The Tea Leaf Vision
Centre for Professional Development
Background
Providing an
educational centre that enables the youth of tea pickers to access education
that enables them to find employment away from manual labour is the main aim of
the Tea Leaf Trust.
In the summer of 2009,
the Tea Leaf Trust started looking for both an area within the tea growing
region of Sri Lanka, and a building for our main project.
World Vision is the
largest humanitarian iNGO working in Sri Lanka and has a wealth of experience
in the needs of the tea communities. They were out in contact with the Tea Leaf
Trust by Beacon Hill Academy (see 'who we work with' for further information
about Beacon Hill Academy. World Vision, Sri Lanka, has been working closely
with the most remote and isolated communities within the tea-growing region,
where unemployment is highest and opportunities are limited to the few
generational low-waged jobs available. Maskeliya, a remote town surrounded by
Tea Estates and rural farmland was identified as one of the most deprived in
the tea-growing region of Sri Lanka by World Vision, following a thorough needs
analysis of the villages and estates of the Central Province.
As a result of talks
with World Vision, Sri Lanka, and their promise of co-operation, it was decided
that Maskeliya was to be the home of the Tea Leaf Trust's main project.
The Tea Leaf Trust,
with the help of World Vision, signed a 3-year lease for a disused wedding hall
just outside Maskeliya town in November 2009. With your generous donations,
coupled with money from fundraising events, this two-story wedding hall has
been renovated and converted into The Tea Leaf Vision Centre for Professional
Development. Thanks to large donations from both the Lions Club of Oswestry and
the Rotary Club of Oswestry, we have a fully equipped I.T. suite (Lions) and
the start of a fantastic library, housing over 300 fact and fiction books
(Rotary Club of Oswestry).
Whilst the Tea Leaf
Trust partner with World Vision, Sri Lanka, with the centre, all the
courses run from here are secular. We welcome all ethnicities and faiths, to
promote and develop understanding as well as upstanding citizens and leaders of
the future.
One-Year Professional
Development Training Course at the Tea Leaf Vision Centre for Professional Development
Over the course of
2009, we researched curriculums for our Free One-Year Professional Development
Training Course. The aim of this course was, and is, to take motivated
individuals who have low level English and I.T. skills, and develop them into
confident, ethical and employable adults, who become sought after by local and
national companies. Underpinning our curriculum is an ethic of cohesion,
mutual respect and community social responsibility.
Over the course of
2009, we researched curriculums for our Free One-Year Professional Development
Training Course. The aim of this course was, and is, to take motivated
individuals who have low level English and I.T. skills, and develop them into
confident, ethical and employable adults, who become sought after by local and
national companies. Underpinning our curriculum will is an ethic of cohesion,
mutual respect and community social responsibility.
Beacon Hill Academy,
an established higher education centre in Nuwara Eliya was extremely helpful
and allowed us full access to their curriculum as they have a very similar
mandate. Using their syllabus as a basis of our curriculum, we have been able
to tailor subjects to the needs and ability of our students.
Young people from remote
areas surrounding Maskeliya and Hatton, who are unable to find sustainable
employment options due to a lack of professional office and English skills.
Who does this one year
course target?
Unemployed young
people between the ages of 18 and 24 who can commit to one-year of full-time
study.
All ethnic/ religious
groups, male and female
We identify students
with the ability and commitment to succeed on the one-year course through
strict application criteria. We also consult with various organisations
familiar with the skills of the age group intended for training.
Programme timetable
The one-year,
full-time course began in January 2010 and has the capacity to teach 120
students. Currently we have 104 students enrolled on the full-time one-year
diploma, with a further 10 students whose English is not of the right standard
attending a full-time intensive English programme. The course follows the Sri
Lankan academic year. The school day begins at 8:45am and concludes at 2.45pm
not including extra-curricular activities. The early finishing time is to make
sure that those travelling far distances by bus get home at a safe hour and
that they actually get a bus, as many routes are unreliable after 3pm. Homework
is set daily and the expectations and workload are high, as it is a challenging
task to help students achieve their potential in such a short time frame.
Curriculum outline
The course teaches a
number of subjects to develop students into employable individuals for business
- English Speech and
Pronunciation
Increasing confidence,
ability and professionalism in the use of English
- English Grammar and
Writing
Increasing confidence
and legibility in the use of the written word
Increasing awareness
of and aptitude in the structure of different departments within companies,
developing the ability to understand how to work within a company, increasing
the way a student presents themselves in the work arena, with an emphasis on
culture, tradition and respect
- Information Technology (I.T.)
Increasing computer
and keyboard skills, ensuring proficiency in Microsoft Office and
Photoshop
Nutrition, exercise,
common diseases and treatments, mental health issues, first aid
Providing our students
with the practical skills to deal with issues prevalent in the hill country i.e
alcoholism, domestic violence, gender inequality and gender-based violence, and
suicide