The Samagipura School Established June 22, 2011
Samagipura Community Profile
Samagipura Village is 165 kilometers southeast of Colombo and 10 kilometers northwest of Sewanagala Town. Samagipura Village is situated in Monaragala District. Monaragala is considered one of the least developed districts in Sri Lanka. It is the second largest administrative district consisting of nine divisional secretariat areas. The average family size of the district is 5-6 individuals. Though agriculture plays a major role in the economy of Monaragala District, the main obstacle for agriculture is scarcity of water.
This village was settled about 20 years ago by a government program, and the village lacks much basic infrastructure. The people in Samagipura Village are very poor. Most are farmers who cultivate rice paddies, which they harvest twice a year. During the off-season, they search for daily-wage labor jobs in other villages; consequently, most of the villagers receive Samurdhi Funds (a poverty reduction program) from the government. The houses here are made of brick with mud mortar and roofs are covered by asbestos sheets or natural leaves.
This village was settled about 20 years ago by a government program, and the village lacks much basic infrastructure. The people in Samagipura Village are very poor. Most are farmers who cultivate rice paddies, which they harvest twice a year. During the off-season, they search for daily-wage labor jobs in other villages; consequently, most of the villagers receive Samurdhi Funds (a poverty reduction program) from the government. The houses here are made of brick with mud mortar and roofs are covered by asbestos sheets or natural leaves.
Why a new school?
Old Classrooms
Old Classrooms
The school contains one temporary building constructed b y parents to compensate for the lack of classroom space. Unfortunately, this building does not provide an appropriate learning environment for students. The school administration has continuously requested a school building from the government. Some classes are held in the main hall with no partition between classrooms, which creates a noisy environment.
The school under construction
The finished school
The completed School Room is a spacious, 1,500-square-foot building with a lot of light and ventilation. The learning space is 1,200 square feet, and the corridor space is 300 square feet. This is a single-story building with three classrooms. Room to Read provided 40 primary desks and 80 primary chairs for the children and 2 tables and chairs for the teachers. One classroom functions as a library. The new School Room is painted to match the existing buildings at this school. It is an attractive addition to this community and draws a lot of positive attention.
