News

Oxford Walk raises $13,000 for rural communities in Sri Lanka

Published

4 months ago

2025/11/13

Some of the participants

After a week of typical British rain, on Sunday 2 November 2025 the clouds parted, and a glorious Autumnal sun rose splicing together the blue skies over the historical and beautiful city of Oxford, England. University of Oxford Sri Lanka Society students Leo, Ethan, Pradeep, Niorla, Taya, and others clad in distinctive neon yellow vests bearing the Solar Village SDG emblem on their backs, gathered outside the prestigious Saïd Business School of the Oxford University, to greet an avid group of fundraising walkers.

Solar Village SDG, a community interest company, based in Oxfordshire UK, had organised a sponsored walk taking sizeable groups of fundraisers on an 8 km walkabout through this gorgeous city’s most famous touch points, taking in the Radcliffe Square, the Bridge of Sighs, Bodleian Libraries, Museums and numerous other historic landmarks. Oxford University’s student marshals guided the walkers through their colleges and provided fascinating facts about this international city, its world-renowned history and alumni as well as the unique aspects of Oxford University life.

The organiser, Solar Village SDG, is dedicated to promoting sustainable development, poverty reduction, and climate action in Sri Lanka. The total funds raised in the region of £10,000 including the funds raised on the day, will go towards funding two solar villages and IT classrooms in rural sites in Anuradhapura and Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, to provide solar power solutions and sustainable development. The funding page will remain open through to the end of November: https://solarvillagesdg.enthuse.com/cf/oxford-city-walkabout-2025 . Solar Village SDG anticipates the full fundraising targets to be met over the course of the coming year.

In Anuradhapura, they will support a primary school. By installing a solar panel roof at the school, a Village Development Committee will ensure much needed work is carried out. They also hope to install a smart room to support education through IT once further funds are realised.

In Batticaloa, they hope to support a community in Navat Kulam struggling without clean running drinking water, or sanitation. Solar Village SDG aims to provide solar water pumping, desalination and drip irrigation systems to support cultivation. In time, they hope to support the community with water filtration mechanisms with support from the local authorities.

Solar Village SDG’s goals align with 14 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating the company’s innovative approach to integrating poverty reduction in rural populations with climate action and education. In supporting rural communities and remote schools in Sri Lanka, they will support education, cottage gardens, a clean environment, and the empowerment of the entire community notably female-led households where the need is greatest.

The fundraiser proved to be an immense success. This success is also dependent on the outstanding team of individuals who planned, attended, and supported these efforts.

Several performers illuminated the post-walkathon celebration, including Mrs. Athis Vadivale with a Bharatanatyam performance, Ms. Eresha Jayatilake singing covers of Yohani and the Beatles, Miss Ushara Dilrukshan with covers of Sade, Mr. Kris Dilrukshan performing covers of Bruce Springsteen, and the mother-daughter duo, Mrs. Chamari and Miss Sonali Samarasinghe, with a beautiful fusion of Sinhala and Bollywood dance. Alongside these performances were exhibiting Sri Lankan artists, including Lilani Dilrukshan, Nadee Ranasinghe, and Leilani Jeevaratnam. Ms. Dilrukshan also managed the performances and art sale.

The event was also fortunate to be graced by the presence of Mr. Sameera Dayasekara, Counsel who represented the Sri Lanka High Commission.

Moreover, The Coconut Tree, one of the top Sri Lankan Cuisine Restaurateurs based in Oxford (and other major UK cities) very generously donated a delicious Sri Lankan lunch for all walkathon attendees, allowing an international audience to enjoy a popular Sri Lankan meal.

While speaking and learning about the important issues facing rural Sri Lanka the participants enjoyed a tremendously enjoyable day out.

Solar Village SDG’s own members contributed extensively to this wonderful event. Cheryl and Katsuyori Yamamoto, Kamani and Ravi Hewagama, Marisa Rawlins, Emma Kokuhennedege and Priyanga Nugegodage to name but a few. Kshamara Fernando an Aberdeen University student in Scotland contributed to the preparation of a magnificent post-event souvenir alongside Solar Village SDG’s CEO Nilmini Roelens and this is available here. Further, Nilmini and Cambridge University student/American national Rashmi Raveendran worked hard collaboratively together to create a fabulous “A year in review” video to summarise the work and accomplishments from Solar Village SDG’s first year which is available here.

Of special note is the contribution of Canada based engineer and Master’s student Devni Jayasekara who set up and managed the fundraising platform Enthuse and without whose highly valuable IT skills the fundraising could not have been facilitated. University student leadership support in the UK from Evelyn and Neo was helpful in securing engagement.

One planet Abingdon and Abingdon Carbon Cutters, two Oxfordshire based climate action groups, provided extremely valuable fundraising support to this international mix of fundraisers. The top individual fundraiser spots for Oxford City Walkabout, went to Saliya and Sandya Samaranayake, Ravi and Kamani Hewagama, the pioneer of the Solar Village concept and Chair of Solar Village SDG cic, Emeritus Professor I M Dharmadasa as well as Lilani Dilrukshan, Eleanor Dangerfield and Fatima Aftab.

The truly international flavour of this worthy endeavour was sealed in when St Paul’s Milagiriya “Evergreens” Catheeja Ismail in Maryland, USA and Tung Chi Ching (“Tunchi”) based in Sydney, Australia took the excellent initiative to organise their very own sponsored “relay walk” locally in their own adoptive countries, contributing valuably to the Solar Village SDG’s Oxford City Walkabout fundraising.

Solar Village SDG CIC’s directors Professor IM Dharmadasa, Ms Nilmini Roelens and Mr Saroj Pathirana are extremely grateful for this outstanding support, and a Sri Lanka based team of experienced volunteers will now seek to implement the projects progressively in the coming months.

By Nilmini Roelens and Rashmi Raveendran

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Be mindful of the accuracy of information before sharing it on social media – PM

Published

45 mins ago

2026/03/16

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the weakening of public trust in information disseminated through the media is extremely dangerous for a society, and emphasized that people must be mindful of the truthfulness of information before sharing it on social media.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the “Sandeshaya” Media Awards Ceremony held on 14 March at the Kularathne Hall of Ananda College, Colombo. The event was organized with the aim of providing Sri Lankan school students with an opportunity to actively contribute to the national media discourse while promoting ethics, responsibility, and critical thinking.

During the “Sandeshaya” Awards Ceremony , lifetime awards granted only once in a lifetime were presented to distinguished veterans in the media field, while media awards were also presented to talented students in the school category. The ceremony was held under the patronage of the Prime Minister.

Expressing her views further, the Prime Minister stated:

“We live in an era where information technology and the media are changing rapidly. Along with these changes, many opportunities have emerged, but we are also confronted with numerous challenges.

We must prepare our younger generation to live in a society and a world transformed by information technology and the media.

When we observe the changes taking place in the media today, we can say that the media and information have become democratized. In the past, access to knowledge and information was largely limited to privileged or powerful groups. The authority to communicate information and decide what should be disseminated was held by a small group. However, with the advancement of technology, this has changed dramatically. As a result of this revolutionary transformation, information, data, and knowledge have now become accessible to everyone. In that sense, it is a positive development.

At the same time, we are no longer merely media viewers or consumers. As citizens, we can also become media creators. Citizens now have significant space to engage with the media and share information. While this is positive in one sense, it also carries certain dangers. There are serious questions, issues, and challenges regarding responsibility and credibility in the dissemination of information. Today, information flows so rapidly that it is sometimes difficult to determine what is true. Making decisions has become increasingly challenging. Not only in our country but globally, there have been many instances where societies have been set ablaze due to misinformation or deliberately distorted information. We have witnessed numerous occasions where people’s lives have been destroyed as a result.

Sometimes, without even realizing it, we get trapped on the internet. We share various things through our social media platforms, both necessary and unnecessary. However, what we often forget is that a large amount of personal information accumulates on the internet through these actions. Once incorrect information becomes widespread in this way, it becomes extremely difficult to erase.

The spread of false information weakens public trust in the information provided by the media, and this is extremely dangerous for a society. For the sustainability of a society, it is essential to maintain trust among citizens and trust in the institutions that influence people’s lives. Only through the trust we can safeguard the sustainability, continuity, and security of a society.

However, what has happened today due to the spread of misinformation? We no longer have confidence in our leaders. We do not even trust elders. There is doubt about whether the news we receive can be trusted. When credibility weakens within a society, it can push that society into crisis.

Therefore, it is extremely important to cultivate a culture that strengthens trust in leadership, promotes confidence in elders, and enhances awareness about reliable sources of information. In this context, those entering the field of media carry a significant responsibility.

Just like the senior professionals we honored today, you too may one day enter this field. However, there is a vast difference between the era in which they entered the profession and the era you will enter. You will carry a unique responsibility to strengthen the credibility of the media and to stand firmly behind the information you present.

You must be able to stand by the information you provide. You must reflect on whether the information you share is true and who might be affected by it. Ensuring the credibility of the information you disseminate is also your responsibility.

Similarly, as users of any form of media, we all bear a responsibility to verify the reliability of the information we receive and to be aware of how to distinguish between truth and falsehood. That is why digital literacy and media literacy are essential. It is also for this reason that we believe such subjects and concepts must be incorporated into education reforms so that our student generation can learn them.’

The Prime Minister further stated that citizens have a responsibility to be mindful of the truthfulness of information before sharing content found on the internet and social media with others.

The event was attended by the Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media Anil Jasinghe, Principal of Ananda College D.M.L.P. Dissanayake, journalists, principals, teachers, and students.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

Latest News

Heat Index at ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Anuradhapura and Vavuniya districts

Published

58 mins ago

2026/03/16

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 15 March 2026, valid for 16 March 2026.

The public is warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at
some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Anuradhapura and Vavuniya districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491

News

Fuel rationing begins: Police deployed as queues return

Published

2 hours ago

2026/03/16

Thilina Walpola

Long queues of vehicles once again lined roads near filling stations across the country yesterday as authorities reintroduced the QR-based fuel quota system, prompting the deployment of police officers to manage traffic and maintain order.

The measure comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East and global oil supply disruptions which officials say have triggered panic buying and fuel hoarding despite assurances that the country is not facing an immediate shortage of fuel.

DIG in charge of Traffic and Road Safety Range DPGJ Senadeera said police officers had been deployed to major filling stations to regulate traffic and prevent congestion caused by large crowds gathering to obtain fuel.

Speaking to the media, Senadeera said the queues were largely the result of panic.

“The public need not panic. Once the QR code system is in place, each category of vehicle will receive the required amount of fuel,” he said.

According to the DIG, traffic congestion near fuel stations was mainly caused by motorists attempting to stockpile fuel.

“Many people who require only a small quantity of fuel are attempting to obtain larger amounts due to fear and uncertainty. This behaviour has created long queues and congestion,” he said.

“If people remain calm and obtain only the amount of fuel they require, these problems will not arise. The system has been introduced precisely to prevent long queues and ensure efficient distribution,” Senadeera added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy announced that the QR code system for fuel sales came into effect at 6 am yesterday (15), making it mandatory for motorists to present a valid QR code to obtain fuel.

Authorities said the measure had been introduced in response to abnormal increases in demand for fuel and concerns over disruptions to global supply chains caused by the ongoing military situation in the Middle East.

A public notice issued by the ministry stated that the petroleum supply chain had been adversely affected by the Middle East conflict, while local demand had risen sharply in recent days, placing pressure on the country’s fuel reserves.

Officials also noted that certain groups had been purchasing excessive quantities of fuel illegally, prompting the government to introduce the QR code mechanism to curb hoarding and ensure fair distribution.

Under the system, each vehicle category will be entitled to a fixed weekly fuel quota.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the allocations are as follows: Buses – 60 litres, Motor lorries – 200 litres, Vans – 40 litres, Three-wheelers – 15 litres, Motor cars – 15 litres, Motorcycles – 5 litres, Land vehicles – 25 litres, Special purpose vehicles – 40 litres and Quadricycles – 5 litres.

Managing Director of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Mayura Neththikumarage, insisted that the introduction of the QR code system did not indicate a fuel shortage.

“There is no issue with fuel availability. The system was introduced after we observed people collecting fuel in large quantities and queues forming over the past three to four days,” he said.

Neththikumarage said the primary objective of the QR code system was to ensure that the public could obtain fuel without having to wait in long queues.

Fuel distribution under the new system commenced at 6.00 a.m. yesterday, with priority initially given to motorists who had previously registered and obtained QR codes.

Those who had earlier registered for the system can continue to use their existing QR codes, provided the vehicle ownership and registered mobile number remain unchanged.

Motorists who have not yet registered can obtain a QR code through the official website fuelpass.gov.lk, while those whose vehicle ownership or mobile numbers have changed are required to re-register their details.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy said a separate fuel distribution mechanism would be implemented for vehicles engaged in essential services and production activities.

Private passenger transport buses will receive fuel through depots operated by the Sri Lanka Transport Board, the ministry added.

Amid the situation, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa appealed to the public to use fuel responsibly and avoid unnecessary travel.

“As a government, we request the public to think not only about their own families but also about the country. Manage fuel consumption carefully and avoid unnecessary travel during this period,” the minister said at an event held in Moratuwa.

He stressed that rationed fuel consumption was essential to ensure that available stocks could be sustained while global uncertainties continue.

Authorities reiterated that the QR code system had been introduced as a precautionary measure to manage fuel distribution effectively and prevent panic-driven shortages.

Police meanwhile urged motorists to cooperate with traffic officers stationed near filling stations and refrain from forming unnecessary queues, warning that panic buying would only worsen congestion and inconvenience the public.

by Norman Palihawadane