Posted on September 16, 2007

Asia Foundation Launches Mobile Library Initiative in Sri Lanka

The San Francisco-based Asia Foundation, with support from the AIG Disaster Relief Fund and Give2Asia, has announced a new mobile library initiative designed to serve an estimated eighty thousand families and children living in southern and eastern Sri Lanka.

The mobile libraries will be stationed in the communities of Hambantota, Hikkaduwa, Kattankudy, and Thirukkovil, all of which were affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. The foundation has retrofitted buses as mobile libraries stocked with books selected by local authorities and available in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, as well as a laptop computer, multimedia projector, and educational DVDs.

"Through the AIG Disaster Relief Fund, AIG and its employees are proud to support this important initiative, which brings books and learning to these families and children," said Ned Cloonan, president of the AIG Disaster Relief Fund. "Education is a critical part of rebuilding communities and will help bridge the transition from immediate relief to sustainable recovery in Sri Lanka."