Education as the Changemaker
Donation protected
As I embark on this journey of joining comdu.it and its' growing global network of disapora changemakers committed to the sustainable development of the North and East of Sri Lanka, two changemakers come to mind:
Mahatma Gandhi - “Be the change you wish to see in the world”
Nelson Mandela - “Education is the most powerful weapon you can choose to change the world”
As a changemaker through education I know this will be the start of my contribution to impacting others back home. My parents left Sri Lanka during the Civil War in 1984. I was born in Germany and grew up with very little knowledge of my culture or roots in Sri Lanka. When my family moved to Canada in 1996, I was fortunate to learn more about my culture, language, traditions and roots back home. Growing up in my teens, I had always felt a strong need to give back to the community back home as I have been fortunate to have access to education, health care, shelter, extra-curricular activities and a safe life away from war. And to this day, the feeling still lingers and with comdu.it , I am hoping to go back home with a purpose to give back in a meaningful way and build a stronger connection to my roots.
I truly believe in comdu.it's vision of encouraging young professionals in Canada and Germany to become changemakers and give back to our roots and home in Sri Lanka. The variety of the selected programs and partnerships are a meaningful way to engage the diaspora.
With effective diaspora engagement, comdu.it is able to provide exactly that shift for the development in the North and East of Sri Lanka - "from charity to sustainability, from aid to economic development, and from remittance to knowledge-based economy".
I am honoured and excited to start my work with the Church of the American Ceylon Mission (CACM) during the months of July and August in beautiful Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. CACM's mission is to ensure the Right of Education for deprived children in and around Udapusselawa area. As a youth facilitator, I will be working alongside the team to improve the access to basic education for a select group of impoverished children and youth in this community by supporting evening classes, youth leadership training, sports activities and programs for students with special needs.
I have always been an advocate of giving my students the tools and strategies they need to be able to grow into independent and resourceful leaders. My mission is to continue to empower and educate the children who have gone through the traumas of war, loss of family, homelessness, and poverty. As educators, we are always aware that we can not teach students until we have addressed their basic needs and that includes their need for a safe environment and a sense of belonging; a home. I hope that along with CACM, comdu.it and the many other great partnerships, I, too, can play a small part in empowering these strong, resilient children.
My journey may start with comdu.it this summer but it will surely not end there as this is only the beginning! If you wish to support this initiative, please contribute financially to be part of an incredible project. All funds raised will go towards the program in Sri Lanka and any other subsidiaries I'll require during my placement. Please feel free to reach out to me directly for more information on how you can help.
Thank you.
நன்றி.
Mahatma Gandhi - “Be the change you wish to see in the world”
Nelson Mandela - “Education is the most powerful weapon you can choose to change the world”
As a changemaker through education I know this will be the start of my contribution to impacting others back home. My parents left Sri Lanka during the Civil War in 1984. I was born in Germany and grew up with very little knowledge of my culture or roots in Sri Lanka. When my family moved to Canada in 1996, I was fortunate to learn more about my culture, language, traditions and roots back home. Growing up in my teens, I had always felt a strong need to give back to the community back home as I have been fortunate to have access to education, health care, shelter, extra-curricular activities and a safe life away from war. And to this day, the feeling still lingers and with comdu.it , I am hoping to go back home with a purpose to give back in a meaningful way and build a stronger connection to my roots.
I truly believe in comdu.it's vision of encouraging young professionals in Canada and Germany to become changemakers and give back to our roots and home in Sri Lanka. The variety of the selected programs and partnerships are a meaningful way to engage the diaspora.
With effective diaspora engagement, comdu.it is able to provide exactly that shift for the development in the North and East of Sri Lanka - "from charity to sustainability, from aid to economic development, and from remittance to knowledge-based economy".
I am honoured and excited to start my work with the Church of the American Ceylon Mission (CACM) during the months of July and August in beautiful Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. CACM's mission is to ensure the Right of Education for deprived children in and around Udapusselawa area. As a youth facilitator, I will be working alongside the team to improve the access to basic education for a select group of impoverished children and youth in this community by supporting evening classes, youth leadership training, sports activities and programs for students with special needs.
I have always been an advocate of giving my students the tools and strategies they need to be able to grow into independent and resourceful leaders. My mission is to continue to empower and educate the children who have gone through the traumas of war, loss of family, homelessness, and poverty. As educators, we are always aware that we can not teach students until we have addressed their basic needs and that includes their need for a safe environment and a sense of belonging; a home. I hope that along with CACM, comdu.it and the many other great partnerships, I, too, can play a small part in empowering these strong, resilient children.
My journey may start with comdu.it this summer but it will surely not end there as this is only the beginning! If you wish to support this initiative, please contribute financially to be part of an incredible project. All funds raised will go towards the program in Sri Lanka and any other subsidiaries I'll require during my placement. Please feel free to reach out to me directly for more information on how you can help.
Thank you.
நன்றி.
Organizer
Sunitha Subramaniam
Organizer
