By Chulie de Silva, Colombo. You would think on a warm Saturday morning, children in Sri Lanka would be watching a cricket match and cheering on their heroes. No, not in Kew Road, Slave Island, a multi-ethnic enclave just five minutes away from the exclusive Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo's central down town area. The cricket match played on at the Malay Cricket Club, on Saturday 25, January but thirty children were flocked round five computers in a little rectangular room of the Vocational Training Center (VTC) run by the Sri Lanka Malay Association's (SLMA) Rupee Fund. The children oblivious to the cricket game, the goodies laid out on the table, or to the invitees arriving for the opening ceremony, were putting the finishing touches to a power point presentation for the visitors, while their instructor Mr. Ameen Jaya supervised them.

Moving quietly in the background beaming away was Mr. Emmanuel Teitelbaum, a Fulbright scholar, who supported by his wife Lauren was instrumental in setting up the computer centre. "Manny" as he is better known was a volunteer teacher of English at the VTC when he was on an earlier assignment in Sri Lanka. On his return to the States, he collected used computers from his grandmother and other family members, collaborated with Mrs. Sutami Ratnavale of SLMA to act as the Administrator in Sri Lanka, and got the support of the Lanka Academic Network (LAcNet) to transfer to Colombo the donation of used computer equipment from the U.S. Manny himself wired and connected the computers early this year and Lauren herself donated her computer to the Center. Mrs. Ratnavale, best sums the children's anticipation: "the great ambition of all the kids is to have hands-on experience on a computer."

The Sri Lanka Malay Association's (SLMA) Rupee Fund has supported a Vocational Training Center (VTC) in Kew Road since 1953 and has provided training in technical skills such as typing and English language instruction to children of this racially diverse community. As employers now demand not only typing skills but also competency in standard office computer programs, the VTC collaboration with LAcNet to set up this Center is timely. LAcNet is a not-for-profit volunteer organization committed to providing underprivileged children of Sri Lanka access to computers. The cost of shipping and duty was borne by LAcNet and assisting them in this venture was Mr. Wije Hewavitharane (Colombo Express which operates out of New Jersey, U.S.), who provided shipping at a reduced rate.

Manny's highly commendable initiative and the collaboration and support of the expatriate Sri Lankan community made this Computer Center a reality for the children of this economically disadvantaged Kew Road community. But additional funding is urgently required to pay the instructor a regular allowance for the time he gives so willingly to teach the children. There is a need to provide access to the Internet and its many resources for teaching and learning. LAcNet would like to make an appeal to set up a Trust Fund to be jointly administered with SLMA to strengthen and take forward this wonderful imitative. Please send donations to: Mr. Thrishantha Nanayakkara, Treasurer, LAcNet (see URL http://www.lacnet.org/sponsors/ ).