ALL DONATIONS WILL NOW BE SENT TO ROOM TO READ CANADA

Sri Lankan Friendship Band:                            Mar/23/05   

a Project for BC Schools

The Goal:

For British Columbian students to make a difference, one person at a time. Contribute to one band and make the connection between their world and yours.

Contribute to our goal of 100,000 bands and we raise $100,000

Each school monitors its progress online, and one day, meet the friends you have helped....

 It's 2030

You are now are 40 years old and have a family of your own. You are an independent  systems consultant, managing most of your time between Microsoft and their major competition Googler. There's a problem you face. You remember there's no one that knows more on this subject than your buddy Vijay in Sri Lanka, so you link to him, where he's lounging at the pool bar in the trendy Kalmunai Hilton Beach Resort. It almost 25 years ago when you first met, he as a survivor from the '04 tsunami, studying at EDS school, and you, through your school's mentoring sponsorship program, some friendship band thing.. man, have times changed! Look at him now, your best buddy. Sri Lanka is kickin', establishing itself as the new economic tiger on the block. "Can't wait to see ya' at the reunion next week Jean, and your new baby girl. It's time for me to show you who's buying out Microsoft and that old man Gates!"

Yes, times do change, the world seems to get smaller, but friendships don't .

Why Sri Lanka?

Simply, we have to start somewhere and from a place of strength.

What makes Sri lanka most attractive for this project is:

They teach English in their school system, making it easier for you to communicate directly with them. Where English is less common, most teachers are capable.

Sri Lanka has a similar legal system in common law and is a constitutional democracy.

Education is a priority. We have a similar literacy rate.

Sri Lanka has a highly qualified work force especially in the high tech field.

There are established relationships between Canada and Sri Lanka, some that we are able to benefit from.

PRESS RELEASE: BC Schools Lead the Way: 2/3/05

A GOOD NEWS TSUNAMI STORY.

Alex Quicho and Chantal Facchin are two ordinary school kids who want to make an extraordinary difference in Sri Lanka. With the support of their principal, teachers and parents, they have introduced a special tsunami project to their school, Collingwood in West Vancouver. They may come from privileged homes but they are not taking that for granted: Alex and Chantal are committed to engaging other students in their dream over the next three weeks of their lunch breaks. They have chosen to support a girls' home and orphanage in Kalmunai. Alex has already donated $50 of her own money that she knows has gone to buy scalpels at the Kalmunai Base Hospital and she even knows of Dr Bahavan, the doctor who uses them.

The circle is connecting. Inspired by the rescue missions of Dr Mike Seear and Anthony Richard in Kalmunai (as told by Global TV & CBC), BC students are now making a difference with children in tsunami affected Sri Lanka. Through a special campaign developed for BC schools, the Friendship Band Project is connecting them with these handpicked micro-projects.

"Since my return from Sri Lanka, I have noticed that students are wanting to play a more active, ongoing role in what's happening and where their money is going," says Lawrence Keenan, founder of the Friendship Band Project. "They are realizing that they can make a difference, even just one student at a time, as we can see here at Collingwood. When we see students taking this type of responsibility and leadership, I know our future is in good hands. Giving money is not always enough”.

So far eight schools are participating in this projects since its release last week and many more are expected to join soon following a campaign to local BC school principals. At each participating school, students are invited to donate $5 each (or proceeds from previous fund-raisers) and in exchange, they receive a Friendship Band while all proceeds go to the specific project (see below) that the school chooses to adopt. These projects include ones that Dr Seear, Richard and Keenan have helped identify with the support of the past executive of the Sri Lankan Friendship Association of BC and the Rosa/AMDA medical team from Vancouver. These include a girls’ home and orphanage, hospital, school, housing and even the building of a new community center, projects located in Kalmunai, Hambantota and Batticoloa. Students and schools are then able to track the flow of their contributions to their project and participate in progress of their project online at www.unitingtheworld.org . The next project involves linking sponsor schools with their projects through on-site internet to allow free communication with those they have helped.

The Friendship wristbands were hand-made by a well-known temple and its community in southern Sri Lanka devastated by the tsunami, especially for  BC school students. They are crafted in the fours colours of the Sri Lankan flag, representing the four religions and cultures that exist in the country. This community is also part of the project and they receive a portion of all contributions. The BC Schools Friendship Band Project is part of unitingtheworld.org

Says Keenan, “This is more than a wristband thing or just giving money. It’s about creating awareness and keeping it. And completing the circle that we started six weeks ago on our journey to Sri Lanka and to allow the rebuilding to continue.”

Media/Schools Contact: Lawrence Keenan, tel (604) 763-2754 lawrence@csli.com

For more information: www.unitingtheworld.org