Features

H.W. Cave: A brief essay on his life, works and company

Published

3 years ago

2023/10/8

By Avishka Mario Senewiratne

Ever since the British took over the coastal region of Ceylon and subsequently the realms of Kandy, many English travellers such as Percival, Cordiner, Davy, Marshall, Tennent, Baker, and Skinner visited our country. The list of travellers who wrote of our own ‘picturesque Ceylon’ is much longer. Long before that, the well known Robert Knox was a glorious captive of Râjasinghe II. His book on Ceylon, in any continent is a classic.

Undoubtedly, this former colony of the monarch of England, had touched the hearts of many who had visited and a more significant number of those who have not. Yet no one did what H.W. Cave would do for Ceylon. He painted a bird’s eye and traveller’s eye of this ancient country so as not just to attract the foreign reader but also to honour the sons and daughters of the soil.

His photographs coupled with his lucid style of writing have captivated readers of yesterday, today and will, by all means; tomorrow! Not many may know of this lover of Ceylon or his workings in the commercial sphere. However, the name “Cave & Co.” have stood the test of time. Thus, here I am attempting to record his epitaph and not forget to illuminate those who keep us writers moving forward: the readers.

H.W. Cave: A Biographical Note

Henry William Cave was born on February 23, 1854, to William Cave and Louisa Wilson of Northamptonshire, England. Nothing much is known of his early days apart from the fact that he attended Magdalen College School and subsequently Queen’s College, Oxford. However, prior to the completion of his degree, Cave dropped out of Oxford at age 18.

With nothing else to do, he accepted the role of being the private secretary of Bishop Reginald Copleston, the newly appointed Anglican Bishop of Colombo. Thus, Copleston and Cave travelled to a country they both knew little of in 1872. Coming to Ceylon, changed the life and the attitude of Cave for the better. He, who was a shy, introverted young man in England, experienced much prosperity in Ceylon.

The Anglican Diocese of Colombo, though large in area, had a somewhat low population. Copleston realised that his young secretary had little work to do and encouraged him to edit the Ceylon Diocesan Gazette, the oldest Anglican paper in the country. It was here where Cave first got exposed to typography and printing.

By 1876 Cave was well settled in Ceylon. That year, with the blessing and encouragement of his Bishop, he started a simple bookstore which sold Bibles and religious books. Located in Upper Chatham Street, Colombo Fort, this was the birth of H.W. Cave and Company.

Interestingly, many young Europeans who came to Ceylon during British rule either went on to be planters, administrators of the government or those who had the means, to start their own businesses. Henry Cave on the other hand wanted to do something with books. This involved travel and research, taking photographs, writing books and then selling them.

Cave had considerable acumen about what he was doing. By 1884 he made enough money to expand his shop stocking not only books but also stationery,, musical instruments and sporting goods such as billiard tables. He also sold rickshaws and bicycles and was a printer and publisher. After moving to a two-storey building in Queen Street, Fort, he had enough business to employ over 350 people.

This building which had a well-proportioned classical façade and a 400-foot road frontage was popularly called ‘Amen’s Corner’. While on furlough in the UK, he met Laura Emma Long and married her in 1880 in Richmond, Surrey. One of Cave’s daughters was named ‘Kalani’. However, the marriage was short-lived with the untimely death of Laura in 1886. Cave, who was widowed at 32 was left heartbroken.

He left his business under the care of his brothers and nephew and returned to England. remaining the senior partner. He re-entered Oxford to complete the degree he dropped pursuing some 14 years previously, Cave ultimately completed his first degree and also took a Master’s in Arts. He made a number of visits to Ceylon until his death in 1913.

H.W. Cave: His works

Despite leaving Ceylon in 1886, Cave had by then acquired immense knowledge of the island, its people and cities. He had a series of notes on various places he visited and though an amateur photographer, a collection of landscape photographs of various areas in Ceylon. With time he became a highly sought-after photographer reputed for the quality and precision of his work.

Unlike others who wrote of this country, who had only illustrated their work with sketches as plates, Cave thought out of the box. He illustrated his text with his own photographs publishing a series of deluxe travelogues on Ceylon. This series was called Picturesque Ceylon. Following are the books of that series:

· Cave, H.W., (1894), Picturesque Ceylon: Colombo and the Kelani Valley, Volume 1, London: Samson Low, Marston & Co. with 36 illustrations.

· Cave, H.W., (1895), Picturesque Ceylon: Kandy and Peradeniya, Volume 2, London: Samson Low, Marston & Co. with 33 illustrations.

· Cave, H.W., (1897), Picturesque Ceylon: Nuwaraeliya and Adam’s Peak, Volume 3, London: Samson Low, Marston & Co. with 30 illustrations.

In his preface to his first book, Cave states that this is not a ‘literary effort’ but ‘some information about the scenes depicted’. He goes on to say, “My purpose is to enable the friends of European residents in Ceylon, and others who are interested in the Island, to obtain a better idea of its charming features than is possible from a mere verbal description.” The book was an instant hit, both in Europe and Ceylon. His images of Colombo and the Kelani Valley together with his highly readable text was enjoyed by his readers.

His lucid style of writing gripped the reader’s attention tempting many to read from cover to cover at a single sitting. Cave begins his descriptions with a simple view of the palm-fringed shores of Colombo from the deck of a travelling ship. He then describes the docks and the areas surrounding the Fort and Pettah, and subsequently the inner parts of Colombo.

What captivates the reader is that he complements his text by describing a certain event or area, thereby creating a word picture and then providing actual photographs shot by him to give a thorough overview. This is what made his three volumes of Picturesque Ceylon so appealing to many. Further, the fine binding of these books made them very attractive. This is how the Ceylon Independent reviewed the first book by Cave:

“It is the finest and the most handsomely got up a book on the subject of Ceylon that has yet been published; the most praiseworthy attempt to paint the lily that we have seen.”

Cave went on to write yet another book in 1897 on Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa titled Ruined Cities of Ceylon. This too became an instant hit and out of all his publications, this is the most hard-to-find book. It went into immediate reprints due to the growing demand. In 1900, Cave published his most endearing work highlighting the impetus of the booming tea industry of Ceylon. This book titled Golden Tips: Description of Ceylon and its Great Tea Industry has over 200 illustrations and runs across 467 pages.

One conspicuous feature of this book is its extremely hard yet eye-catching gold cloth binding with gold leaf edges. Though the first print ran for 3,000 copies within a year another reprint had to be done. By 1907, there were four editions of this book and numerous other reprints have followed to date. Reviewing the Golden Tips, the London Atheneum commented:

“Mr. Cave seems to hold a brief for the whole island of Ceylon, with its varied attractions… The charm of Sinhalese life and nature is depicted with glowing colours and interesting details… The simple, peaceful village life, and the more stirring existence of the townspeople, with their varied avocations, are equally well described.”

H.W. Cave certainly knew his marketing. Upon the completion of his work, he sought reviews on each of his publications and used them widely in his advertising. This attracted attention with both daily newspapers and scholarly journals praising his efforts and the high quality and readability of his illustrated works. In 1908, Cave published the Book of Ceylon. The late Dr. Christopher Uragoda considers this work as his magnum opus.

The Book of Ceylon ran over 650 pages and was lavishly illustrated like Cave’s previous works. It also has a signature colour plate of Lankathilaka temple. His admiration of the construction of a splendid railway line in the country, led to his compiling a book on the railway together with an account of the country’s varied attractions for visitor and tourists. The binding of this book is a bright red-clothed fabric with gold engravings. As the railway then was the most commonly used mode of transport for both people and goods, this publication with its detailed maps attracted many readers and was highly appreciated.

In 1910, Cave published his final book The Ceylon Government Railway which was mainly extracted from The Book of Ceylon. Though this is the least appreciated work of Cave, its first edition ran into 6,000 copies. Today all of Cave’s books are high in demand and its first editions are highly sought after by book collectors. Ismeth Raheem and Percy Colin-Thome in their book Images of British Ceylon commented on Cave as follows: “He (H.W. Cave) attempted to present a quintessential vision of Ceylon.”

Messrs. H.W. Cave and Company

Henry Cave first opened his bookstore as more of a side-business on the encouragement of his dear friend, Bishop Copleston in 1876. However, he realised that his expertise in this was far greater than he anticipated. The trade he was dealing with was with a niche market and he fathomed that he had no competitors. This strategy enabled him to grow rapidly within a short period of time. Soon his two brothers A.E. and S. Cave would join him along with his nephew Walter Cave.

They were the partners of what would be one of the biggest firms in Colombo for several decades. Caves had a wide array of books ranging from the genres of educational, comedy, fiction, non-fiction, travelogues, philosophy, romance, history etc. The books ranged from affordable rates to high-quality books with well-leathered covers and gilt-edged leaves. This is what Allister Macmillan commented on the bookstore:

“Civilisation has developed nothing of greater importance and influence than the multiplicity of its literature, and the stock of books and other reading matter kept at Messrs. H.W. Cave and Co. is an interesting and accurate index to public tastes and requirements in that condition” Apart from books, Caves were dealers of high-quality stationery and office equipment imported from Britain.

These goods such as filing cabinets, cash registers, adding machines, typewriters etc. were high in demand in Colombo as it was well known to achieve maximum results and efficiency over minimum labour. When it came to sporting goods such as athletics and gymnastic equipment, fishing tackle and billiard tables, Caves was second to none.

Cave and Co. had a wide range of silverware, watches, pictures, artists’ material, tobacco, as well as sundry items. The musical fraternity of this country cannot forget the exquisite kind of musical instruments imported from England. No firm in this country at that time had acquired such prominence for the fine pianos and organs. These devices were famous for being labelled ‘Suited to the climate of Ceylon’.

However, what Cave & Co. were outspokenly best at their printing works. Located in Slave Island the press used to run across 25,000 sq. ft. By 1926, the press had no fewer than 41 printing machines of various sizes. Cave’s printing was famous for its fine binding and revolutionary typesetting, which even in this digital age is hard to match. Apart from printing books for private clients and government contracts across all languages in Ceylon, the printing press was well known for printing picturesque colour postcards and photographs and millions of tea labels.

No one would have expected that a simple boy, who was the secretary of the ‘boy Bishop’ would be such a successful entrepreneur, hard to match. Set up in 1881,Cave’st was the most modern press in the subcontinent. It was well known for using the state-of-the-art photo-chemical reproduction facility. This was used for the first time in commercial purpose by Cave & Co. H.W. Cave employed the trained artist Barlow Moore to head the initial staff of 40 as the Chief Printing Manager.

While being the senior partner H.W. Cave died in 1913 and his brothers and nephew ran the firm well into 1920s. In 1926, it is known that the partners of the company were Messers. Bartlett, Brown, Dawkins and Wratten. In the 1950s this company which had by then had moved to the best area of the Gaffoor building, was acquired by the sons of F.J. Lucas Fernando Jr. After the 1960s, Cave & Co. declined and eventually closed its operations. This is history and hopefully a visionary as astute as H.W. Cave would create a similar enterprise in Sri Lanka.

“Flattery is hushed when Ceylon is the theme,

As mem’ry on mem’ries throng, her charms to tell!

Are there not witcheries that through beauty beam

Unspeakable? Yet, weaving such a spell

That limner, language, never can portray,

Though haunted by their magic power always.”

–Mrs. William Dent

References

Goonetilleke, H.A.I., (1970-77), Bibliography of Ceylon, Vols. 5,

Kularatne, Tilak, (2006), History of Printing and Publishing in Ceylon: 1736-1912, Dehiwala

Macmillan, Allister (ed), (1928), Seaports of India and Ceylon, W.H &L. Collingridge, London

Raheem, I and Colin-Thome, P, (2000), Images of British Ceylon: 19^th Century Photography of Sri Lanka, Times Edition

Richard Boyle, (2001), ‘Through a Carriage Window with Cave’, Sunday Times

Uragoda, C.G., (2011), Authors of Books on Sri Lanka, 1796-1948, Volume 1,

West, John, (2014), Views of Ceylon, The Ceylon Study Circle

Wright, Arnold (ed), (1907), Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon, London

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Why ‘Southasianness’ should continue to matter for the ‘SAARC Eight’

Published

20 hours ago

2026/09/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha (at centre of top table), other dignitaries and the RCSS team at the formalization of the SAU-RCSS agreement.

At a time when Sri Lanka’s foreign policy is coming under intense scrutiny by some local sections it is only right that impartial and independent commentators shed some clarity on what fundamental foreign policy directions Sri Lanka ought to take. The extremely fluid and complex nature of current international politics renders such an understanding crucially important.

Given its vulnerabilities in a number of spheres Sri Lanka has no choice but to persist in broadly following the path of Non-alignment. That is, it should be ‘a friend of all and an enemy of none’, to the extent possible. However, it does not follow that in the process it could compromise what is seen as its national interest.

The latter point needs stressing against the backdrop of the criticisms the Sri Lankan government has been attracting from some quarters over what is made out to be some opaqueness in security and defence cooperation agreements it has entered into with India. It remains advisable for the Sri Lankan government to enter into pacts of this nature with India, but the government is obliged to disclose the contents of these agreements to the Sri Lankan people without undue delay in consideration of the uncompromisable sovereign rights of a people in a democracy.

However, there is no denying that the government should make it a central foreign policy premise to always work in cooperation with India. A consideration of what it cost Sri Lanka in the past to be in a disharmonious relationship with India and how such policy missteps worked against Sri Lanka’s best interests ought to dictate to Sri Lanka the advisability of maintaining uninterrupted cordial ties with India. Moreover, common sense ought to drive home to a country the costs of being at loggerheads with one’s closest neighbour who has also proved a ‘ready friend in deed.’

That said, it is the bounden duty of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic community or establishment to ensure that such cooperation does not degenerate into a policy of subservience towards India. That is, finesse and farsightedness in local diplomacy become prime requirements.

While India’s geographical location and physical size, besides her other strengths, contribute towards her centrality in regional and world affairs, her neighbours would be thinking and acting far-sightedly if they not only focus on India and her legitimate interests but also ensure continuous friction-free intra-South Asian relations. That is, for them collective South Asian well being should be of fundamental importance.

Much more than for India perhaps, such harmonious ties are of inestimable importance to India’s neigbours who are up against multiple vulnerabilities which are to a great extent regionally rooted. The latter could never, that is, afford to take their minds off the region’s collective development prospects.

The above are some of the reasons why it could prove highly counter-productive and self-defeating for the ‘South Asian Eight’ to render dormant and ineffective the historic SAARC organization. Rather than ‘dead’ SAARC has been allowed to drift into the ‘Limbo of Forgotten Things.’

The growing inter-dependence of the ‘SAARC Eight’ ought to impress on the collectivity the need to step-up regional cooperation in multiple areas which impinge on its members’ legitimate interests. For instance, the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ revolts, first in India and subsequently outside, should convince South Asia that it is continuing to be plagued in a major way by poverty and equity-linked issues. That is, West-inspired, largely market economics-dictated ways to see an end to poverty are simply not working completely.

Likewise climate-related questions are ravaging South Asia in unimaginable ways; Nepal being just one case in point. The rationale for regional cooperation remains valid and undefeated. It is time for revived and stepped-up SAARC cooperation. That is, the solutions to the region’s development dilemmas need to be found in mainly the region.

This amounts to making a case for a continued sense of ‘Southasianness’ among the SAARC countries. That is the conviction should be firm that they know their developmental challenges best and that answers to these issues must be primarily evolved by the grouping itself in cooperation with concerned sections.

From the above viewpoints the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo did very well to tie-up with the South Asian University (SAU), India, to increase public awareness on the developmental problems affecting South Asia and for initiating a number collaborative measures that aim at ameliorating them. The relevant agreement was formalized in early September at the RCSS. The sealing of the pact took place under the aegis of SAU President Prof. K.K. Aggarwal and RCSS Executive Director Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha.

A press release issued by the organizations said the collaboration aims ‘to foster research networks, partnerships and collaborations for transformative change across South Asia.’ It also mentioned that the partnership marked the first agreement to be signed by SAU with an independent think tank in Sri Lanka.

Among other things, pacts such as the above are bold moves in the direction of fostering a spirit of intellectual independence in those areas of the South facing some of the stiffest developmental challenges. Rather than ‘import’ solutions to these challenges from outside the region, the SAU-RCSS initiative aims at fostering fresh approaches to evolving solutions to problems that are uniquely South Asian.

It is hoped that the SAU and RCSS initiative while leading a to a greater degree of Southern intellectual independence in the area of development thinking would also help in kick-starting the SAARC process all over again in a major way.

What ought to lend fresh urgency to the latter undertakings are fast-breaking current developments in international politics. It ought to be perceived by the most underdeveloped regions of the South that going forward their well being would matter least or not at all to the major powers of both East and West.

For example at the time of writing the foremost among US and Chinese political leaders are meeting in the US in what is made out to be a historic coming together of sorts to address issues of common concern. It is highly unlikely that the parties would be addressing the economic preoccupations of the least developed countries. The same goes for other states that matter from the East and West.

Essentially, the US and China would be looking at ways of strengthening business ties that matter majorly for them. The South and its issues would prove to be of peripheral interest, if at all they happen to matter to the protagonists. Such developments ought to be fresh reminders to the South and their collaborative organizations that there is no escaping self-help and joint solidarity.

Features

Is Sri Lanka prepared for global literacy crisis?

Published

20 hours ago

2026/09/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

by Prof. M.W. Amarasiri de Silva

Adult literacy has for a long time been one of Sri Lanka’s greatest sources of pride, serving as a social indicator that has set the country apart from several of its neighbours in the region. For many years Sri Lanka has been recognised for keeping its literacy rates at a level like those of middle-income countries and even some high-income ones, even though it has faced economic difficulties and political instability. However, since new global research has now shown an unexpected and concerning decline in adult literacy in several high-income countries, it is important to consider what this means for Sri Lanka.

The phenomenon described by Jishnu Das, Yash Dhuldhoya and Ethan Sager, the unexplained fall in functional literacy among adults in wealthy nations. calls for a more thorough examination of the nature of literacy, the pressures exerted by the modern information environment, and the vulnerabilities that Sri Lanka might encounter as it moves towards a more digital, ageing and complex society. Even though Sri Lanka’s basic literacy rates remain high and steady, the global trend acts as a warning that literacy is not a fixed accomplishment but a dynamic capability which must be continually fostered, safeguarded and adapted to changing circumstances.

Decline in functional literacy

The drop in literacy rate in high-income countries is not due to people losing the ability to read or write in the ordinary way. On the contrary, it reflects a decline in functional literacy, which is the capacity to deal with, understand, and apply information in real-life situations. This kind of literacy involves following instructions, comprehending official documents, using digital interfaces, interpreting medical information, and making sense of complicated texts that demand continuous attention.

Researchers stress that the decline cannot be attributed merely to disruptions caused by COVID-19 or the increasing use of smartphones; instead, there is going on something more fundamental: a weakening of the cognitive and informational bases that adults need to function properly in modern society. In countries such as the United States, the percentage of adults regarded as functionally illiterate has increased significantly, indicating that even highly educated societies are having difficulty in keeping up the skills required to handle ever more complex streams of information.

Sri Lanka immune?

At first sight, Sri Lanka seems to be immune from this trend. The country’s adult literacy rate is still above 92 per cent and youth literacy is even higher. According to the 2024 Census, literacy rates exceed 97 per cent among people aged ten and over, with nearly equal levels between the sexes. These figures show the continued strength of Sri Lanka’s system of free education, a system which in the past has guaranteed widespread access to school and has produced generation after generation of citizens who could read and write at a basic level.

There has also been a steady improvement in educational attainment, with an increasing number of adults finishing secondary education and a larger proportion going on to tertiary institutions. Unlike the mysterious drops observed in rich countries, Sri Lanka’s literacy figures demonstrate stability and even a slight improvement.

However, although the surface appearance is reassuring, an even more complicated reality exists. The literacy figures for Sri Lanka only record basic literacy, that is, the ability to read and write simple sentences, and they do not include measures of functional literacy. It is impossible to tell from these statistics whether adults can interpret a bank statement, understand a medical prescription, use an online government portal, or critically assess information that is spreading on social media. As is shown by the global trend, having a high level of basic literacy does not ensure a strong degree of functional literacy. On the contrary, functional literacy can fall even if basic literacy stays the same. This difference is important for Sri Lanka, particularly since the country is currently experiencing rapid digitalization, demographic ageing, and social change.

Major risk factor

A major risk factor is the move towards digital information environments. In high-income countries, researchers believe that the prevalence of smartphones and short-form digital content may be diminishing people’s ability to engage in deep reading. Nowadays, individuals take in information in short, rapid segments by scrolling through social media feeds, quickly reading headlines, and viewing short videos. Such behaviour decreases the opportunity for sustained reading, which is necessary for keeping comprehension, critical thinking, and the capacity to deal with complex information intact.

Sri Lanka is going through a comparable change. There has been a sharp increase in the number of people using smartphones, and social media sites have become the main sources of news, leisure, and communication. Although there are many advantages to having digital access, it also results in a situation where superficial reading becomes the standard approach and could therefore lead to a decline in functional literacy over time.

Demographic ageing as challenge

A further challenge that is coming up is demographic ageing. Sri Lanka is rapidly moving towards becoming an ageing society, with an increasing number of older people who might experience cognitive decline, have less exposure to new information, and enjoy few opportunities for further learning. In high-income countries, ageing populations have led to a fall in functional literacy since older individuals have had difficulty adapting to digital systems and complicated bureaucratic procedures.

The older generation in Sri Lanka, many whom were educated many decades ago under different curriculum standards, could end up becoming increasingly vulnerable in a world in which essential services, such as banking and healthcare, are being moved online. If appropriate support is not provided, the country may witness a growing gap between basic literacy and functional literacy among older adults.

In Sri Lanka, the way in which administration and the workplace are organised has in the past placed greater trust in personal communication and on basic forms of documentation. What in high-income countries would require complex reading is instead carried out through face-to-face contact in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, this situation is now changing. Government services are becoming available online, banks are introducing digital systems, and in workplaces there is an increasing need for employees to use electronic systems. Since these changes are happening at a faster rate, the demand for functional literacy will increase. Should adults not be able to meet these new demands, Sri Lanka might start to see the kind of decline in literacy that has been seen in other places.

Misinformation and disinformation

Another worry is the spread of misinformation and disinformation. In Sri Lanka, there has already been the quick dissemination of false information via social media, with this having an impact on public health, politics, and social cohesion. Since functional literacy is essential for allowing people to assess sources, doubt the claims made, and tell the difference between reliable information and falsehoods, a lack of functional literacy causes societies to be more open to manipulation, polarisation, and confusion.

The fact that there has been a global drop in functional literacy at the same time as misinformation has increased points to a dangerous feedback cycle: when literacy is low people become more prone to misinformation, and the misinformation in turn damages their ability to think critically about information. Given that the country has a high level of social media use and a lack of digital literacy training, Sri Lanka should take this risk seriously.

Even though there are these risks, Sri Lanka has several advantages which can assist in avoiding a drop in functional literacy. The country’s system of basic education is still strong, showing high enrolment figures and good results in basic literacy.

Families in Sri Lanka still place a great deal of importance on education and reading is still a respected cultural activity. Furthermore, because of its relatively small size and the fact that it has a centralized form of government, it is more efficient than in bigger countries to carry out nationwide literacy campaigns. These strengths offer a firm basis for developing new strategies for protecting and improving functional literacy.

Literacy a process

It should be realised by Sri Lanka that attaining literacy is not a single accomplishment achieved in childhood. In the modern world, literacy must be a skill that is constantly put into practice, kept up to date and adapted to changing circumstances. The fact that adult literacy is declining worldwide shows that even in wealthy countries with well-developed education systems deterioration can occur if adults are not supported in keeping their cognitive and informational abilities. Sri Lanka cannot afford to be careless.

It is necessary for the country to invest in adult education, in programmes concerning digital literacy and in the development of cognitive skills for all age groups. It also needs to establish ways of measuring functional literacy rather than just basic literacy so that policymakers can detect emerging weaknesses and act in advance.

A vital measure is to increase the opportunities for adult learning. Although Sri Lanka has effective literacy programmes based in schools, the country’s infrastructure for adult education is limited. Community centres, libraries, universities, and vocational institutes should take on a more significant role by providing courses, workshops, and reading programmes which are tailored for adults. The programmes should place an emphasis not just on reading and writing but also on digital navigation, critical thinking, and information processing. Adults should be given the chance to practise the skills that are necessary for them to function effectively in a rapidly changing world.

Importance of digital literacy programmes

It is just as important to have digital literacy programmes. Since an increasing number of services are being offered online, adults need to learn how to use digital tools with confidence and in a safe manner. This involves knowing how to fill out online forms, moving around on government websites, using banking apps, and being able to spot misinformation. The digital literacy courses available should be accessible, affordable, and adapted to different age groups, especially older adults who might feel put off by technology. Schools can also contribute by incorporating digital literacy into their curriculum so that future generations acquire good functional literacy skills from an early age.

Sri Lanka should also investigate introducing policies which promote cognitive health among older people. Since cognitive decline can lead to a deterioration of functional literacy, it becomes more difficult for older individuals to deal with information. It is possible to help keep cognitive function by setting up programmes that promote reading, social interaction, physical activity, and continued learning. During regular medical visits, healthcare professionals should include cognitive assessments so that any problems affecting literacy-related skills can be picked up early.

Sri Lanka needs to create tools for measuring functional literacy, since the figures available on basic literacy give an incomplete account of the country’s capabilities. By using assessments of functional literacy like those employed in high-income countries, Sri Lanka would be able to monitor how well its adults can apply their literacy skills in real-life situations.

Features

From Colombo to Vegas: Sri Lankan talent shines at WCOPA

Published

20 hours ago

2026/09/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

Chris with Sachini Ayendra, the very first contestant who represented Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2015 / Bronze winner at WCOPA 2026 Natharie Wickramasinghe with her parents

The World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) is known globally as the Olympics of performing arts, but Sri Lankans came to know of it more closely when Natharie Wickramasinghe, representing Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2026, in Las Vegas, earned a Bronze Medal in the Ethnic/Folklore Dance category.

Behind Sri Lanka’s WCOPA journey is Sri Lanka-born Chris Rajendra, who migrated to the United States in 2007, and deserves special congratulations.

Passionate about discovering and promoting talent, Chris has been actively involved in the pageant and performing arts, industry since 2002.

A major milestone came in 2015, when he introduced WCOPA, to Sri Lanka, for the first time, creating an international platform for Sri Lankan performers.

Sachini Ayendra became the very first candidate to represent Sri Lanka at WCOPA, in 2015, marking the beginning of Team Sri Lanka’s journey.

Chris served as National Director for Team Sri Lanka from 2015 to 2018, and has returned to the role for the 2026–2027 term, continuing his commitment to identifying, developing and promoting Sri Lankan talent internationally.

His involvement in pageantry and performing arts includes:

Recruiter, Miss Nevada United States – 2014

Chris Rajendra: National Director – WCOPA Team Sri Lanka

Manager, Miss Colombia Las Vegas – 2013 to 2017

Director for the West Coast and International Divisions of Ms. Latina International and Ms. International World – 2017

National Director for Team Sri Lanka – WCOPA, 2015–2018 and 2026–2027

Co-National Director for Team USA – WCOPA 2026

In the USA, Chris began his career in retail before transitioning into insurance and financial services, where he built extensive experience in sales, marketing, leadership and business development.

He owned and operated a brokerage, affiliated with multiple insurance companies, and later served as Marketing Director with Transamerica and World Financial Group.

As his business expanded across Las Vegas and California, he continued to hone his expertise in sales, marketing and client relations. He now works as a Sales Executive at Hilton Grand Vacations.

Looking ahead, Chris will shortly launch the application process for Team Sri Lanka 2027, giving talented Sri Lankan performers another opportunity to represent the country on the world stage.

The 2027 World Championships of Performing Arts will take place in Las Vegas, USA, in July or August 2027.

Through his work in both the corporate and performing arts worlds, Chris Rajendra continues to combine leadership, networking and talent development — creating opportunities for Sri Lankan performers to showcase their abilities on a global platform.