By Tim Pare | Co-Founder
Vanakum, Ayubowan and Hello,
I hope that you and your families are doing well and thank you again for the support.
We are halfway through our current year and we are seeing the huge changes happening to our students and therefore the positive impact on their families. As you may know, 47 out of our 50 local staff are TLT graduates with the majority aged under 26 (and all under 35). Most also live on the tea estates are actively involved in their communities and working for change from the grassroots up.
TLT now runs five centres and an overview of impact so far is that we had 791 registerations for 380 places on our Main Diploma programme. We enrolled 394 students across our centres (we just couldn't say no to the extra 14). After 6 months we have only had 6 drop-outs - this is remarkable considering that 15% travel more than 5 hours a day to attend, that we have had lots of extreme weather and that the economic crisis has plunged more and more families into extreme poverty. 98.5% of these students live off less than $1.90 a day - the UN indicator for extreme poverty.
Through the Main Diploma students have started teaching 3,833 children in Grades 4 and 6 every Wednesday through our Children's English Programme partnering with 37 government schools and 23 community centres. Our students also completed their Term One Service Projects which indirectly benefitted 66,630 community members through repairing and cleaning common community spaces. Our Advanced Diploma, which is where we train potential future TLT teachers, is going strong with 20 Main Diploma Graduates studying on this internship with their costs covered.
Alongside this, we have been running part-time classes for students who did not get a place on our Main Diploma. 42 students are currently studying our three-month Soft Skills Programme gaining Basic English but also employability skills (thank you to the Rotary Club of Brigg for funding this), whilst a further 140 students completed our Basic English Programme (4hrs a week grammar and spoken) in April and a new cohort are starting.
The impact we are seeing is incredible, please see below for one of the many case studis we get:
"Nethmini, a resilient and determined individual, lives in the town of Maha Kudugala, Ragala. Every day, she embarks on a 44-kilometre journey, taking more than 2 hours each way, from her home to TLC Udapussellawa, spending LKR 400 on transportation costs. In a family of five, including herself, her parents, brother, and sister, their monthly income amounts to a mere LKR 30,000. Her father diligently serves the Department of Agriculture in Nuwara Eliya, while her mother works at Nuwara Eliya Hela Bojun. Meanwhile, her siblings are seeking employment after completing their studies, with her younger sister having just finished her O/L exams.
Nethmini's father, burdened by diabetes, requires regular medical attention and spends LKR 900 weekly on medication and travel expenses to Nuwara Eliya Hospital. Recent health issues have left him grappling to meet these financial obligations. Additionally, the family grapples with a monthly bank loan payment of LKR 20,000, resorting to pawning their jewels to cover their daily expenses.
Despite these challenging circumstances, Nethmini stands out as an exceptional student, achieving remarkable results in both her O/L and A/L examinations. Fueled by unwavering determination, she has made the decision to pursue her education at TLC Udapussellawa. Nethmini holds great reverence for our school, firmly believing that it holds the key to her future success. With dedication, she strives to achieve her life goals and reduce the financial burdens weighing on her family.
Her ultimate aspiration is to become an English Teacher at TLC Udapussellawa, viewing our organisation as her gateway to realising her dreams. She recognises that the cost of education can be met only through her family's limited income. It is my sincere hope that TLC Udapussellawa can provide the support she needs to overcome these challenges and pave the way for a brighter future."
Thank you for helping us to make this possible.
With best wishes,
Tim
Co-Founder CEO
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