Douglas and Tekla Goonawardena Trust – 13.03.2008
There are many dhamma schools in rural areas functioning even without basic amenities like blackboards, mats, chairs for teachers to sit, toilets etc. Mr. Douglas Goonawardena and his wife Mrs. Tekla Goonewardena created a Trust with the Dharmavijaya Foundation with an initial deposit of Rupees Two Hundred Thousand for its Moral Development Programmes with particular reference to Dhamma School activities in rural areas. Wish if others too could come forward and help DVF in its programme to improve the standards of the Dhamma schools.

Annual Gathering of recipients of scholarships given by the DVF - 05.04.2008

Scholarships to needy school children and undergraduates form an important part of the DVF programme of work. Currently there are 101 scholarship holders, including 35 tsunami affected children (up to the age of 18) funded by the Helabima Organisation based in the U.A.E. Among them are 31 undergraduates of whom 25 are medical students from Colombo (6), Karapitiya (14), Peradeniya (1), Ragama (2), Rajagiriya Indigeneous (2), medical faculties. The monthly expenditure is Rupees 85,050.00 or over 1 million a year. This expenditure is met by specific funds created with the DVF, such as the Orphan Destitute Education Fund, and donations made by benefactors each year.

Undergraduate beneficiaries are selected through an interview. Those with lowest family incomes are given priority in selection. All scholarship holders are invited for an annual gathering in April of each year.

The coordinating trustee is Mr. Y.W. Gunawardena

Gifting of a wheel chair to a needy family -10.04.2008
There are many requests made to the DVF for medical assistance including wheel chairs, crutches, spectacles etc. The DVF has a Health Care Bank to which any well wisher could donate in kind or cash.

This is an occasion when a needy family received a wheel chair. The donation was made by Ms. Sevanthi Bakmeeveva. It was handed over by Ven. Shastrapati Pandita Hakmana Sumanasiri Thera, the Patron of the DVF.

Urgent need of elbow and normal crutches and other medical requirements

The DVF received information that there was an urgent need for elbow and normal crutches for those disabled in serving the nation. The DVF was able to purchase 25 pairs each of elbow crutches and under-arm crutches at a cost of Rs. 94,500.00 utilising funds of the late Mr& Mrs C.E.A.Perera Trust created with the DVF for such purposes. These were handed at the Military Hospital, Colombo on 16 May 2008. The DVF thanks Dr. Nalin Goonesinghe, Trustee and Dr. S.S.Jayarathna, Consultant Surgeon who coordinated the Project. The need was for more.

In a letter of appreciation sent to the President of the DVF on 3rd June 2008, the Commanding Officer of the Military Hospital states, “On behalf of the Army and the injured soldiers, I wish to convey you, our sincere appreciation for your kindness and concern for our soldiers”.

We need public support for such humanitarian projects.

Opening of the Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayaka Commemorative Library in Madiha, Matara on the Esala Full Moon day -12.06.2008/2552

Madiha, to the north of Matara town was devastated by the tsunami of December 2004. Under one of its tsunami rehabilitation projects, the DVF was able to construct 28 new houses with funds received from the Melbourne Disaster Relief Fund with contributions from SPUR (Victoria) and the Sinhala Cultural Association, the Queensland Buddhist Vihara, and SAMADHI Trust Fund, Christ Church, New Zealand.  

It was the decision of the Board of Trustees of the DVF that the most fitting tribute to its Patron, the late Most Venerable Aggamahapandita Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayaka was to construct and donate to the people of Madiha, the birthplace of the most venerable monk, a commemorative building for a library. All fund balances from moneys received by the DVF for tsunami rehab projects, and the interest income earned for the funds so received were utilised for this Project. The total cost of the Project was Rs. 2.6 million.

Here is an excerpt of a full page account of the opening ceremony that appeared in the Sunday Island of July 27, 2008.

‘The simple opening ceremony was on Esala Poya – 17 July. Trustees of the Dharmavijaya Foundation were present; so also many monks, some who had travelled from Colombo; Pradeshiya Sabha officials and the people of the area, in large numbers. The ceremony itself was both dignified and contained with only a few addresses.

  ‘A procession with monks, children holding aloft the traditional flower ‘trees’, women bearing lotus flowers, older upasakas and upasikawas carrying the 52 volumes of the Tripitaka, and the Trustees of the Foundation wending their way from the Bodhirukkharamya temple on the Galle-Matara road, almost a kilometre away to the Shri Dhammavansikaramaya and the new library. The name board of the library and a portrait of the venerable monk were unveiled to the beat of drums; the books shelved; and then the meeting convened in the banamaduwa. The oil lamp was lit and pansil administered by Venerable Hakmana Sumanasiri Thera, the current patron of the Dharmavijaya Foundation. The speeches were short and succinct – by Deshabandhu Olcott Gunasekera, the Venerable Walasgala Pannasiri Thera who chaired the meeting, and a local official. Children from the Dhamma School sang a song in memory of the Maha Thera and a young student spoke eloquently on the value of the library.’

Donation of two refrigerators to the Army Hospital for safe keeping of essential medicine: 26.06.2008

At the function of handing over of crutches, the hospital authorities mentioned that there is sufficient medicine, but three wards did not have refrigerators to safe keep the medicine that has to be kept for the patients.

The DVF received a donation of Rs. 66,998.00 from Lanka Communication (Private) Ltd to be used for a worthy cause and with the approval of the donor Company, the money was utilised to purchase two 8 cubic Sisil Refrigerators. These were handed to the Hospital authorities on 26 June, 2008. The DVF thanks Ms. Badra Goonatileke who coordinated the project.

There is a need for an additional refrigerator. Will a kind donor come forward?

“Computers would enhance education and communication. New teaching and new learning need a doorway and the computers just distributed would be that doorway." This was the observation made by Venerable Tirikunamale Ananda Anunayaka Thera, who presided at the special function organized by the Dharmavijaya Foundation for distribution of the computers on June 26, 2008.

This donation was possible because of a gift of used computers by Aquinas College, Ringwood, Victoria. The initiative was taken by Mr. Saj Edirisuriya who communicated through his father in January 2008 their availability. There were other parties too who were involved to make the Project a success. Notable among them was SPUR (Victoria), which on a request made by the Dharmavijaya Foundation agreed to pay all costs involved in collecting, transporting, delivery and all other incidental costs. In this respect the DVF Board appreciates the immense contribution made by Mr. Ranjith Soysa of SPUR Victoria.

The items received were – 92 usable computers, 12 computers without rom, 127 key boards, 12 computers for spare parts, 110 mice, 132 power cables and 06 hard disks.                            

         

In the distribution priority was given to requests from rural and distant areas. Due publicity was given among the affiliates of the Dharmavijaya Foundation and other selected institutions engaged in educational work. 32 computers were set aside for distribution among schools. A condition was that there should be a knowledgeable person who is readily available to conduct computer literacy classes. This was to ensure that the computers once donated were used and not stored. The locations of the institutions that received the computers indicate how wide the distribution was. They were Alapaladeniya, Angamuwa, Anguruvatota, Beliatta, Bibile, China Bay, Dampahala, Dehiowita, Embilipitiya, Galkissa, Galle, Gampola, Godakawela, Hingurakgoda, Kalutara, Mahiyangane, Matara, Millavana, Morawaka, Nattandiya, Nonagama, Nugegoda, Opatha, Pelena, Peradeniya, Ridigama, Tangalla, Veyangoda,

A sub-committee of the Dharmavijaya Foundation screened all the applications. The total of the requests was 193 computers. In order that all deserving cases were assisted it was decided that the maximum number that one institution would get would be four. Before the computers were distributed the Dharmavijaya Foundation had to engage a technically qualified person to check the working condition of all the computers, do all necessary repairs including re-assembling, and re-install the necessary user packages. In this respect the DVF expresses its appreciation to the services rendered by Chatura Wickramasinghe, our computer man.

We were very happy to have with us Ms. Durga Alwis, Honorary Treasurer of SPUR, NSW and her husband at the function. Both of them happened to be in Sri Lanka at the time. She was so impressed that on her own initiative she promised to take up with the SPUR management the reimbursement of all costs incurred by the DVF locally. Again, it is with gratitude that we mention that a cheque for the full amount was received by post on August 20.

The Board also wishes to record its thanks to the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, the General Treasury, and the Director General of Customs. They facilitated the entire process of obtaining duty free clearance for the consignment.

What would have been converted to scrap now is helping a few hundreds of children in remote areas to enhance their education levels. It was a gift very much appreciated by all the recipients. The DVF wishes to convey to all staff and students of Aquinas College our best wishes and sincere thanks.

Annual Award from the Sugathadasa and Nerissa Samarasinghe Trust

A Trust Deed was established with the Dharmavijaya Foundation (DVF) on 7-4-2008 by Senaka and Chandani Samarasinghe to award an annual cash price in memory of late Mr. Sugathadasa Samarasinghe and late Mrs. Nerissa Subhadra Samarasinghe to a deserving student  from among the students eligible to enter the Medical Faculty of any University in Sri Lanka from Visakha Vidyalaya, Bambalapitiya. According to the deed, the selection of the student would be made by the teachers of Visakha in consultation with the DVF.  

The selectee for this year was Miss. Warnaka Guruge Sajimala of Kalutara North and the awarding ceremony was held at Visakha Vidyalaya on 23-9-2008 in the Principal's Office.  

Miss. Sajimala, Deshabandu Olcott Gunasekara President DVF, Visakha Principal Mrs. Rukmani Gunaratne, Mr Premaratne Administrative Officer DVF, Messrs. Senaka and Chandani Samarasinghe the benefactors, are in these photos.