Gateway College Dehiwala celebrates Founder’s Day fulfilling their pledge, “A Step for a Book”

In view of the 20th Anniversary of the Gateway Group, Gateway College Dehiwala reached out to ‘Kuli/ Deegalla Revatha Madya Maha Vidyalaya’ in Kuliyapitiya, raising funds to redecorate and renovate the library of the school, as well as provide the equipment it needed.

The Library was named the “R . I . T. Alles Memorial Library”, in commemoration of the Founding Father of Gateway, Mr. R. I. T. Alles. The students, teachers and management of Revatha Madya Maha Vidyalaya, were very grateful for their new library, expressing their thanks at a moving assembly held to mark the event.

The project, which began in February 2017, reached completion on 3rd October 2017. It was an eight month long project which brought together students, teachers, parents and well-wishers. To raise the necessary funds, the school organized a walk, “A Step for a Book”, which was held on 5th February 2017.

The walk engendered a sense of unity and pride, and brought together the entire Gateway College Dehiwala community and its stakeholders. The floats which highlighted the life of Mr R I T Alles and the significant milestones of the Gateway Group brought colour and glamour to the parade.

To make it even more spe- cial, the students of Kuli/ Deegalla Revatha Madya Maha Vidyalaya also took part in the walk. The crowds then walked into a mini carnival at the culmination of the walk where clubs and societies of the school organised stalls and donated the proceeds towards the Revatha Madya Maha Vidyalaya library fund. After several trips to Kuliyapitiya, the project was completed even more successfully than planned, and the management, teachers, prefects and the community service club of Gateway Dehiwala, together with the Chairman and Directorate of the Gateway Group travelled for the opening of the library on the 3rd of October 2017.

Revatha Madya Maha Vidyalaya has a student population of approximately 550. The school had a barely functioning library which caused many difficulties for the students. Many of these students also lack the facilities or home environment to allow them to study in their homes, and therefore, having a library that allows them to study at school late into the evening, will no doubt help their education and, in the long run, their future endeavours.

At the recently held Pearson Edexcel High Achiever Awards Ceremony, this project was recognised with a Bronze Award for the service to the community.