‘Education for All’ to create safe environment and protect children living in slums of Colombo

Dance performances, speeches and, last but not least, the awarding of numerous cricket certificates brought the project to create a safe and protective environment for vulnerable children in the slums of Colombo, which was funded by the German Embassy with an amount of $ 19,000 to a more than worthy conclusion. Ambassador Jörn Rohde and Second Secretary Martina Conrads were invited as guests of honour to the well-filled Community Hall in the North of Colombo’s city centre.  

In his speech, Rohde emphasised the immense importance of supporting children from precarious backgrounds: “Having a good education is the most important basis to advance in society. Boosting their self-esteem and teaching and supporting them to persist on their way to climb up the ladder of education and success has to be our main joint objective.” 

Over a period of several months, the implementing NGO Humanitarian Foundation had organised and promoted a diverse range of activities for parents and children from three slums in Colombo: Awareness events to protect children from sexual abuse and drug abuse, workshops to reintegrate drop outs into the school system, children’s educational programs and children’s clubs but also sporting activities like a cricket tournament. This interdisciplinary approach enabled the project to make a small but sustainable contribution to improving the prospects of the inhabitants of the slums of Keselwathe, Jithupitiya and Kochikade South.

The parallel work with both parents and children proved to be a successful model – workshops and events met with lively interest and were well attended. The German Embassy Colombo thanks all volunteers of the Humanitarian Foundation for their commitment and wishes them much success with the continuation of the incentive in the future.