Hadawathe Sihinaya – Batawala Junior School

A Computer Donation That Inspired Another Dream

Date: 01 October 2020
School: Batawala Junior School
District: Colombo
Project: Hadawathe Sihinaya – Computer Donation Project
Organised by: Isura Wickramarachchi Foundation

As another step in the “Hadawathe Sihinaya” initiative to provide computers to under-resourced schools, I had the opportunity to donate a computer to Batawala Junior School in the Colombo District on 1 October 2020.

However, what made this visit particularly memorable was not only the computer donation. During my time at the school, I visited the classroom for children with special needs. What I saw and heard there would later become the starting point for another important community project.

The classroom had a number of shortcomings. When I spoke with the parents, they emotionally explained the difficulties their children experienced, particularly when they needed to use the toilet. Listening to those parents and seeing the children made a lasting impression on me.

It was on that day that I made a personal commitment: I wanted to build an attached toilet and bathroom facility suitable for the needs of these children and directly accessible from their classroom.

After saying goodbye to the children that day, I expressed that determination in a Facebook post, writing that although the special-needs classroom had many shortcomings, I was leaving with a firm hope that I would be able to do something for those children.

For that reason, this visit became an important turning point in my community-service journey. I went to Batawala Junior School that day to give them a computer. I returned home carrying another dream in my heart — to create a much-needed facility for those children.

https://isurawickramarachchi.com/project/202/sanitary-facility-for-children-with-special-needs