The Horizon Lanka Foundation began with an after school club, providing youth further education in English and computers. Since 1998, the initiative has branched out and now services the entire community with their computer lab, which has 24-hour Internet access. In 2001, the website was launched by the children of Horizon Lanka Academy as a place to practice and showcase the participants' skills and open access to information all over the world. The main website leads to several other sister websites created by different students. Horizon Lanka Foundation is also responsible for launching a separate project which is bringing PCs to the homes of the villagers of Mahavilachchiya. More than 30 homes have been furnished with a computer and this number is increasing monthly.

MicroScholarships, another project of the Horizon Lanka Foundation (HLF), aims to help students with their education. Many capable students in rural Sri Lanka are forced to interrupt their schooling because of financial difficulties and the MicroScholarships ensure that every child covered under the scheme can access a quality education, especially in information technology (IT) areas. Volunteers offer financial assistance that provides each participant with a small amount of money every month.

Over 160 young people have now gained access to the Internet, to computer skills, to personal PCs and to practical education that will allow them to work in the expanding IT field. With the help of United States (US)-based Openworld, HLF is planning on launching web-based electronic learning tools using "Skype" voice technology in conjunction with basic essential English, mathematics, science and Sinhala lessons. In recognition of the importance of understanding English, another of the current projects, eMentors, pairs each youth with an English-speaking adult from around the world electronically (through the Internet and e-mail). The youth are encouraged to send stories and essays to their eMentors, who in turn will correct the English for them.

Finally, HLF recognises that opportunities for school drop-outs as well as O'level, A'level, and University graduates from the village are very limited. The lack of vocational training in the region is one of the main reasons for this. The Horizon Lanka Institute of Applied Arts and Technology (HLIAAT) hopes to compensate for this shortage and provide young people opportunities through work experience placements.

Technology, Education, Youth.

According to HLF, youth in rural areas that are dominated by farming may be able to expand their economic and social opportunities by using information and communication technology-facilitated linkages to develop new skills and knowledge.