Remembering Lalith through a sustainable donation to an orphanage
Today would have been Lalith Athulathmudali’s 81st birthday had he been alive. Since his death in 1993 various groups have wished to remember Lalith by donations of blood, and alms giving to Buddhist priests on November 26.
On his 80th birthday a group of Lalith’s relatives including his brother Dayanthe donated to the inmates of an orphanage, what the management of the orphanage requested, including a grand dinner. This Orphanage on W.A. Silva Mawatha came to the attention of Lalith and Dayanthe more than 35 years ago at a time when Lalith was the Minister for Trade and Shipping. At that time Lalith used to receive cakes in the shape of ships from nearly every shipping line that called at Colombo.
While all those that visited Lalith on his birthday were provided these cakes, on the 27th morning there were so many cakes that were left untouched. Ultimately Dayanthe was provided with a solution by Semitha Tennekoon who served on the board of management of the Sri Lankadhara Society Ltd. ( SLSL) by directing him to this 95 year old institute on high street Wellawatte. Many years later, Semitha Tennekoon became Dayanthe’s mother-in-law.
As long as Lalith was holding the portfolio of shipping, on November 27, the children at the orphanage received many cakes.
However this year in memory of Lalith, Dayanthe and several of Lalith’s friends have got together to make a unique donation that will directly benefit the SLSL from now and for many years to come.
With the funds donated, a Solar photo Voltaic ( pV) system, that is expected to reduce the monthly electricity bill of the orphanage by Rs. 10,000 has been installed. As high quality Solar ( pV) panels are now capable of lasting 25 years or more, this is a unique way of ensuring that sustainable and continuous benefits will be received at the SLSL. The SLSL’s present president Pushpa Illaperuma will be assisted each month as long as the roof top mounted panels continue to face the Sun.
Incidentally, Ms. Illaperuma many years ago served Lalith as an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Shipping. We are told that she and her colleagues at the SLSL are thrilled at being the first orphanage to receive a solar pV system.
Dayanthe explained that in addition to the saving on the electricity bill, he hopes to utilize the system to conduct short courses to A/ L Physics students with the theme “Introduction to Solar for A/ L physics students”. He plans to train a student at SLSL to conduct this introductory course to other students that may be accepted by the SLSL, so that the young ones doing physics will go out to the world being solar conscious.
Dayanthe is also making a complete change to the “Tea” that will follow the switching on of the pV system. What will be provided to the residents and guests will all be sugar- free biscuits. No sugar will be made available for the Tea, and Stevia made available as it is a natural sweetener which at last is now available for sale in Colombo. The West, including the US, has accepted Stevia as the near zero calorie natural sweetener that can be taken by even a diabetic. However, while Stevia is seen growing in the jungles in Welimada, he regretted that no organisation in Sri Lanka had made an effort to either grow or extract Stevia as a powder, thereby permitting the total rejection of white sugar which is harmful to all when taken over a long period. India has started to export Stevia, while many doctors here are yet to hear of this. Plants are available for sale at a popular Saturday market in Colombo. Why is Sri Lanka so slow in recognising and proliferating something so good as Stevia, and letting white sugar continue to harm our children? The inauguration will be at No. 95 W.A. Silva Mawatha at 9.30am this morning.