The Charity that helps poor children In Southern Srilanka

The late Mr D.C.Hewavidana who was the superintendent of Imaduwa Waulagala Tea estate and a famous Buddhist philanthropist in Kamburupitiya and Galle Matara area built schools and temples in the province with his personal wealth. When some parents who were unable to send their children to school due to poverty appealed to give their children some labour work in the tea factory, Mr. Hewavidana sent those children to Mahinda or Sanghamitta schools at his own expense. Mr. Hewavidana, who understood the suffering of the poor children and the daily struggle of the people, always tried to help them . One of the children he sponsored from primary school to university rose to the rank of Government agent of Southern  Sri Lanka. Another child he helped became the editor-in-chief of Dinamina newspaper.

Twelve other children who studied with his help are now working as high-ranking doctors and engineers across the country. After the death of Mr. Hewavidana, his elder son Devsiri Hewavidana who lives  in London  continued with  his valuable social activities. Mr. Hewavidana and his wife Mrs. Ruvini joined forces with friends from Britain and started the UK Friends of Galle Foundation .  You may not know that Mr. Devsiri, who loves his native country has been doing a yeoman service for the needy children in Imaduwa and Kamburupitiya areas together with his friends in UK for the past twenty one years.

As the first step to save the rural schools that were marked to be closed by the government, the UKFG started a mission to build fully equipped libraries and provide them with books to small schools in Kamburupitiya.  Thumbe Junior College, Sapugoda Ratanapala College, , Gatare Junior College, Masmulla Junior College, Akurugoda Ratanajoti College, Kamburupitiya Ullala College, all have received brand new libraries . Ullalala, Sapugadala, Rathanapala , Puhulwellala, Owitigamuwa and Mapalana Schools were each given a badminton court  with all sports equipment by philanthropists Mr & Mrs Neil Carson in Cambridge UK> .UKFG has also  given books, computers and projectors and  various other  equipment  to many schools in the area .  Also, Deshan Shynee and Dinum, the three children of Mr. Devsiri, have donated 30 computers and books to eight schools in Kamburupitiya and Imaduwa. To date, UKFG has provided 2300 children with new shoes and uniforms. Also, UKFG has donated new houses to seven families who lost their children and property in the devastating tsunami in 2004.

Today, 340 talented but poor children are going to school with the help of scholarships of 5000 rupees per month provided by the UKFG. We are very happy that 8 medical students who have received support from the UKFG for five years graduated in 2015 and are now working as skilled doctors in many provinces of the island. At present UKFG supports 5 more medical students throughout their studies . Our largest donation is  the fully equipped Helen Carson swimming pool built in Sapugada Ratanapala Vidyalaya at a cost of 110 lakhs. This was donated by philanthropists Mr & Mrs Neil Carson in England was handed over to the students in August 2022. We  hope that about ten thousand children from twenty-five schools in Kamburupitiya will learn swimming and gain life-saving skills by using this swimming pool. We also did the valuable charity of providing free lunch to 2400 children and teaching staff of ten schools namely Mapalana, Godawa, Thumbe  Sapugodala Iriyathota, Kahagala, Vitiyala  South , Gathare , Massmulle and Vitiyala Gunarathana for five months from June 2022. The UKFG was able to do such a great service because of the kind ladies and gentlemen in Britain who are friends of Mr. Devsiri. We hope that through our organization, they would continue to support the needy children at rural schools that do not have much facilities.

If you are a resident of Sri Lanka in UK and would like to offer scholarships to  a few needy and bright child, please join us . One scholarship cost £170 a year.  Your donation would give a whole new future for a child.  Please go to our our  website www.ukfgsrilanka.co.uk for more information about the charity work our foundation has done and is doing for the betterment of children in the Southern Srilanka

Sirisena Gamage

Sri Lankan President (UK Friends of Galle)