Rotary Sri Lanka - District 3220


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Rotary Standard Chartered Schools Trust opens Seventh School rebuilt after tsunami

On Wednesday, the Rotary Standard Chartered Schools Trust formally opened the Ariyawansa School - the seventh school to be completed under the “Schools re-awakening” project.

The trust was established as a joint enterprise between Rotary Sri Lanka and Standard Chartered Bank to rebuild 25 schools destroyed by the Tsunami at a cost of LKR 1.8 Billion.

General Secretary of Rotary International Ed Futa was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Also present at the opening were Guests of Honour Luke Hingson President - Brother’s Brother Foundation and Nagen Suriya, Wicky Wickramatunga, Trustee Rotary International and Chairman Apex Committee K.R. Ravindran, District Governor Bobby Senaweera, representatives from Standard Chartered Bank and many other past District Governors and Rotary District officials.

The Chief Minister of Western Province, Hon Reginold Cooray was also in attendance as were many Rotarians including the members of the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid town - the lead club that handled the construction of this school.

When the Tsunami of December 2004 destroyed Bandarawatte School, it needed to be relocated to a safer area. After many months of searching for a suitable site, the Rotarians of Sri Lanka in consultation with the Ministry of Education, decided to amalgamate Bandarawatte with the Ariyawansa school which was in the same area.

Today, the new school has more than 900 students with 35 staff and they will all be able to continue their work in their brand new ‘model’ school equipped with all the modern facilities to assist them in the work. The new school has a state of the art Computer Center, a well stocked library and recreational facilities.

“Whenever I attend the opening ceremony of a school I marvel at the magic of Rotary at work” said Chairman Apex Committee K.R.Ravindran. “Every school is beautiful and has its own special character” he added.

“It is an honour to be here today” said Luke Hingson, President of Brother’s Brother Foundation one of the main sponsors of the school together with the Connecticut Association of Schools, the Sri Lankan American Association of W.Pennsylvania and the American Jewish JDC.

“Two years ago Sri Lanka had a day of pain which was felt around the world. When we visited the country shortly afterwards we resolved to help rebuild a new model school” said Hingson.

“We raised funds through churches, temples, synagogues, schools, people on the street, door to door collections and special fundraising events.” added Hingson.

There was an especially poignant moment when Hingson paid tribute to the late Robert Carroll and recounted the visit they had made together to Sri Lanka. A new block of the school is specially dedicated to Carroll who initiated the fundraising efforts of the sponsors.

Chief Guest Futa praised the efforts of all those involved in the project and for rebuilding not just the school but also the “hopes and dreams of all the students”.

“Rotary’s special journey does not end now – it will continue and we will walk hand in hand with you towards a hope filled future for all of you. Let Rotary lead the way” said Futa.