Although a little windy, the weather gods were on our side on this beautiful day of April 17, 2010 when the Sri Lanka Association of Washington, D.C. (SLAWDC) celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, with over 150 members of our community present.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C. was represented by his Excellency, Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Ministers Nimal Karunatilake, Wasantha Perera, and Defense Attaché, Brigadier Vijitha Ravipriya.  The occasion was also graced by special guests, County Executive Ike Leggett and other office bearers.  A special thanks to the Sri Lanka Ranga Kala Kavaya, Ape Kattiya, and Educate Lanka for their participation.

After the lighting of the traditional oil lamp by our distinguished guests, and singing of the National Anthem, the Maha Sangha inaugurated the event with their blessings followed by prayers by representatives of the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian religious groups – Mrs. K. Ranganathan, Mr. Nazeer Azeez, and Dr. Greg Fernandopulle, respectively.

County Executive Ike Leggett then addressed the gathering, followed by his Excellency Jaliya Wickramasuriya.

In her welcome address, SLAWDC President, Ms. Sandra Sourjah thanked the clergy and distinguished guests.  S he also mentioned that this was a significant New Year celebration for all Sri Lankans.   After three decades of terrorism in Sri Lanka, this year, all communities celebrated the New Year together in an atmosphere of peace, unity, and hope for a better future.

After introducing the new Board of Directors, the President thanked all members and well-wishers who generously contributed kiribath, various curries, and other traditional sweet meats towards the community brunch.

We were privileged to have several dance performances once again this year.   ‘Hela Urumaya,’ a combination of traditional dances depicting the movements of animals was performed by Amali and Natalie Perera, Dinali Weeraman, Sandali Chandradasa, and Finoli Lowe.

‘Mukundha Mukundha,’ a Baradham-based Gopies of Gokulam playing and dancing with Lord Krishna, and ‘Pokkiri Pongal’ from the movie Kandasamy were performed by Abaya Nadakumar, Arya Menon, Meghana Nimmathota, Parani and Yadaven Saravanapavan, Tanvi Jammula, and Vani Agarwal.

‘Erabudu Mal Pipila’ was performed by Melory Lowe, Dehera Weeraman, and Sitara and Darya Sadeghi.   All the performers were adorned in beautiful traditional dance outfits, and they were spectacular to watch.  As we all know, an amazing amount of time and effort goes into training these kids, and we commend and thank Vasunthra Saravanapavan and Manori Weeraman for their dedicated efforts, and also the parents of these children.

The Avurudu Kumari/Kumaraya Contest was a treat for all.  The spectacle of kids in their beautiful traditional outfits paraded before the judges, who as usual, had the hardest task of picking the winners.  Sitara Sadeghi was selected the Avurudu Kumari.  All participants received gifts as a token of appreciation for their efforts.

Prior to the outdoor games, an announcement was made calling everyone to partake in the traditional goodies, which were in abundance.   Thanks to the Directors of SLAWDC and contributions from the community, the tables were laden with kiribath and other traditional foods, which everyone enjoyed.

Soon afterwards, the outdoor games began with the Kana Muttiya, Banis Kame Tharangaya, Sack Race, Lime and Spoon race, and Tug-O-War to name a few.   There was no age limit and everyone was willing to participate in the fun!

Raffle tickets were sold to raise funds and the 1^st prize of a Black & Decker Food Processor, which was won by Miss Raheem.   The 2^nd prize, a hamper with Sri Lankan goodies, was won by Mr. Tissa Pilapitiya.  Congratulations to the winners!

A big thank you to the organizing committee and the MC’s for the day – Directors Kamini Wickramaratne and Amjad Moulana.

We all had a good time, but as the saying goes “all good things must come to an end,” and so did the celebrations, which concluded in the early afternoon.

To learn more information about SLAWDC, visit their website.

Article and photos courtesy of SLAWDC.

The event was attended by over 400 Sri Lankans, including children, families, and others.  Guests were treated to the traditional sweetmeats of kiribath, kokkis, butter cake, and kesari.

The organizing committee did a fantastic job by involving the younger generation of Sri Lankans living in British Columbia.The New Year traditions were celebrated through song, dance and games, with children ages 2 -12 participating in a fancy dress parade.

The committee made sure that the adults had their turn to show off their talent by dancing to the popular Sri Lankan song, “Rambari.”

A Sri Lankan event can never come to a close without toe tapping music and the opportunity of being able to take home and enjoy mouth-watering spicy kotthu, short eats, biryani, string hoppers, and rice and curry.

The evening was a great success thanks to all the guests, participants, and the organizing committee.

Text courtesy of SLFABC.

To find more information about SLFABC, visit their website.

Photos courtesy of Rajiv Witharana.

The Sri Lankan and Hindu New Year – aluth avurudh and puththandu, respectively – were celebrated in full spirits at Woodley Park in Van Nuys, California on Saturday, April 17th.

The event commenced with blessings from Buddhist priests from the many temples across Southern California.

Emcees Buddhika Ekanayake and Piyal Mataraarachchi kept the crowd going, setting in motion all the performances that took place that day.  Attendees were entertained by the bands Heat, led by Ajwad Shariz, Vernon & The Strangers, and Leaving Colombo, led by Rohan Seresinhe.

Many young performers took to the stage, proudly performing American and cultural dance numbers, and as the afternoon went on, winners were chosen for the Avurudu Kumari and Avurudu Kumaraya pageants.  Throughout the afternoon, music and games ensued.

Sri Lankan sweets and other exciting eats were available to everyone.  Hoppers, biriyani, hot dogs, lamprais, and lovecake were just a few of the many delectable foods served that afternoon.  Saris and batik shirts, Vesak cards, and other novelty items were  available for purchase.

Guest of Honor, Ms. Doris Wiratunga, was gifted a plaque by the 2009 SLAASC committee.

Photos courtesy of Kindamandala.com.  Photos taken by Yoshana Jayakody and Kapila Wimalaratna.

To see more pictures from the event, visit the SLF Gallery.

For more information about SLAASC, visit their website.

The event took off with the traditional ceremony of lighting the oil lamp, and with the US and Sri Lankan national anthems.

An Avrudu Kumari pageant was held for the young girls, all of whom beautifully donned the traditional costumes of Sri Lanka.

A community potluck was opened up to all attendees, and provided kiribath, traditional Sri Lankan rasa kavili, and so much more.

Good weather provided the stage for a friendly and fun game of cricket and other games, such as a water balloon toss, amongst the adults and children.

The new year festivities concluded with SLAGA members from around the greater Austin area having had a fun and activity-filled new year’s day celebration surrounded by good friends and family.

To see more pictures from the event, visit the SLF Gallery.

To learn more about the Sri Lanka Association of Greater Austin, visit their website.

Taprobane, the new recreational facility and community center was the brainchild of Dr. Walter Jayasinghe, founder of Sri Lanka Foundation.  Upon presenting his idea for a venue at which all Sri Lankans could congregate and host social functions, many of the Sri Lankan community leaders in Southern California rallied behind him in support of such an initiative.  Aside from the evident social aspect that it supports among the expatriate population, the community center is thought to be able to provide a setting in which Sri Lankans of all ages and interests could come together to experience Sri Lankan culture, food, sports and recreation, and events.

After a year’s worth of meetings, budget planning, and site visitations, the board members of Taprobane were ready to welcome the Sri Lankan community to a place to call their own.  Throughout the entire day, Taprobane’s Open House event was teeming with Sri Lankans from across Southern California who came to learn a little more about what the new community center had to offer.

The event was kick-started by a free authentic Sri Lankan breakfast with kiribath and a host of other sides to compliment the morning meal.  Emcees Al Kamalee Jabbar and Sajee Perera hosted the morning performances and presentations, which included a traditional Sri Lankan dance by Palitha Kasthuriarachchi’s dance troupe, performances by the Sri Lankan American band, Heat, and informational presentations and speeches given by Dr. Walter Jayasinghe, Raja Edirisuriya, Jayam Rutnam, Nandakumaran Navaratnam, Asela Ratnayake, Ananda Markalanda, and others.

The presentations given regarding Taprobane covered every aspect of the community center’s proposed activities, funds, and day-to-day operational procedures, allowing for transparency of the center’s functions so that registered members are made aware of what purposes and activities their annual membership supports.

Attendees of the event were able to enjoy authentic Sri Lankan foods for lunch, including kottu roti, biriyanis, hoppers, string hoppers, roast pan, curries, and a beverages stall that served the oft-enjoyed faluda among many other drinks.

Taprobane is set to become the place for social and alumni organizations in the Sri Lankan community to host their annual events, for Sri Lankan youth to congregate and socialize, and for sporting teams to get together, practice, and stage their games.  Without a doubt, Taprobane will prove to be a permanent gathering place for Sri Lankans to get together with new and old friends.

Membership in Taprobane promises access to subsidized rice and curry meals, access to all amenities of the facility, and participation in all center events.  Members are also provided with the opportunity to rent the center’s premises at an affordable rate for business meetings, luncheons, parties, weddings, and many other events.

For more information about becoming a Taprobane member, contact Keshini Wijegoonaratna at keshini@us.tzuchi.org

Visit the Sri Lanka Foundation Gallery to see pictures from the event.  Photography by Andy Samarsena.

In the subsequent time since the initial proposal of the facility, these dedicated members of our community have continued to meet on a monthly basis to discuss and implement plans to turn such an idea into a reality.

The initial meetings focused on developing a social and wellness center where expatriate Sri Lankan seniors could spend their time and engage in a number of social, educational, and recreational activities.  The center would serve subsidized Sri Lankan meals, show Sinhala films and teledramas, have a gaming room, library and computer facilities, a fitness arena, and many more items akin to what might be found in an ordinary senior day care center.

As the meetings carried on and ideas were explored for the development of such a facility, it soon became clear that the Sri Lankan community in Los Angeles would do well to have a facility, not only for the seniors, but for all Sri Lankans across the board.

A recreational facility that could serve every member of the local Sri Lankan community, regardless of age, is of paramount service to all.  With such a facility, social and alumni organizations can now have a place to host their annual events, the youth in our community will now have a place gather and fraternize, sporting teams will now have a locale to meet and practice, and indeed, all of the Sri Lankan community will finally have a permanent gathering place to get together with new and old friends.

Taprobane, the long-awaited community center, will open its doors to the public on March 27 for an open house and information session.

Membership in Taprobane has its benefits; members will be able to take advantage of the generous subsidized rice and curry meal options, have access to all amenities of the facility, and will also be able to partake in all center events free of charge.  Members are also able to rent the premises at an affordable rate for business meetings, luncheons, parties, weddings, and so on.  Catering for such social functions can conveniently be arranged through Taprobane.

Taprobane’s elected Board of Directors are comprised of Keshini Abeygoonerwardene, Ananda Markalanda, Dr. Walter Jayasinghe, Dr. Sonali Tucker, Senani Abeygoonewardene, Raja Edirisuriya, Nanda Nandakumaran, Roma de Zoysa, Dr. Demian Muhanthirage, and Vimala Vytilingam.

Taprobane’s Open House will be held on March 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will feature an introduction and orientation to the recreational center, as well as a showcasing of the benefits that Taprobane will have to offer to the community.

There will be food stalls operating first thing in the morning at 10:30 a.m. and they will be serving an authentic hopper and stringhopper breakfast, so be sure to get there in time to have a hot and steaming traditional meal for only a nominal fee.

Doesn’t it sound like home already?  Come and see what there is to experience at Taprobane, the first ever community center for Sri Lankans in the United States.

For more event details, click here.

First, we survived being born to mothers who did not have medical checkups while they carried us, and we lived in houses made of asbestos.  Our mothers took aspirin, ate coconut, raw egg products, and processed meat, tuna from a can, untreated water, and milk straight from the cow – and didn’t get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer…

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.  We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, prohibition of hitching rides with anyone in the neighborhood.

As children, we rode in cars with no seat belts or air bags.  We drank water from the garden hose and the tap at the top of the lane (NOT bottled water)!  We shared one bottle of soft drink with four friends and NO ONE died or got sick.

“Take-away:” – our ‘fast food’ was patties, rolls, pastries, and vaddais, with malu pan or rose pan (no Pizza Hut, McDonalds , KFC, Subway, or Nando’s).

We had no Easter Eggs or Hot Cross Buns at Easter … Wasn’t February 14th Independence Day?

Even though all the shops closed at 8 P.M., and most of them didn’t open on the weekends, somehow we didn’t starve.

We could collect old drink bottles and Sunday newspapers, and cash them in at the bothal kade and buy toffees, chocolates, bubble gum and some fire crackers to have fun with (and no one got blown up).

We ate prawn vaddais, spicy raw mango, pineapple ,& boiled kadala (often full of dust) from street vendors (Duwana Geeri Hotels) without needing Pepto Bismol.

We ate sponge cakes, white bread with real butter, and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren’t overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!  We would leave home on Saturday morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.  Then church bells start ringing at 6:30 P.M.

No one was able to reach us.  And we were okay.  During our vacation, our parents never saw us the whole day, not even for meals as we ate at whatever house we were at during mealtimes.  No one thought of compensation or asking for money.

We would spend hours building our kites or go-carts out of old prams, and then we’d ride down the hill only to find out we had forgotten the brakes.  We built tree houses and dens, and played with matchbox cars.  We played cricket on the streets amidst the cars, and hide-and-seek using the whole neighborhood as our playground, and no one complained.

Our homes were always open, and the car keys were in the car.

We did not have television, DVDs, Playstations, Nintendo Wii, X-box E360′s – no video games at all – no 999 channels on SKY, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms … but we had such imaginations and we never found ourselves bored.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls pierced their ears.

We shooed away flies hovering over our food, and probably swallowed worms in our fresh fruits, and the worms did not live in us forever – we just built stronger immune systems!

We didn’t get air guns or air hockey on our 10th birthdays – just one new set of clothes, as well as for special occasions (the New Year, Easter, Christmas).

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them.  We didn’t have to arrange play dates or make appointments in advance to see our friends.

Many of our mothers didn’t work and we survived on one salary, BUT there was always food on the table.

Rugby and cricket had tryouts and not everyone made the team.  Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.  Imagine that!  Getting onto the team was based on MERIT, not because of connections.

We had rulers landing on our hands or where ever the teacher could reach, and they didn’t get reported to the School Board!

Colleges were mostly unisex – but, this did not affect us psychologically or emotionally because we always managed to find girl friends and boy friends.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.  They actually sided with the law, and we were punished a second time when we got home!

Our parents didn’t invent silly names for their kids.

We had freedom, failure, success, and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And we survived and became contributing members of society despite it all.

The Sri Lanka Foundation Essay Competition is open to all students in America from ages six through 18.

There was an overwhelming response to this year’s essay competition, and Sri Lanka Foundation would like to send out a hearty congratulations to this year’s winners.

Elementary School

First Place – Brennon Byrd

Runner Up – Lakni Hettiaratchi

Junior High School

First Place – Sudheesha Perera

Runner Up – Sonali Byrd

High School

First Place – Kalani Byrd

Runner Up – Nicole Arulanantham

January 25, 2010 —

In 1999, Kushil Gunasekera, a native of the coastal village of Seenigama, thought to create an organization that would help uplift the lives of rural communities in Sri Lanka.  As a young boy, he had the opportunity to succeed and branch out above and beyond his hometown.  Though he had been fortunate enough to have received a good education at a reputable school, which in turn opened up many opportunities for him, many of his friends in his village were not so fortunate to have had the same.

Gunasekera vowed to devote his time, energy, and resources to assist the people of his region so that they too would have the opportunity to excel above and beyond their dreams.  Together with a dedicated Board of Trustees and a committed staff, Gunasekera launched the Foundation of Goodness, a registered non-governmental organization, to provide essential services to rural communities.

The Foundation of Goodness (FoG) announces their mission as being dedicated to the empowerment of ‘less privileged rural communities whilst inculcating the spirit of goodness so that [those rural communities] may have equal opportunities to excel in life.’  FoG brings this mission to life by creating a sustainable community model to inspire other regions and disadvantaged communities around the world.

Part of creating that community model includes ensuring that shelter, access to sanitation, electricity, clean water, medical facilities, and equal education exists for all persons.  Skills development and job-oriented training are also given in an effort to provide all adults of working age with the skills they need to succeed in the real world.

The generous donations that FoG has received over the years has allowed them to help some 20,000 villagers in about 25 local villages.  FoG’s efforts are focused through projects across many areas including housing, livelihoods, healthcare, children and education, environment management, rebuilding lives, and sports.  A good number of these activities are coordinated through the MCC Centre of Excellence.  FoG, partnering with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), developed this facility which includes a medical center that services upwards of 1,500 person per month, a women’s enterprise division, an environment project management office, a business skills development center, a modern computer lab, a preschool, a handicraft boutique, the Rebuilding Lives Program, an English school, a gallery, accommodation for volunteers, donors, and trainers, and more.

FoG notes that with the generous support of sustainable funding and affiliated professional academic bodies, the MCC Centre of Excellence helps more than 500 students per year complete a workshop free of charge.

The work done by FoG, however, isn’t just focused on Seenigama and the surrounding region; the organization also reaches out to disadvantaged communities in Sigiriya, Knuckles Range, Petulant, Colombo, and the recent IDPs in the North by donating essential supplies.

Anyone can contribute to the Foundation of Goodness and their efforts to help uplift less fortunate communities.

To find out how you can help and to find out more about FoG’s work, visit their website.

January 15, 2010 —

Help a Sri Lankan charity focused on educational needs win $1 Million!

Educate Lanka Foundation, Inc., a Sri Lankan non-profit organization based in the Greater Washington, D.C. area, was recently voted into the top 100 most voted charities in the USA and has already won a $25,000 donation through a competition organized by Chase Bank and Facebook.

Educate Lanka Foundation (ELF), the only Sri Lankan charity to achieve this esteemed recognition, competed against over 500,000 other U.S. based 501 (C) 3 charities in the first round of the Chase Community Giving Program.

As a result of this achievement, ELF has now been presented with an even greater opportunity to win a $1 Million Donation from Chase Bank.  For Educate Lanka to achieve this donation, it needs to collect the most votes during the week-long online voting initiative taking place from January 15th – 22nd, 2010 on Facebook.

Educate Lanka Foundation, Inc. was founded in 2006 with a mission of empowering underprivileged students in Sri Lanka to achieve a quality education.  The Foundation is operated on a 100% voluntary basis by a group of young Sri Lankan expatriates residing in the USA.

Aware of the many challenges faced by underprivileged students in Sri Lanka who cannot afford to pay for basic educational materials, ELF provides financial assistance to deserving students for much of their educational needs which include, but are not limited to, books, uniforms, transportation, and school supplies.  By providing such assistance, ELF hopes to achieve their ultimate objective of helping Sri Lankan students receive a quality education.

ELF currently provides its scholarships to approximately 200 deserving students from all age groups and all ethnicities throughout Sri Lanka.  It’s current contribution exceeds $25,000 annually for these scholarships.  Since it’s inception in 2006, ELF has managed to raise the necessary funds to sustain its program from personal sponsorships through their website and through other fundraising events, such as annual sporting meets and signature talent shows.

Having won the first round of the Chase Community Giving Program, ELF is in a unique position to compete for the grand prize of $1 Million to further their philanthropic activities for deserving Sri Lankan students.

With a donation of $1 million, ELF is confident of expanding its efforts by providing scholarships to many more deserving students and undertaking educational infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka.  With such a large donation, the Foundation also hopes to expand its scholarship model to other developing countries.

YOU can help Educate Lanka Foundation provide an affordable, quality education to hundreds of students by clicking on the link below and casting your vote for ELF through your Facebook profile.  Help change a student’s future for the better!

www.educatelanka.org/vote

For more information on Educate Lanka Foundation, please visit its website.