Description and Scope of Project
The Rathanasara Pirivena, Baddegama is an educational and vocational training institution catering mainly to disadvantaged students who have not achieved academic success at other schools. For example, the pirivena coaches students who have failed the GCE O/L to retake the exam. Those who are successful have the opportunity of preparing their GCE A/L exams at the privena. The enrolment is around 150 students (including novice monks).
In June 2015, the principal of the Pirivena, Ven. Dhammala Piyananda Thero, submitted a request to I/D/E/A/S for support to carry out repairs, extensions and improvements to the school premises. Among the options presented, I/D/E/A/S agreed to support the erection of the roof of a recently-built one-storey classroom up to an amount of Rs 200,000.
In August 2015, the school submitted an alternative proposal, requesting support for the completion of the floor as well as the supply and installation of doors of the 1st floor classroom block. The estimated total cost was around Rs 351,000, comprising Rs 225,000 for the cement rendering work of the floor (area 3300 sq ft) and Rs 126,000 for the supply and installation of wooden doors and frames.
I/D/E/A/S was not in a position to support the increased cost, amounting to around 80% more than the initial amount already approved. However, the school principal, Ven Piyananda Thero, indicated that the Pirivena would be happy to accept any assistance that I/D/E/A/S could provide and agreed to cover any additional expenses over and above the Rs 200,000 grant from IDEAS in order to complete the rendering work of the 1st floor classrooms.
Implementation of Project
An initial instalment of Rs 100,000 was released on 03 November 2015 and work on the cement rendering began almost immediately thereafter.
However, the construction team soon discovered that the existing floor slab, as constructed, was not fully level. They had been obliged to take some corrective action, mainly topping up of the floor with concrete chips and cement to make up and correct the levels (in some places as much as 2 inches) in the existing slab — see pictures. This additional work had resulted in increased costs, which the school had managed to absorb.
