Turkey gives schoolbags and stationery items to 3,000 schoolchildren

A delegation from China's Jiangsu Province People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries visited Sri Lanka recently. The association's Vice president, Cai Xisheng, who led the delegation, signed a memorandum of understanding with Srilanka China Society.

They visited Devi Balika Vidyalaya in Colombo for the opening of the photography exhibition titled “A Dream Back to the Six Dynasties: Taking the Culture of the Six Dynasties to Srilanka”. The exhibition, organised by the Sri Lanka China Society with the support of Devi Balika Vidyalaya's Photography Society, was held to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Srilanka. Devi Balika Vidyalaya Principal W. D. P. K. Samarasinghe and students are seen with Mr. Cai and other members of the Chinese delegation.

Turkey handed over school bags and stationery items to 3,000 school children in Jaffna yesterday. The event was held at the Velanai Central College, Jaffna.

This project was initiated by Vijayakala Maheswaran, State Minister of Child Affairs, and is financed by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (T KA), the official aid agency of Turkey.

The Turkish Ambassador Tunca Özçuhadar said, “This donation may be a small drop in the ocean, but it can have a remarkable impact on the children’s enthusiasm to study”. This event also reflects the Turkish people’s solidarity with the children of Sri Lanka as it coincides with the ‘April 23, Sovereignty and Children’s Day’ in Turkey.

A Turkish embassy statement said: “Turkey has been providing humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka for more than a decade. In 2006, Turkey funded a large-scale housing project in Midigama, Matara where 450 houses were built for the victims of the devastating tsunami. In 2015, Turkey helped build the “Sri LankaTurkey Friendship Village” with 100 houses for the IDPs in Mannar. Later, in 2016, Turkey distributed tents, blankets and solar powered lamps to those who were affected by the floods in the Western province. Turkey also provided fishing boats, nets and water pumps to the fishermen and far mers in Trincomalee in 2016.”