How I had an affair with Hanthana

First when I received 10 computers to my computer unit in the school way back 2001, I got the complete unit with the Genuine Windows 2000 installed and the office CDs. We did not mind how they came as the process was organised by the Ministry GEP 2 Project. For another 10 years, our school IT unit did not get any machines and with the SEMP Projects, we were isolated and totally neglected.

Yet with the requests and the total identification of the problem, Upali Chandrarathne, the subject co-ordination AD, allocated a sum of almost Rs.11 lakhs for us the buy our own machines. But we had a problem - we have to buy software if we were to use Windows. I personally decided neither to buy Windows nor to use pirate copies and to go with open source.

Luckily I got an accident unexpected call from the IT hardware unit Isurupaya for a special workshop for our new machines. It was a blessing in disguise, a two day workshop with the Hanthana community.

This is how we welcomed the new software Hanthana Linux to our machines. We started teaching sessions with our new baby. It was attractive and easy, no hassle or trouble.

With no time we made the software and the OS popular with the students and the teachers. They wanted to have their personal machines to be converted into Hanthana and the workshop began copying Hanthana DVDs free for all. For the first time we started to copy true and genuine DVDs in our machines.

The content available in that DVD is immeasurable in value. It has lots of knowledge to be shared with the students. Lessons for the science teacher, math teacher, social studies teacher and the teacher of aesthetic subjects are plenty and attractive. The most special feature of Hanthana it is totally immunised for viruses.