Aspirations Education Foundation holds hands with Australia to empower rural communities

“Girls Gone Riding”: Determined to empower 10-day Cycling Tour to commence on the 20th of March

Turning their Passion to Compassion, “Girls Gone Riding” travels to Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Aspirations Education Foundation (AEF). The purpose of the “Determined to Empower – Sri Lankan Charity Cycle Tour March 2015” is to raise funds for AEF to continue their charity by assisting the underserved rural schoolchildren and marginalized and underprivileged rural communities. The charity ride will cover Colombo, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa, Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Monaragala, Matara, Galle and Kalutara Districts over ten days, ending on the 30th of March.

Aspirations Education Foundation’s social enterprises aim to maximize improvements in human, economic and environmental well-being, where they believe that doing so will ultimately further the masses’ capacity to realize their social, economical and environmental goals.

Jennifer Edis from “Girls Gone Riding” stated, “I love Sri Lanka and its people. On March 20th I have the privilege to travel there with 23 wonderful women from Launceston, Australia.”They will be riding each day for 300km around Sri Lanka, visiting villages and experiencing first-hand the momentous efforts that Aspirations Education Foundation has put in to empower the community. On their journey they will be visiting some of the villages and schools that are benefiting from the Aspirations Foundation,watching the agricultural-based income generating program at work and helping out for a day. She reiterated, “Daphne Abeysekera and Ajith Abeysekera, the co-founders and trustees of the Foundation, are friends from my time at Swinburne University. They have pledged their own business funds to set up the foundation and are living their social dream working in very remote and rural areas. I, together with our enthusiastic team, have been training hard and we would love to have your support – however big or small – to donate directly to the directors of Aspirations Foundation uplifting the living standards of rural Sri Lanka. I solemnly believe that together we can help Aspirations Foundation in Sri Lanka achieve its goals.”

Funds raised through the cycling tour will primarily support Aspirations Foundation’s efforts to build a whole new playground and an IT laboratory in a very rural school in Ambalanthota, which they themselves will donate. The funds raised also support other causes of the Aspirations Foundation via supportto academically capable students handicapped by financial constraints, support to school communities to be self-reliant by agricultural-based income generating programs, develop IT infrastructure and introduce new teaching methods using specialised software, develop sports and physical education by coaching, conducting training workshops and supplying sporting goods and support school and village-based communities to venture into income generating projects mainly for women, by providing technical training e.g. weaving baskets and turning out handicrafts using bamboo.

Mr.Ajith Abeysekera, Chairman of the Aspirations Education Foundation thanked the team representing “Girls Gone Riding”, Jennifer Edis, Patricia Gordon, MTA Travel Agency, for their initiative, determination, encouragement and unstinted support. The tour is organized by Patricia Gordon, MTA Travel Agency, Queensland Australia who said, “I am very excited to be part of the team and loved putting together the itinerary which I hope will not only showcase the beauty of the country and its people but also enrich the lives of all involved.”

Aspirations Education Foundation movement has attracted services of experts such as Mr. Chandra Ranawickrama, the former Director General, Sri Lanka Red Cross, former Country Director, Room to Read and former Country Director, Cevya Fund, who resides as the current Director of the Foundation and Mr. Udaya de Silva, veteran agricultural expert and host of “Rivi Dena Arunalla” TV Programme.

A Social Enterprise

Aspirations Education Foundation, pioneered and chaired by Mr. Ajith Abeysekera, started more than seven years ago. Since then, they have never turned back, making sacrifices and compromises to give as much they can back to the society to the best of their ability. Aspirations Education has investedheavilyin the rural community empowerment constantly and continuously during the past 7-1/2years.This initiative is the first external fundraiser organized by the foundation.

In their worthy journey among the vast range of projects, Aspirations Education Foundation has initiated various agriculture projects such as Mango, Orange and Pineapple plantations and have so far grown approximately 5000 trees in more than 30 rural schools and temples. These cultivations generate income for the schools for development, which enables the schools to be self-sufficient.  Aspirations Foundation has gone on to initiate Bamboo Weaving and sale of production as a social enterprise to enhance income generation and the economic situation of the parents of the schoolchildren.They grant the seed capital and technical expertise to facilitate Bamboo Weaving as a livelihood activity.  Aspirations Foundation has also been continuously supporting and funding over 500 students with scholarships to complete their education up to Advanced Level Examinations. Apeksha Scholarship Scheme was launched in 2007 to empower the school communities,donating school computer labs to books to sports equipment to conducting workshops and training.

Those who wish to join the Australian cyclists on their 10-day cycle tour starting on 22nd March 2015 covering districts such as Colombo, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa, Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Monaragala, Matara, Galle and Kalutara and those who wish to provide financial support for the above causes contributing in any which way to a movement that is uplifting Sri Lanka as a whole, do not hesitate to contact the teams behind the scene on +9477611328. For more information visitwww.aspirationseducaion/foundation