HNB move to help children

Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB), presented 100 specially designed laptops to the children of Weihena KV, a primary school in Weihena, Baddegama in the Galle district.

Rienzie T. Wijetilleke, Chairman of HNB presenting a laptop to a child.

Partnering the OLPC Lanka Foundation and the Ministry of Education to implement the concept of one laptop per child initiative in Sri Lanka, HNB sponsored 100 laptops with 10 watt solar panel and 2GB SD Cards.

The laptops are specially designed for rugged use and are powered by solar panels thus allowing children from remote areas that do not have adequate electricity facilities to benefit. The sound cards will facilitate children to develop their aesthetic and language skills by better pronunciation, listening to music and singing along.

The content and software is designed for learning through independent interaction and exploration. The laptops also have an element of localised content in Sinhala to supplement the current syllabi at school level.

The laptops have wireless broadband that allows them to work as a mesh network. Each laptop is able to talk to its nearest neighbours, creating an adhoc and local area network. The children in the school will be given one laptop for his/her very own use. This will facilitate to engage the children in their own education to learn, share, create, collaborate and connect to each other and the world and thus to a brighter future.

Technology and English are two key factors for Sri Lanka's development in the modern world. I am happy that OLPC and HNB have come forward to make a difference to our rural children's education and development by the provision of solar powered laptops said Rienzie T. Wijetilleke, Chairman of HNB and OLPC Lanka Foundation in his statement.