Ruhuna Mathematics | ESFoRuM
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ESFoRuM is
a result of 100% voluntary
services extend by present and former members of Department of
Mathematics, Ruhuna University, Sri Lanka, throughout the past years.
Dr.
Leslie Jayasekara returns from Japan completing his doctoral
Degree with god wishes from citizens of the Umi-city in Japan
with a link established to help schools in far remote areas
in Sri Lanka.
(Since
1998 we have donated books for 19 school libraries.)
December
2004 tsunami - the greatest ever disaster the Sri Lanka
experienced in its history. Southern province had been badly affected.
During this time the department of mathematics has been hosting an
international conference (RISCMAP)
at the department. At the end of the week 1 of the programme all the
participants went on a national site-seeing journey while Professor
Denis Caromel his beloved wife Professor Isdabelle Attali - both were
invited distinguished speakers of the international school went on a
private holiday with their two children. They had been hit by the
tsunami. The members fo the department had launched search for the
missing ones. Moreover, the members has realized their duty to the
nation at the disaster. Having motivated by the past experince in
book-donation programmes and the latest get-to-gether in hosting the
RISCMAP, the memebrs have immediately launched many social support
activities (e.g. helping the department of statistics, Sri Lanka in
preparing statistics that are required to distribute food and funds).
The members also realized the need of a foundation to server the nation
which essentially need to have a broad aspect; hence the formation of
the Educational Support Foundation Ruhuna Mathematics (ESFoRuM).
After the Tsunami disaster, our members continually receive various requests from their colleagues, former teachers, friends etc asking to provide them with ways to help Tsunami victims. Most of them are interested in providing monthly financial support mainly for school children. However, they much prefer to do these under the coordination/supervision and personal involvement of our members rather than directly sending their support to other government/non-government organizations.
Considering all the above facts we decided to officially form an organization called Educational Support Foundation - Ruhuna Mathematics to carry out these activities under the guidance of the Vice-Chancellor with proper auditing of the related accounts done by the University Audit Branch.
We have no
paid workers – all are volunteers; its a story of unity,
sacrifice and the determination to serve the nation (at least to
pay-off what we all received under the free education system in
Sri Lanka).