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AAUPCC aids undergrads in need at Peradeniya campus
View(s):The Student Welfare Committee (SWC) of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya, Colombo Chapter, (AAUPCC) has undertaken several projects to help undergraduates of the University of Peradeniya, Committee Chairman, K.M.D. Gunaratne told Education Times.
“AAUPCC established 23 years ago, has a membership of over 2,100 members at present, who serve or have served in various parts of the island, as well as overseas,” he said.
These projects have the fullest support and cooperation of Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Athula Senaratne, former VC Prof Sarath Abeykoon, as well as the parent body of the AAUP, Mr Gunaratne added.
He said that some of the projects undertaken by the SWC focus on the special needs of students of the Special Needs Resources Unit (SNRU) which was established with foreign collaboration in 2004, to look into their needs. Till 2008, the Unit functioned smoothly with foreign assistance. Thereafter, its founder, Prof Weerakkody managed the Unit with local donations and assistance. After the demise of Prof Weerakkody, Dr Leena Seneheweera oversees the needs of the students, under the supervision of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof A.M. Navaratna Bandara. At present, there are 23 students including 10 girls. One student uses a wheelchair to get about, he added.
“With the general support of the Council of Management and several well-wishers, we were able to achieve our vision of helping the increasing number of differently abled undergraduates gaining entry into Peradeniya University. A separate fund called “The Differently Abled Undergraduates Fund (University of Peradeniya)” was established, with many sponsors contributing towards this cause, and we take this opportunity to thank them all on behalf of the Colombo Chapter,” he added.
“The SWC has organised a monthly lunch for 23 SNRU students (Marrs Hall Alumni Association is also providing a monthly lunch). These students were also provided with rubber slippers. Most recently, the Committee purchased 4 Sony Voice Recorders at a cost of Rs 31,000, with donations received from well-wishers, while 2 printers too were donated for the use of the SNRU unit,” he added.
He said, apart from the SNRU projects which focus on the differently-abled students, the SWC helped the undergraduates by donating 16 CIMA books valued at over Rs 26,000 recently to the Faculty of Management Studies, while on a previous occasion, Rs 25000 was donated to purchase Management text books for 5 students selected from the applications received.
“On a request from the Warden of Ramanathan Hall, to overcome the mosquito menace students were faced with, 100 mosquito nets were donated to the undergraduates of this hall, with the support of an anonymous sponsor,” he said.
He said, to coincide with this ceremony, spectacle frames were also gifted to 52 undergraduates, who were able to select the frame of their choice and the lenses fixed. Through the Nadarajah Trust Fund, scholarships were granted to undergraduates of the Agricultural and Medical Faculties.
Rs 5,000 was gifted by the Colombo Chapter to H.M. Lal Pushpakumara, a 1st-year blind undergraduate, on a request made by him for financial help in 2012.
As a part of a community development project, 3 emergency lamps were donated to the Blood Bank of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka.
‘To meet the basic needs of schoolchildren in the North, we were able to identify a deserving school “MN/ Vaddankkandal – GMT School” situated in Mannar. The school comprised of 408 students from Grade 1 to Grade 12, with 20 Tamil and Sinhala teachers. These students came to be displaced on numerous occasions because of the war. Ten boxes of school stationery worth over Rs 90,000 were handed over to the Principal of the school at the AGM,” he added.
The Colombo Chapter thanks all institutions and individuals who helped make their projects successful. If any organisation or individual wishes to contribute towards future projects, please contact C. Sooriyaarachchi – 0773 204 645, K.M.D. Gunaratne – 077 6 358 645, Mrs Fareeza Ghazzali – 0776 068 926.