ICT centre for youth in Ja-ela

Lafarge Mahaweli Cement and Microsoft with Sarvodaya, opened a state-of-the-art ICT centre in Tudella, Ja-ela. The ICT Centre, which will provide educational opportunities for youth is one of several planned under an MoU signed between the three organisations earlier this year.

Head of Sales and Marketing, Lafarge Mahaweli Cement, Susantha Perera, Sales Communication Executive, Lafarge, Tracy Hannibalsz and Manager, Sarvodaya-Fusion, Isura Silva were present at the opening ceremony.

Manager, Sarvodaya-Fusion, Isura Silva said that although Sri Lanka's literacy rate stands at 90 percent, IT literacy does not exceed 20 percent. Therefore, a comprehensive plan was necessary to increase the level of IT literacy in the country.

"IT should play a pivotal role where the country's development is concerned," he said.

He said that the ICT centre in Tudella was the brainchild of Managing Director, Lafarge Mahaweli Cement, Anurag Kak. "Through the ICT centre, we hope to train more than 80 students on a yearly basis" he said. Lafarge Mahaweli Cement sponsors the ICT Centre financially while Microsoft Sri Lanka provides its IT infrastructure. Sarvodaya-Fusion, the IT arm of Sarvodaya, will overlook operations of the centre, Lafarge, Microsoft and Sarvodaya will set up similar facilities across the country in the future.