Introduction

 

The Covid-19 outbreak at the very outset had all the features of a local health issue. However, its tidal wave of progress by now had compelled a global response. Covid-19, besides brutally terminating human lives, ruthlessly disconnected humanity both socially and economically. This total suspension in socio-economic activity has already materialized in economic paralysis and its consequences have all the features of an impending global financial and economic crisis.

 

 

 

Aim

 

To provide educational assistance to thirteen intelligent school children from impoverished families. Such assistance will contribute immensely to mitigate the aforementioned negative socio-economic impact on their education. It is hoped to assist them for eighteen months, from 2020 May through 2021 December so that they will be able to reach the collegiate level.

 

 

 

Educational status of the Target Group

 

These are intelligent and talented students who at present are in grade ten.  This year as well as the next are considered the preparatory period for their final examination of their eleven years of formal education. This examination provides the foundation to enter the collegiate level. This phase facilitates students either to pursue tertiary education or to opt for vocational and technical training. Thus, assisting these economically impoverished students to reach the collegiate level implies capacitating them for the employment market.

 

 

Socio-Economic status of the Target Group

 

Sri Lanka is a lower middle income country with nearly 22 million people in the South Asian region. Sri Lankan economy is highly depended on foreign loans and grants. Student beneficiaries of this project are from families who do not have basic needs to meet daily requirements. For, the breadwinners of these children are daily wage earners such as temporary helpers at unregistered small businesses, helpers in the paddy fields, helpers in vegetable gardens and some of these children come from women headed families where either their father is dead or terminally ill.

 

Covid-19 necessitated strict restrictions on movement and economic activity. This suspension of socio-economic network has already created disastrous impact on household incomes of the families of these children. Economically vulnerable-without savings, unprotected by social insurance, informed of lay-offs and without buffer stocks   economic survival has become the primary concern of these families. Further, all these children come from families experiencing debts-present crisis is threatening the livelihoods of debt fuelled economies of these households.

 

 

A desperate Appeal

 

Internationally, at present, government policy makers are focused on rescuing the financial markets and businesses that play an indispensable role in sustaining our economic system from collapse. More or less same policies are pursued in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan government has implemented some relief measures targeting low income earners. However, those are considerably inadequate to tackle the economic shock wrought by Covid-19 on vulnerable and distressed households in the foreseeable future.

 

Educational assistance to these clever and talented but impoverished children will contribute immensely to alleviate the severe economic and financial contraction faced by these unemployed and deeply indebted families. For, such relief will provide these families space to use their meagre earnings to buy the basics of everyday life. Thus, this is a desperate appeal for support to avoid these intelligent students becoming school drop outs as victims of unprecedented economic impact of Covid-19.