stopping them. We will update you again when we can we interview contractors and assure that the project is done right and on budget. Looking forward to the day when we'll have a better school for the students and a local Interfaith Peacemakers Team ofr the community!
In this tumultuous year, students at St. Margaret School in Sri Lanka are looking forward to a new school room, library, latrine with a flush toilet, and handwashing station. The project is moving forward steadily, with the building plans prepared and submitted to the local reviewing authority. We are currently waiting for approval, but COVID19 concerns are causing some delay as travel by inspectors has been limited. We also obtained the initial quotes from the contractors. We are happy to report that the original budget still stands, with some minor adjustments between line items.
Overall, the timeline of the project is slower than expected because of the pandemic, but everything is still on the right track. The school principal will be making the final selection of contractors and beginning construction as soon as the plans are approved.
The next phase of the project, in which we will train women and men from the village to create an Interfaith Peacemaker Team, is also impacted by the local and international travel restrictions caused by COVID19. While our Advanced and Training of Trainers conferences are being adjusted to incorporate virtual instruction, the 3-day Basic training, which is what the community members in the St Margaret School community will need, is very interactive and needs the in-person setting. As soon as our instructors can travel again, we will schedule trainings for the St. Margaret School community.
We are very grateful for your support of this important project that will help students at St. Margaret School succeed. We look forward to reporting on the progress of the building as soon as construction begins.
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