The New Vocational Training Centre building at the Sarvodaya District Centre in Trincomallee was declared opened by Her Excellency Ruth Flint Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and Maldives on the 16th of July.
This building is part of the Sarvodaya Peace Resource Centre Trincomallee and the Vocational Training Centre is funded by the Swiss Solidarity Foundation, Canton Zurich and CO-OPERAID. The opening of the building marks the conclusion of the 1st Phase of the project and the residential and dining facilities which are still under construction will be completed next year. In the new building, skills development and vocational training will be offered to the conflict and Tsunami affected youth and the courses include carpentry, masonry, leather making, computer hardware repair and sewing.
The ceremony was attended by over 700 people from Sarvodaya villages in the district and, government and NGO officials. CO-OPERAID was represented by its Director Dr.Rao Satapati. Ms.Shelagh Savage, Country Director of World University Service of Canada (WUSC) a main partner of Sarvodaya in delivering vocational training was also present.