By Suranjani Wickremeratne | President - Tarana Foundation
Dear Donors,
As a follow up to our last project report, we wanted to give you some more insight into the story behind Landegama's Computer Lab.
The computer lab was organized over several extremely productive months during the summer of 2023. Completing the lab required the coordination of multiple groups, including teachers at the school, local contractors, carpenters, Internet service providers, various friends and colleagues, the Welimada community, and our team in the U.S. The members of the team coordinated over WhatsApp and Zoom, meeting regularly to ensure steady progress on the project.
The computer lab project started with a bare room located at the school. The room was remodeled with new flooring, electrical work, networking, air conditioning, windows, as well as security features including cameras and a secure door. We also purchased computer chairs, and purpose-built desks for the lab, to ensure the best use of the available space. We thank the diligent work of a local contractor who made the construction quick and easy. The location did not have an Internet connection available, so that also had to be procured, including the construction of communication lines and posts to carry the connection to the school. As an additional improvement, we also decided to build new stairs at the school to ensure that the teachers and students have safe and easy access to the new computer lab. The stairs replaced a word down dirt path that may have posed a hazard to those that used it.
While the room was being prepared, we simultaneously procured all the required computer equipment. Most of the equipment was bought and shipped from the U.S., since the cost and availability of the critical components like the CPUs were more reasonable. Our team in the U.S. wanted to ensure that the school would receive equipment that would last for several years, so we chose fairly modern computers and devices. We also purchased supporting equipment for networking the computers, a projector for teachers, and a dedicated server for managing the network. This included configuring and testing each of the computers before they were shipped. Peripherals such as computer displays, keyboards and mice were procured locally as another cost saving.
Once the room and the equipment were ready, everything came together very quickly. We put the finishing touches on the room in mid-October, in time for an opening at the end of that month. The computer lab is now officially opened and the school and community arranged a celebration to mark the occasion. Judging by the festivities, it’s clear how big of an impact this computer lab will have on the community. The school arranged a student band, presentations, dances, and ceremonies in the traditional Sri Lankan fashion. Members of the Tarana group attended, including a project leader from the U.S. team. The project was a resounding success!
We are all extremely thankful to have worked on this project at Landegama, and it wouldn’t have been possible without all the donations received here on GlobalGiving. Every dollar counted towards the project, and we are excited to continue working with Landegama Vidyalaya going forwards. Your continued donations will recoup the costs of the computer lab project, and will help future improvements to the lives of the students and community.
This project will be participating in GlobalGiving’s “GivingTuesday” campaign, which takes place on November 28th, from Midnight to 11:59 pm EST. Donations up to $2,500 USD on that day will be eligible for matching from GlobalGiving’s $1.2 Million GivingTuesday fund for 2023.
We appreciate your continued support. Kindly spread the word to your friends and family so that we can continue this impactful work on your behalf.
Project Team to Develop Landegama Vidyalaya
By Suranjani Wickremeratne | President - Tarana Foundation
By Suranjani Wickremeratne | President - Tarana Foundation
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