Helping dreams come true
He stands tall at the front of the classroom. Textbook and marker in hand he has captured the attention of 35 students keen to learn. A vibrant youth. A dedicated teacher.
Shantha kumar (now 24) was among the first batch of children sponsored by World Vision. He was eight at the time and lived in Thandiyadi village with his mother. Having never known his father, his mother was everything to him and his five elder siblings.
“My mother went in search of labour work every day so she could put food on the table. But there were still times when we stayed hungry. She struggled to provide for our basic needs,” says Shantha Kumar. “We lived in a cadjan hut. During the rainy season it got damaged and flooded.”
World Vision provided him with study assistance classes for scholarship exams. A keen and determined student, Shantha Kumar made good use of the model papers and extra learning materials provided in the class.
In the year 2000 he became the only student of Thandiyadi school to pass the scholarship exam in 58 years of the school history! It was an amazing achievement. As a result he obtained the opportunity to study at Wesley College, Kalmunai, a reputed school in Ampara District.
“The extra classes really helped me to do well in the exam as I was able to gain more knowledge.”
This was only the beginning to Shantha Kumar’s academic journey. He held office in the Child societies started by World Vision and was also the leader of the child forum which connects all children’s clubs in the ADP.
“The children’s club had many activities that helped us display our talents and improve our skills. World Vision organized different types of competitions in the village and outside. I was so happy when I got first place in the National Speech competition,” he says with a big smile on his face.
He was awarded Rs.10,000 in cash as prize money for his feat. Shantha Kumar used it to purchase basic necessities for his hostel room, uniform material and school stationary.
Passing the advanced level exam with excellent results he entered the College of Education to pursue a teaching career. Shantha Kumar graduated and is a government qualified trained teacher today.
“I have requested the appointment to a school in my village so that I can help students just like the way World Vision helped me. I also must thank my sponsor for helping me and caring for me through the years. The gifts and letters I received will always be special to me,” he says.
Having completed 15 years, World Vision recently marked the successful closure of its Area Development Programme in Pottuvil, in the East of Sri Lanka. Through sustainable programmes in the areas of health, education, economic development, water and sanitation and access to services, World Vision leaves behind empowered children and their communities with hope for the future.