Features
Benefactor who believes in helping them to help themselves

I cannot divulge the name of the humanitarian whose massive money donation plus planning, personal time and effort have helped a central school and surrounding villages in the Vanni. He reluctantly consented to me writing about his project with the insisted upon proviso I do not name him nor drop clues to his identity. The aim of the article is not only to praise this person but to make wider known what can be done for our country by its nationals. Most important is the message he wants conveyed, which is given as conclusion to this article.
The Altruist
As a child and teenager, he moved around the island with his doctor father transferred from district to district, but was at Royal College, Colombo, throughout his secondary and senior secondary education. He then joined Colombo Medical College, passed out in 1964; served as a doctor here and then moved to London once he married and had a child. He built his career as a general practitioner under the NHS; felt he’d worked enough and took early retirement at age 66.
He had consistently visited Ceylon/ Sri Lanka, lengthening the holidays as his mother grew older. The visits did not cease with her death and the migration of all his siblings. He and his wife continued their holidays in the home country; he extending them for six months as the years passed. He came alone in 2020 and got enmeshed in the stay-put restrictions of the Covid pandemic. His wife and son were happy enough in London while he was the same in his own home in Borella, having plenty friends and even a scattering of relatives, with an excellent Woman Friday and faithful driver to see to his domestic and moving around needs.
The projects
During the extended Covid stay in Colombo, Dr W (let’s name him thus) met student day friends Mr Pancharatnam and Dr and Mrs Kasynathan of Point Pedro. They asked him whether he could help seven students of Mallavi Central College. That initial ‘yes’ ended by him pledging support for 15 students. He was invited by his friend to visit the school his beneficiary students attended. Agreed to. That was the first time in 2013 that he actually stood in front of the Central College, Mallavi, and its dilapidated buildings. He met the Principal, Mr T Jesuthanathar who updated him on urgent needs of the coeducational school and its pupils. Sister Gowsala conducted him within the girls’ hostel.
Dr W’s attention was focused on the girls’ hostel which housed around 30 and was far from adequate in space, amenities and all else. It needed urgent expansion and refurbishing. Though Mallavi itself was a growing township and improving, students of the Central College cycled to school each day from afar, often through deserted jungle areas; totally unsafe for girls. The boys managed the daily bicycle or walk to and from their homes or were boarded in local homes.
Dr W’s sterling pension from England was substantial; his child was now an employed professional and his wife lived comfortably over there. The family agreed he spend more time in Sri Lanka as was his wish, with him visiting London and his family spending holidays here.
The girls’ hostel had been repaired in 2013, but it still lacked necessary amenities and demand for hostel accommodation was pressing. So Dr W decided to build a new, spacious hostel building. Spending millions, with the cooperation of the principal and others, to the delight of Sister Gowsala, a spanking new two storey building rose up with rooms of residence, well equipped bathrooms and toilets, recreation halls and all else. Engineers in the district gave of their skills; labour was entirely local. It was ceremonially declared open in 2017. The girl’s hostel now houses 80 to 90 kids with classes in the school from Grade 6 to A/L. Excellent results at GCE OL and even AL exams proved how beneficial the money and cooperative effort put in to improve the school, and particularly the hostels, had been.
At present, with the assistance forthcoming from the Colombo Head of the Good Shepherd Nuns’ Order, two Sisters of that Order and a matron are in charge of the girls’ hostel, with a third Sister from the Claretion Catholic Order, paid for by Dr W. They are not mere supervisors but carers and counselors since students still suffer consequent strain of the civil war: sorrow of losing family members and continuing angst and imbued fear. Three women tackle the cooking of meals.
The boys had no hostel in the school. A request was acceded to and again Dr W paid for the construction of a building, completed in 2021, which now houses 30 boys. They enjoy their supervised stay; good meals; residence comforts compared to home restrictions; support for study, sports and games. One student recently told Dr W he wants to continue living in the hostel. “Impossible. Once you pass your ALs you have to leave.” “I shall stay on as warden!” was the reply.
Dr W subsidizes the monthly boarding fees of Rs 11,000 of all boarders – 110 as at present – by parents being charged Rs 7,000 per student and he paying the rest. When parents find they are able to pay just Rs 2,000 or 3,000, they are permitted, with Dr W chipping in the rest. He also pays the full fee for around 25 students. For him what is needed and contributed for is education for children and to ensure their happiness as far as possible through kind concern and generosity.
Dr W is not a mere money donor nor remote philanthropist. No, he even surpasses Bill Gates who stays over in African States when his donations immunize children, to supervise the programs. Dr W is streets ahead. He takes residence in a part of the boys’ hostel, almost monthly for at least four days; eats, chats and plays games with the boys and visits the girls’ domain.
Mallavi Central School is in five acres of land separated between the two hostels and the school proper by fences. The land is under cultivation of vegetables and fruit trees; and had a poultry farm and cattle shed with two gardeners, and students helping. The poultry project had to be reduced to rearing free ranging gan kukulas and kikilis due to the prohibitive rise in cost of chicken feed. Another increasing menace is marauding monkeys. Tall fences are climbed over. The hostels are self-sufficient in milk, eggs, veggies, coconut, fruits which include papaw, plantain in all its varieties, mango of the best yellow variety, and others. Seedlings taken from Colombo by Dr W and planted around the hostels are now fully grown and bearing fruit; 200 mango trees included.
Once the school was abundant in its garden produce, Dr W bought seedlings of coconut and fruit trees and distributed them in neighbouring villages; each costing on average Rs 2,500.
At about the same time he first went to the Mallavi Central College, Dr W visited a very poor village – Jeevanagal – in the District of Oddusuttan, also in the Vanni, where 110 families with 140 children live in poverty. They were displaced Indian labourers of the hill country due to estate riots in 1977, and were settled by the government in lands opened up by the Accelerated Mahaveli Development scheme. The local school – a government Vidyalayam – has primary to OL classes. It has restarted supplying the kids with a mid-day meal. However most stay on till their parents pick them up in the evening with teachers helping with their homework. Dr W supplies them afternoon tea or milk with a substantial snack; needless to say supplementing their nutriment intake and felt delight. On Saturdays they flock to the Day Centre he got built to enjoy a sumptuous rice and curry lunch, unfailingly with chicken or sprats and an egg each. A meal costs Rs 300 to 500. Dr W foots the entire bill.
Thus this Do Good Person is certainly not a mere donor but a staying-in benefactor, humanitarian, altruist, also a friendly father-figure in Mallavi. He benefits education, happy co-living and food security to the deprived.
Futuristic Opinion
Dr W preferred to name what he strongly feels about ‘a vision of hope’. He opines that most professionals who migrate to foreign lands for employment had their entire education from primary through secondary to university in Sri Lanka. Their free education expenses were then paid for by indirect tax payers: the tiller of the soil, cinnamon peeler, tea plucker, rubber tapper; More recently, in addition to the above, the garment factory worker, the tourism employee and those toiling overseas in menial jobs are the major money contributors to the government.
Thus to Dr W, justifiably, those Sri Lankans employed lucratively in developed countries, should consider contributing to Sri Lanka in cash or kind as almost mandatory – a return – gesture of gratitude; particularly now as the home country is mired in her worst economic crisis. Sending of dollars or pounds sterling is charitable, but the better way is to visit the home country and supervise how the donated money is utilized in whichever the chosen arena of assistance: whether it be in education, medical or any other field. Identifying a desperate family, donating a home and supporting just this one family is large enough an act of gratitude. Many expatriates do visit and give of their skill and money. More assistance is called for. I must mention that on reading the draft of this article, Dr W expressed horror, yes horror, that I had written much on the messenger but minimally on the message he wanted conveyed to other expat Sri Lankans. I subsequently better balanced the two but to me, the benefactor is of most interest and significance.
Features
Kashmir terror attack underscores need for South Asian stability and amity

The most urgent need for the South Asian region right now, in the wake of the cold-blooded killing by gunmen of nearly 30 local tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir two days back, is the initiation of measures that could ensure regional stability and peace. The state actors that matter most in this situation are India and Pakistan and it would be in the best interests of the region for both countries to stringently refrain from succumbing to knee-jerk reactions in the face of any perceived provocations arising from the bloodshed.
The consequences for the countries concerned and the region could be grave if the terror incident leads to stepped-up friction and hostility between India and Pakistan. Some hardline elements in India, for instance, are on record in the international media as calling on the Indian state to initiate tough military action against Pakistan for the Kashmiri terror in question and a positive response to such urgings could even lead to a new India-Pakistan war.
Those wishing South Asia well are likely to advocate maximum restraint by both states and call for negotiations by them to avert any military stand-offs and conflicts that could prove counter-productive for all quarters concerned. This columnist lends his pen to such advocacy.
Right now in Sri Lanka, nationalistic elements in the country’s South in particular are splitting hairs over an MoU relating to security cooperation Sri Lanka has signed with India. Essentially, the main line of speculation among these sections is that Sri Lanka is coming under the suzerainty of India, so to speak, in the security sphere and would be under its dictates in the handling of its security interests. In the process, these nationalistic sections are giving fresh life to the deep-seated anti-India phobia among sections of the Sri Lankan public. The eventual result will be heightened, irrational hostility towards India among vulnerable, unenlightened Sri Lankans.
Nothing new will be said if the point is made that such irrational fears with respect to India are particularly marked among India’s smaller neighbouring states and their publics. Needless to say, collective fears of this kind only lead to perpetually strained relations between India and her neighbours, resulting in regional disunity, which, of course would not be in South Asia’s best interests.
SAARC is seen as ‘dead’ by some sections in South Asia and its present dysfunctional nature seems to give credence to this belief. Continued friction between India and Pakistan is seen as playing a major role in such inner paralysis and this is, no doubt, the main causative factor in SARRC’s current seeming ineffectiveness.
However, the widespread anti-India phobia referred to needs to be factored in as playing a role in SAARC’s lack of dynamism and ‘life’ as well. If democratic governments go some distance in exorcising such anti-Indianism from their people’s psyches, some progress could be made in restoring SAARC to ‘life’ and the latter could then play a constructive role in defusing India-Pakistan tensions.
It does not follow that if SAARC was ‘alive and well’, security related incidents of the kind that were witnessed in India-administered Kashmir recently would not occur. This is far from being the case, but if SAARC was fully operational, the states concerned would be in possession of the means and channels of resolving the issues that flow from such crises with greater amicability and mutual accommodation.
Accordingly, the South Asian Eight would be acting in their interests by seeking to restore SAARC back to ‘life’. An essential task in this process is the elimination of mutual fear and suspicion among the Eight and the states concerned need to do all that they could to eliminate any fixations and phobias that the countries have in relation to each other.
It does not follow from the foregoing that the SAARC Eight should not broad base their relations and pull back from fostering beneficial ties with extra-regional countries and groupings that have a bearing on their best interests. On the contrary, each SAARC country’s ties need to be wide-ranging and based on the principle that each such state would be a friend to all countries and an enemy of none as long as the latter are well-meaning.
The foregoing sharp focus on SAARC and its fortunes is necessitated by the consideration that the developmental issues in particular facing the region are best resolved by the region itself on the basis of its multiple material and intellectual resources. The grouping should not only be revived but a revisit should also be made to its past programs; particularly those which related to intra-regional conflict resolution. Thus, talking to each other under a new visionary commitment to SAARC collective wellbeing is crucially needed.
On the question of ties with India, it should be perceived by the latter’s smaller neighbours that there is no getting away from the need to foster increasingly closer relations with India, today a number one global power.
This should not amount to these smaller neighbours surrendering their rights and sovereignty to India. Far from it. On the contrary these smaller states should seek to craft mutually beneficial ties with India. It is a question of these small states following a truly Non-aligned foreign policy and using their best diplomatic and political skills to structure their ties with India in a way that would be mutually beneficial. It is up to these neighbours to cultivate the skills needed to meet these major challenges.
Going ahead, it will be in South Asia’s best interests to get SAARC back on its feet once again. If this aim is pursued with visionary zeal and if SAARC amity is sealed once and for all intra-regional friction and enmities could be put to rest. What smaller states should avoid scrupulously is the pitting of extra-regional powers against India and Pakistan in their squabbles with either of the latter. This practice has been pivotal in bringing strife and contention into South Asia and in dividing the region against itself.
Accordingly, the principal challenge facing South Asia is to be imbued once again with the SAARC spirit. The latter spirit’s healing powers need to be made real and enduring. Thus will we have a region truly united in brotherhood and peace.
Features
International schools …in action

The British School in Colombo celebrated the 2025 Sinhala and Tamil New Year with the traditional rites and rituals and customs unique to the island nation, during a special Avurudu Assembly held at the school premises.
Students from all over the world, who are part of The British School in Colombo, gathered to celebrate this joyous event.
The special assembly featured traditional song and dance items from talented performers of both the Junior and Senior Schools.
On this particular day, the teachers and students were invited to attend school in Sri Lankan national costume and, among the traditional rituals celebrated, was the boiling of the milk and the tradition of Ganu-Denu.

Boiling of
the milk
In the meanwhile, a group of swimmers from Lyceum International School, Wattala, visited Australia to participate in the Global-ISE International Swimming Training Programme in Melbourne.
Over the course of 10 days, the swimmers followed an advanced training schedule and attended sessions at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), Victoria’s Nunawading Swimming Club, and Camberwell Grammar School.
In addition to their training, the group also explored Melbourne, with visits to key landmarks, such as the Parliament House and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), along with city tours and cultural experiences.

Traditional dance item

Tug-of-war contest

On arrival in Melbourne, Lyceum International School, Wattala, with Sri Lankan officials
Features
Perfect … and healthy

Got a few more beauty tips to give you … for a perfect complexion, or, let’s say, a healthy skin.
* Honey Face Mask:
Take a tablespoon of raw honey and then warm it up by rubbing it with your fingertips. Apply the warm honey all over your face. Let this natural mask stand for about 10 minutes and then wash it off gently with warm water.
* Coconut Milk Face Mask:
You need to squeeze coconut milk out of a grated raw coconut and apply this milk all over your face, including your lips.
(This will help you gain a glowing skin. It is one of the best natural tips for skin care)
* Orange, Lemon, and Yoghurt Moisturiser:
To prepare this moisturiser, you need a tablespoon of orange juice, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a cup of plain yoghurt.
Mix them together and apply the paste all over your face, leaving it as a mask for 10 to 15 minutes. Next, take a damp handkerchief and use it to clean your face.
(This moisturiser brightens the complexion of your skin)
* Cucumber and Lemon:
Apply equal parts of cucumber and lemon juice on your face before taking a bath. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing it off. This natural face beauty tip will brighten your skin tone and lighten blemishes if used on a regular basis. The best aspect is that it is appropriate for all skin types!
* Healthy Diet:
Aside from the effective home remedies, there are certain other factors to consider for skin care – and the first of them is your diet. Without the right nutrients, your skin cannot reverse the damage it suffers every day.
Eat fruits that are high in vitamin C because they contain antioxidants.
Adjust your diet to get the right amount of protein and unsaturated fats, as well as fresh green vegetables. All of this provides the right amount of nutrients so your skin can heal and improve itself naturally.
* Sun Protection and Care:
Another thing to keep in mind is not to step out of your home without sunscreen, especially with this awful heat we are experiencing at the moment. The hard rays of the sun can do you more damage than you could ever imagine.
By the way, you can prepare your own sunscreen lotion with glycerin, cucumber juice and rose water. You can also keep this lotion in the fridge.
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