Schools Relief Initiative
Schools Relief Initiative is a small Sri Lanka-based charity operating in Southern Province, providing free IT training through its MCTC centre and building school infrastructure for disadvantaged rural children and communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersTissamaharama, Sri Lanka
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Schools Relief Initiative does
Schools Relief Initiative (SRI) is a UK-registered charity (no. 1132746) founded in 2004 in response to the 2004 Tsunami by a group of friends based in Hong Kong, with parallel registrations in Hong Kong (no. 981710) and Sri Lanka (NGO FL 136504). SRI operates educational and community development programs in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, primarily around Hambantota and Tissamaharama, serving disadvantaged children, school leavers, teachers, and rural community members. Its flagship asset is the Mahasenpura Community Training Centre (MCTC), opened in February 2007 at Mahasenpura School, which houses 23 networked computers delivering free IT courses (Microsoft Office, Adobe, Java, hardware/networking) and serves as the operational hub for outreach to surrounding government schools.
SRI's service portfolio spans school infrastructure projects (21 libraries with 10,032 books, 15 computer labs, 17 classroom renovations, 5 science labs, 8 playgrounds, 5 toilet blocks, 3 special needs centres, 2 water tanks), individual sponsorship programs (380 students, 18 teachers), and community education (English classes, environmental awareness, human-elephant conflict mitigation). It also runs a six-month Environmental and Tourism Awareness Course certified by the Department of Wildlife and Conservation, graduating its first cohort of 16 students in January 2026. Since 2007, MCTC has delivered 125 certificate courses to 2,601 students and hosted 43 events with 2,805 participants. The technology stack is deliberately low-tech and accessible: basic productivity software, networking equipment, and standard curriculum designed for rural schoolchildren with no prior IT exposure.
The business model is charitable: SRI raises funds through individual donations (one-off and monthly), corporate sponsorships (HSBC, Credit Suisse, The Yala Fund, Walker Books), and project-specific funding ($300-$5,000 per project). UK donors can apply Gift Aid, and multi-jurisdictional HSBC accounts enable international giving. A team of 7 paid staff plus 6 volunteer trustees executes operations; trustees cover their own expenses so that the bulk of donations flow directly to programs. MCTC sustainability requires a minimum of $20,000 per year. Distribution is direct-to-community via partnerships with the Zonal Department of Education (covering 100 schools), the Department of Wildlife and Conservation, and individual school principals.
Schools Relief Initiative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Schools Relief Initiative
- Legal name
- Schools Relief Initiative
- Website
- https://schoolsreliefinitiative.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Schools Relief Initiative is a small Sri Lanka-based charity operating in Southern Province, providing free IT training through its MCTC centre and building school infrastructure for disadvantaged rural children and communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Schools Relief Initiative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Education and Community Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)
Keywords
Where Schools Relief Initiative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tissamaharama
- HQ country
- Sri Lanka
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Schools Relief Initiative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: SRI receives donations from individuals through HSBC bank accounts in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and UK. They accept one-off lump sums, regular monthly donations, and funds tailored to specific projects. UK taxpayers can use Gift Aid to boost donations by 25%.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Major donors include HSBC (library projects), Credit Suisse (special needs centre), and The Yala Fund (various school projects). Companies fund specific projects or ongoing operational costs.
- Project-Specific Funding: Donors can fund specific projects such as classroom renovations ($3,000-$5,000), computer labs, libraries ($300-$5,000), water tanks ($750), science labs, or student/teacher sponsorships ($10-$20/month for students, $30-$200/month for teachers).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Classroom Renovation Projects |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Library Projects |
| Subscription | Monthly | Student Sponsorship |
| Subscription | Monthly | Teacher Sponsorship |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Water Tank Projects |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Science Lab Renovations |
| Subscription | Annual | MCTC Sustainability |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Schools Relief Initiative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Schools Relief Initiative runs the Mahasenpura Community Training Centre (MCTC), providing free IT certificate and diploma courses, hardware/networking training, kids' IT classes, O-level IT revision, and a Department of Wildlife and Conservation-certified Environmental and Tourism Awareness Course to Sri Lankan schoolchildren, school leavers, teachers, and community members. Beyond training, it delivers school infrastructure projects (libraries, computer labs, classroom renovations, science labs, special needs centres, water tanks, playgrounds, toilet blocks) and runs student and teacher sponsorship programs in Southern Province, funded by individual donors and corporate sponsors.
Product overview
Schools Relief Initiative operates primarily through its Mahasenpura Community Training Centre (MCTC), a standalone facility with 23 networked computers providing free educational courses. The core offering includes IT training programs such as the Microsoft Office Certificate Course (3 months), Diploma Computer Course (1 year), Hardware Course (3 months), and Kids IT Course (4 months). SRI also offers O-level IT revision classes, bespoke training for community members, and environmental/tourism awareness courses. All courses are designed for local Sri Lankan students, school leavers, and community members, with certificates certified by the Zonal Director of Education in Hambantota.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MCTC (Mahasenpura Community Training Centre) A free in-person training facility embedded in Mahasenpura School that delivers certificate-courses in IT, hardware/networking, desktop publishing, programming, environmental awareness, and English, serving rural Sri Lankan schoolchildren, school leavers, teachers, and community members (including tourism workers) seven days a week.
- Microsoft Office Certificate Course A three-month introductory course at MCTC comprising five modules on Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and Internet/email basics, certified by the Zonal Director of Education in Hambantota.
- Diploma Computer Course A one-year advanced diploma for graduates of the Microsoft Office Certificate Course, covering advanced MS Office, desktop publishing (Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator), hardware and networking, and Java programming.
- Hardware Course A three-month course at MCTC on computer assembly and disassembly, operating system installation, and cabling and networking.
- Kids IT Course A four-month introductory computing course at MCTC for grade three children covering basic computer concepts, typing on MS Notepad, and basic artwork creation.
- O-level IT Revision Classes After-school revision sessions at MCTC for grade 10 and 11 students following the government O-level IT syllabus, including practical computer sessions.
- Environmental and Tourism Awareness Course A six-month certification course at MCTC covering biodiversity, geodiversity, and wildlife conservation, designed for safari trackers and tourism industry workers and certified by the Department of Wildlife and Conservation.
- Bespoke Training Custom training delivered from MCTC for community groups and government staff, including banner design and website construction for government teachers, police, and other community members, as well as environmental and language classes for tourism-industry workers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 125 certificate courses delivered (2007-2021)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Schools Relief Initiative
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Schools Relief Initiative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Schools Relief Initiative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Zonal Department of Education (Hambantota)coreSRI works closely with the Zonal Department of Education serving 100 schools across Southern Province. The Department recommends schools for projects and SRI provides IT equipment to the administration offices. Strong collaborative relationship for identifying and executing educational projects.
- Department of Wildlife and ConservationcoreSRI collaborates with the Department of Wildlife and Conservation on environmental programs including wildlife awareness courses, school trips to national parks, and training for safari drivers and tourism workers. Department officials lecture at MCTC and participate in environmental events.
- CCF (NGO)minorAnother NGO based in Hambantota for children. SRI runs after-school IT classes at MCTC on behalf of CCF for children at different schools in the area, including special classes for grades 6-10.
- Colombo University Computer SocietyminorStudent society conducts workshops at MCTC annually to help close the IT knowledge gap between rural and urban areas. Talks to about 200 O-level pupils from six local schools.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Schools Relief Initiative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pratham: One of India's largest education NGOs focused on literacy, numeracy, and vocational skills for disadvantaged children. Comparable in operating free educational programs for low-income populations with government-recognized certification pathways, though vastly larger in scale and budget.
- Camfed (Campaign for Female Education): International nonprofit supporting girls' education in sub-Saharan Africa through school infrastructure, teacher support, and student sponsorship. Comparable in operating school infrastructure projects, student and teacher sponsorship programs, and government-credentialed education pathways.
- Room to Read: Global education nonprofit focused on literacy and girls' education in low-income countries. Comparable to SRI as a school infrastructure and education-focused nonprofit operating across multiple developing-country contexts, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- ChildFund International: Large international child-focused development organization sponsoring individual children and supporting community-level education projects. Comparable in sponsorship-based funding model and education infrastructure focus in developing countries.
Direct peers
- The Yala Fund: UK-based NGO working in the same Yala/Southern Province area of Sri Lanka as SRI, co-funding school projects. Directly comparable as a small UK-registered charity funding school infrastructure in Sri Lanka's southern region, though focused on funding rather than direct program delivery.
- buildOn: Nonprofit that builds schools and runs education programs in developing countries, including Sri Lanka. Directly comparable mission (school construction, literacy, community development) and overlapping geographic presence, though buildOn operates at significantly larger scale.
- Computer Aid International: UK-registered charity refurbishing computers for schools and nonprofits in developing countries. Highly comparable mission of building IT capacity in disadvantaged schools, similar UK charitable structure, and overlapping donor base (also working with corporate IT donors).
- Libraries Without Borders / Bibliothèques Sans Frontières: International nonprofit focused on library and educational infrastructure in underserved communities. Directly comparable in operating library-building programs (SRI has built 21 libraries with 10,032 books) and bringing digital learning tools to disadvantaged populations.
Emerging players
- One Laptop Per Child: Nonprofit distributing educational laptops and software to children in developing countries. Comparable in focus on bringing computing capability to disadvantaged schoolchildren, though OLPC focuses on hardware distribution rather than running training centers directly.
Regional players
- Sri Lanka Unites: Sri Lanka-based nonprofit working on youth leadership and education across ethnic divides. Comparable as a small Sri Lanka-registered charity working on education and youth development with a community-engagement model, though focused on leadership rather than IT skills.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Schools Relief Initiative social profiles
Digital presenceSchools Relief Initiative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Schools Relief Initiative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Schools Relief Initiative subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Schools Relief Initiative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Schools Relief Initiative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Schools Relief Initiative
What does Schools Relief Initiative do?
Schools Relief Initiative runs the Mahasenpura Community Training Centre (MCTC), providing free IT certificate and diploma courses, hardware/networking training, kids' IT classes, O-level IT revision, and a Department of Wildlife and Conservation-certified Environmental and Tourism Awareness Course to Sri Lankan schoolchildren, school leavers, teachers, and community members. Beyond training, it delivers school infrastructure projects (libraries, computer labs, classroom renovations, science labs, special needs centres, water tanks, playgrounds, toilet blocks) and runs student and teacher sponsorship programs in Southern Province, funded by individual donors and corporate sponsors.
Is Schools Relief Initiative a public or private company?
Schools Relief Initiative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Schools Relief Initiative founded?
Schools Relief Initiative was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Schools Relief Initiative based?
Schools Relief Initiative is headquartered in Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka, in the Asia region.
How does Schools Relief Initiative make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and project-Specific Funding.
Who are Schools Relief Initiative's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pratham, Camfed (Campaign for Female Education), Room to Read and ChildFund International. Direct peers are The Yala Fund, buildOn, Computer Aid International and Libraries Without Borders / Bibliothèques Sans Frontières. One Laptop Per Child is listed as an emerging player. Sri Lanka Unites is listed as a regional player.
Does Schools Relief Initiative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Schools Relief Initiative.
What industry is Schools Relief Initiative in?
Schools Relief Initiative's product category is Charitable Education and Community Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJAAAH, Public Special Education Schools & Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8300.