Expatriates launches VanniTech

ITTPO is an independent, non-profit, and a federal tax exempt (501 (c) (3)) organization in the USA and an approved NGO in Sri Lanka.

Expatriates launch High-Tech institute in Kilinochchi

Jun 23, 2003, 07:40 [TNS]

International Tamil Technical Professionals’ Organization (ITTPO), based in Silicon Valley, inaugurates “Vanni-Tech”, in Kilinochi, Northern Sri Lanka. ITTPO is a non-profit charitable organization, funded by members of the Sri Lankan Tamil expatriate community, already spent 10 million rupees on the technology institute and in the process to collect further 5 million rupees for operating costs, according to the ITTPO’s members. Opening ceremony for the planned Advanced Technological Institute in Kilinochchi was held on June 23rd, Monday.

“Goals of the institute are three fold: introduction and advancement of high-tech education in North-East Sri Lanka, establishment of a technological research and development center for high-tech innovations, and the creation of a technically competent workforce for future enterprises”, states ITTPOs’ press release.

Though Vanni-Tech initially plans to introduce four disciplines, namely computer hardware, software, network management, and web/database development technologies, at a later time it plans to add more disciplines to its students. The first student class at Vanni-Tech would consist of 60 students. They come from war ravaged villages and towns in the North and East of the Island.

An officer at the institute said that the first batch of students were selected after completing a thorough screening process, including stringent entry criteria, scholastic aptitude tests, and one-on-one interviews.

“Due to the civil war that has raged over the better part of the last two decades, the people who live in the Northeast of Sri Lanka are deprived of basic necessities, including food, clothes, shelter, and medicine. Though it is considered secondary to the problems mentioned above, another of the deprived essentials is a quality education. A quality education is the cornerstone of a stable foundation for any society. People of Northeast Sri Lanka have been deprived of this foundation, and it is this need that the institute will address” further says the institute press release.

“There are over a million Tamils, well educated, holding high positions in Engineering, medicine and Information Technology fields, around the globe,” says Emmanuel Ravindran, a community leader in North America. According to him, the expatriate Tamils are rallying to help their people in the North-East of Sri-Lanka. He also expressed his disappointment over the international help not reaching the needy at the time of their need. His view, also shared by other expatriate community leaders that the international governments are not matching their words with their deeds on urgent reconstruction and rehabilitation in the North and East of Sri Lanka.