The Foundation
Sri Lanka - Canada Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer organization registered in British Columbia, Canada, to help the needy students of Sri Lankan origin in their education. The Foundation has been established in 1998. Since then, over 550 students have received financial assistance through scholarships up to now. These scholarships have been awarded at ceremonies held annually in Sri Lanka, attended by the students, their families and the families of the scholarship sponsors. Currently, 185 students in grades 12 and 13 are receiving financial assistance.
In later years, the Foundation plans to extend its assistance to needy students in Canada, initially focusing on students who have newly migrated.
How can you be a part of realizing a child's dreams?
Just by donating Canadian $11.25 (or, an equivalent amount in other currencies) a month, you can become the sponsor of a needy Sri Lankan student, who will thank you from his/her heart for helping them to realize their dreams and help their families in turn. While 40 cents a day may not be a big amount for you, it really is a great help for many students in Sri Lanka - and it also gives tremendous satisfaction to you by realizing that you really made a child's dream come true!!
The current focus is on students in Sri Lanka who are studying in grades 12 and 13. The Foundation annually selects a number of students (the number depending on the level of contributions received from sponsors) and provides Sri Lankan Rupees 1000 per student per month for a total of 24 months (i.e., two years). Any additional savings resulting from increased Canadian $/Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rate are pooled and used to provide additional scholarships.
With the exception of direct expenses such as bank service charges, postage, stationary and annual registration fees of the Foundation, all donations go directly to the students. There are no paid staff in the Foundation. All advertising costs and other miscellaneous costs are not paid from the sponsor donations, but are borne by other general donations from supporters of the Foundation.
How do you know whether your donations really go to the students?
Students periodically write to their sponsors, appreciating their kindness, generosity and how the donations make their dreams come true. You may directly write to them if you wish. All the names of sponsors, students and the Foundation's annual financial statements are published in a newsletter annually (see current and past newsletters) and sent to the sponsors and other supporters of the Foundation.
How are the students selected?
By advertising in Sri Lankan newspapers, applications are invited from students who satisfy the following criteria:
- A letter from the Principal of the school attesting to the suitability of the student for a scholarship based on academic performance, including a certified copy of the GCE (O/L) (General Certificate of Education - Ordinary Level) examination results.
- A letter from the Grama Sevaka (the Government representative for the area of residence of the student) attesting to the suitability of the student for economic support for education based on the economic standing of the family (generally the monthly family income to be less than Canadian $50).
Out of the applications satisfying the above criteria, the Board of Directors select the most deserving children based on a priority ranking of academic excellence, economic hardships and other factors such as family handicaps (eg: deceased parents), for the award of the scholarships. After the scholarship has been awarded, the student's suitability for continued assistance is evaluated, based on their performance in the examinations conducted by the schools. An average B+ standing must be maintained at these examinations for the continuation of the scholarship.
Board of Directors
President
Don L. Perera, P.Eng.
Vice President
Sudu Vatagodakumbura, M.Sc., P.Eng.
Secretary
Bandula Abeysundara, M.Sc., Ph.D., P.Eng.
Treasurer
Sisira Hewa Bandula
Sri Lankan Coordinator
Gunadya Bandarage, Ph.D.
Newsletter Editor
Gayan Abeysundara, B.C.S.