VISIT FROM PITAKUMBURA NAVODYA SCHOOL, BIBILE TO MAHAVILACHCHIYA

June 19, 2007 · Filed under Culture, Field Trips

Under the Ministry of Education’s Secondary Education Modernization Project – funded eVillage replication project, a group of visitors consisted with 30 members arrived at Horizon Lanka Foundation on the evening of 15th. June 2007 from Bibila, Pitakumbura Navodya School. It is worthy of mention that this group consisted with Mrs. Nayomi Soyza, the wife of Honorable Chief Minister of Uva Province. During her few hours at Horizon Lanka Foundation, we found that she was having her lunch with the school children and it insinuated her rich modesty without any arrogance that has in the minds of most of the wives of politicians in Sri Lanka at present.

Other members of the group are as follows.

1. Rev. of Pitakumbura Temple, Ariya Jothi
2. Rev. of Samadhi Nikethana, Bibila, Siri Sumane
3. Zonal Director of Education, Mrs. B.L. Gunawathie
4. Teaching Instructor, Mr. R.B. Gunapala
5. Principal of Pitakumbura, Navodya School, Mr. R.M.P.A. Ratnayake
6. Teacher, Mr. E.M.S.K. Ekanayake
7. Teacher, Mrs. Padma Jayasundara,
8. Post Master, Mr. W.A. Nishanthe
9. Post Master, Mr. W.A. Nishanthe
10. Wasantha Pathmasiri, Pat Student
11. Indrajith Bandara, Past Student
12. Nihal Wijeratne
13. Indike Priyanath, Past Student
14. Sugandhika, Past Student
15. Muthumalee Krishanthe, Past Student
16. A.M. Wiswajith, Student
17. Ruwanaka Pushpakumara, Student
18. Janaka Chathurangea, Student
19. Chanaka Sandaruwan, Student
20. Prasanna Sanjeewe, Student
21. Tharuka Nimanthi, Student
22. Chalanie Madhuwanthie, Student
23. Chandima Premadasa, Student

In addition to the above members, there were 03 Ssecurity officers, driver and the cleaner of the Vehicle.

Just after the arrival of the gang, they went to the upstairs and tried to operate the computers and in order to feed for their thirst of operating computers, our students, Kasun, Tharange, Waruna, Sashika and Sanjeewa of Horizon Lanka Academy helped them instructing them how to start computers, open files, save files etc.

Thereafter, the visitors went to Mahavilachchiya reservoir for bathing and at that time, I saw a peculiarity and that was the Principal did not stand up from the place of the students were bathing until the last one

finished bathing at that place. In view of this, I understood that he is a Principal who actually loves his students.

The arrangements were made to stay the female students with their teacher in the Computer Lab and some of our students, who live nearby Horizon, helped them in providing them mats and pillows and the meals had been provided by our meals lady, Mrs. Sujatha. Arrangements were made by Ajith Balasooriya, for accommodation of the males at Mahavilachchiya Temple.

In the following morning, they participated in our morning assembly and while it was going on, the wife of Chief Minister and the Zonal Director of Education arrived at Horizon Lanka Foundation. Similarly, our senior students, Radhika, Iresha, Chamila & Anusha and out of the junior students, Tharanga explained them practically about opening of Yahoo email account, designing a website, making a blog etc. and while all these lessons were going on, almost all the visitors including the wife of Chief Minister, Zonal Director of Education, Principal, teachers were watching and listening to the lessons in breathless silent and it manifestly convinced that they had a keen attention to know what are the benefits that the human can gain through the internet facilities. Principal, some of other visitors and some of the students had an opportunity to watch the way that I taught English to some girls in the Philippines through Yahoo Messenger too.

At this occasion, all the visitors talked with the staff and the students of Horizon Lanka Foundation in a great proximity and at the time of departure, they thanked our students and the staff for the treatments were made by us on our best during their hours at HLF.

Under these circumstances, I observed that the delegation of higher political party and the higher desks of the Zonal Education Division, Monaragala, had participated in this visit with a great interest and I presume that the necessary arrangements would be made by them to provide the Pitakumbura School the internet facilities as soon as possible to enable those students also to come to the equal ability of the students of HLF.

Finally, I take this opportunity to thank the wife of Chief Minister, Mrs. Nayomi Soyza, Zonal Director of Education, Monaragala, Mrs. B.L. Gunawathie for their participation at this occasion with an eye to do something in future for wellbeing of the students of Pitakumbura School.

M.P. Ananda Hendrick, Manager, Horizon Lanka Foundation

E-mail Address – ananda@horizonlanka.org Tel – 0777809533