The government is to launch a programme under the President’s Fund to provide financial assistance for the education of children in Sri Lanka whose parents are facing hardships while working abroad.

The new programme will be launched in line with the concept of “Ensuring No Child is Left Behind in Education”.

The initiative will be implemented jointly by the President’s Fund, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). 

A discussion on expanding the services of the President’s Fund to benefit Sri Lankans employed overseas, as well as those aspiring to seek employment overseas, was held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (03).

The meeting was chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, together with Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary to the President’s Fund, Roshan Gamage. 

The programme aims to safeguard the school and university education of children in Sri Lanka whose parents are working overseas, particularly those who have passed away, are affected by disasters, imprisoned or missing abroad. 

The programme also seeks to offer financial assistance to young individuals who are preparing to work overseas, to study foreign languages, monthly allowances for resource personnel at language training centres, financial backing for rural youth to obtain necessary skills, training for overseas employment and the development of a skilled workforce for the tourism sector, particularly focusing on rural areas. 

The discussion yesterday was attended by Additional Secretary of the Foreign Employment Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. M. M. S. S. B. Yalegama, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Kogala Wickramasinghe, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management Dheera Hettiarachchi, along with officials from the President’s Fund and the SLBFE.