Dinesh lives in a village called Ullavanoor in Killinochchi. He’s currently in grade 6. Last year he scored 165 out of 180 in the scholarship exams. The scholarship exams are administered nationwide in Sri Lanka in Grade 5 as an assessment test. Its become highly competitive and highest scorers can transfer to better schools.
This may not be a huge accomplishment for most students but for Dinesh this is a huge achievement. His dad was disabled in the war and his vision has been severely affected and his mom makes meagre living by doing home gardening which is enough just for their food.
In fact there’s no electricity in Dinesh’s village. His house is a humble mud structure barely held up with wood and thatched roof. There are no basic amenities including furniture. He’s the oldest in the family of four children and has struggled against all odds to keep up with his education.
CORD Sri Lanka has been sponsoring Dinesh for a year now and through this he receives educational supplies, medical and dental check ups, supplements, basic hygiene supplies and extra assistance with after school homework help. Ullavanoor is among the areas that was severely affected during the last few days of the war and Dinesh and his family had been through a lot of displacements and sufferings as a result. Many families in this area continue to suffer through poverty, broken homes and after effects of the sufferings they went through during the war. Education is not given much importance as parents are busy trying to make a living and often children don’t attend school regularly and fall prey to bad habits.
Through a generous donor, Dinesh is able to continue his studies. Wishing him all the best for his bright future.
