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Friday, 13 December 2019 02:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The tragic events of Easter Sunday created one of the most challenging times Sri Lanka has faced. Despite the tragedy, the eagerness demonstrated by Sri Lankan donors overseas to help those most in need and give them the necessary strength to overcome adversity created a new sense of hope across communities.
As an extension of these efforts to ensure that the children affected in Katuwapitiya and Kochchikade had a secure future, the long-term ‘Shilpa Diriya’ scholarship program of the Archdiocese of Colombo in partnership with the ‘Rally to Care’ initiative of the Dialog Foundation, was launched on 1 December at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.
Children who were awarded scholarships, together with their families, attended the ‘Shilpa Diriya’ launch event, which was inaugurated by the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.
In addressing the scholarship recipients, Cardinal Ranjith stated: “God created you as a special person. You will never find another child in the world who has your exact personality, qualities and talents. This means that you have been uniquely created and called for a special vocation by God. All that is left now is for you to discover your mission in life through a strong faith in God. This can be achieved only by yourself, using your innate talents to become a blessing to yourself as well as to humanity in the future. Although tragedy has hindered your journey momentarily, every effort counts when you turn your situation in life into a blessing through the help you receive from friends and benefactors, transforming your future into a prosperous and blessed one. Make good use of this gift that has been given to you by diligently applying yourself to your studies and striving to be a child who will grow into the right person to be a blessing to society. My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who donated towards the Archbishop’s relief fund.”
Expressing his views on the power of education, Seth Sarana - Caritas, Colombo Director Rev. Fr. Lawrence Ramanayake said: “It is our dream to help children become good citizens. You are indeed devastated. But remember that you have experienced God’s preservation. Therefore, I hope that this will enable education to more meaningfully manifest in your life the new hope that is being generated within you. Education is a journey. A journey that enlightens you. A place you have many opportunities. Whenever there is an opportunity to do something, it is always through education that you are energised. Education is not just about knowing what is unknown. It’s a chance to learn to unlearn. Therefore, be mindful of the fact that this educational scholarship program is a gift of love to you, take advantage of it and live as children who bring light to the land of your birth.”
In his message to the children on behalf of the Dialog Foundation, Dialog Axiata Plc Group Chief Executive Supun Weerasinghe said: “Children are the world’s hope for a better future, and at the heart of our goal of transforming their lives is education. Through this initiative we aspire to champion the children who have endured more than most and we remain committed to ensuring that they have a bright future ahead of them – one of hope and opportunity. This scholarship program is integral in fulfilling our mission of enabling long-term education for the affected children through the Rally to Care initiative by the Dialog Foundation, which was established with the generous support of Dialog customers, individual donors (overseas and local), business partners and enterprises; who all came together for this cause. It is our hope and our wish that through the facilitation of these scholarships, we are able to provide these children with an opportunity to expand their knowledge, pursue their passions and grow to be exceptional Sri Lankans.”
With the ‘Shilpla Diriya’ long-term scholarship program, 185 affected children in Katuwapitiya and 102 children affected in Kochchikade were awarded long-term scholarships. The scholarships provided through ‘Shilpa Diriya’ will continue to be available to these students until they reach the age of 19 and the funds will be credited monthly to an account opened in the name of the students, on the 15th of every month.
Similar to ‘Shilpa Diriya’, a long-term scholarship program for the 70 affected children at the Zion Church in Batticaloa will be launched on 12 December, in the presence of Zion Church Pastor Roshan Mahesan, representatives of the Rally to Care initiative, Sarvodaya and other partners.
Having provided immediate term out-patient support for those physically disabled and mentally traumatised, the initiative continues its mission of long-term educational support for the affected children and psychosocial rehabilitation for affected families, together with its partners World Vision Lanka, Sarvodaya, MyDoctor, Vision Care and the Ratmalana Audiology Centre. Visit http://dialogfoundation.org/rallytocare for more information and further updates on the Rally to Care initiative.
