Oprah’s Angel Network

The new Vocational Training Center in the Ampara district opened its doors for students in 2006.

Mohamed used the skills he learned at the Center to get a job at a carpentry shop.

Ahemed also took woodcarving classes at the Center, and uses his skills at his job at a carpentry shop.

Mohana took computer classes at the Center and now works at a computer school.

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The Ampara district on the East coast of Sri Lanka was one of the hardest hit regions after the 2004 South Asian tsunami. Many people in the district earned a living through fishing or farming, so the very water that washed away lives and homes also washed away fishing boats, livestock and ways to make a living.

The tsunami also damaged many schools in the district, including the Vocational Training Center in the Pottuvil community. The Center taught young adults marketable skills beyond farming and fishing—like carpentry, electrical wiring and sewing—so there was a desperate need for another training center after the tsunami. With an Angel Network grant, Free The Children constructed new Vocational Training Center, and the doors opened for students in 2006.

Classes Lead to Jobs

Every year, more than 200 men and women attend the Vocational Training Center and many graduates go on to find jobs. Using the skills he learned in woodcarving classes, Mohamed was able to get a job at a carpentry shop and is now his family’s sole income earner, supporting his mother, four brothers and two sisters. Like Mohamed, Ahemed also took carpentry classes at the center and is now helping to support his parents and three siblings. Taking classes at the Center was a return to school for Ahemed. After grade 9, Ahemed dropped out of school to help his father as a fisherman. Ahemed says the Center has given him hope for the future.

Achi and Mohana are also thankful for the opportunities provided through the Vocational Training Center. Both trained in computers at the Center and got jobs at a computer school after graduating. Achi says that as a woman, she never thought she would be working, especially in the computer field.