Sri Lanka, Nov. 2 -- I recently visited one of the primary schools in an oppressed caste village in Karainagar. The coastal village on the lagoon side of the Karainagar Island in northern Jaffna was hard to reach with the road in a disintegrating state.

The little over one hundred students in the school live within walking distance. As I began the discussion with the principal about the childrens' education and health, it became apparent that the principal had a clear understanding of not just the needs of the school and the students, but also the socio-economic challenges facing the community embedding the school. The social exclusion of this community from transport access to the village, to the lack of livelihood opportunities for t...