Sudden death of our member Dietmar Hörter

We are infinitely sad to inform our friends and members that Mr. Dietmar Hörter was overtaken by death. His sudden and unexpected passing away is difficult to bear by his family and we wish all of them comfort and strength by thinking of him in love.

Mr. Hörter was a sponsor of one of our scholarship girls at Sujatha College. Together with his dear wife he has supported her for many years already and, thus, put into action aims and duties of our association. We will honour his memory in gratitude and appreciation. May he rest in peace.

On behalf of the Association Board: Bernd Mertgen and Edeltrud Pinger

Protection of the environment for a cleaner future

The young  ecologist from Finland, Maija Zitting, finished her programme after six days at Anura College. In a letter to our manager, Mr. Sagara Abegunewarde, she gave a short report and thanked him for this opportunity. Here is an excerpt from her letter:

The idea was to bring 70 children to the playground (grades 4 & 5) to learn about environmental protection and recycling. I made two games for them, and I must mention I was positively surprised that the students got so into it. The game allowed them to find non-organic things in their surroundings and learn in what ways recycling was possible. (more…)

Not only “building” – but also “Bildung” ( = education)

Contact of Neuwied-Matara Friendship Association with “Lions Club” Helsinki, Finland, turns out to be an ecologically favourable one: the young Finnish professional with a master’s degree in economics, Ms. Maija Zitting, has concentrated her work – worldwide and particularly in Asia – on environmental topics that can be decisive for a country’s development. The economic expert taught lessons at Anura College on six days. In cooperation with the science teacher, Mrs. Lakshmi Ratnayake, she worked with three groups of students focusing on environmental protection, a problem that has not yet been fully considered by adults. The conscience of young people, however, who are meant and willing to take responsibility for the country and its future, can certainly be strengthened by this project, and the knowledge can be used for the country’s benefit. Students were highly interested, and everything was well organized logistically – thanks to the Venerable High Priest of Mantinda Temple School, Lady Principal of Anura College and our coordinator in Matara, Mr. Ruwan Abegunewardene. (more…)

First floor “is growing” fast

Even in Germany we can watch the new building of the first floor on top of the little library growing continuously. Our coordinator in Matara, Mr. Ruwan Abegundewardene, regularly sends a picture and his report. Thank you so much, dear Ruwan, for this service. So, we needn’t be worried about the end of work end of July and the opening in August 2015.

Our members and friends – and all those who want to join us (and why not do so?) – are kindly asked to give us some support by donations. (Account number of our bank was published in our last article.) Thank you so much for your concern and help.

Anura Vidyalaya: Construction work in progress

According to our plans, construction work started in February at Anura College to build the first floor on top of the library. Our coordinator in Matara, Mr. Ruwan Abegunewardene, sent us this photograph to show us how building work is going on. He is responsible for supervision and cares for all activities on the spot. We are particularly happy and thankful for a donation given by the state government of Rhineland Palatinate that helps us to increase a bit our cash resources. Besides, we would be very happy to get some more support by generous donors to finish this project free of debt.
So, if you were willing to contribute some money to our project, we – and particularly students of Anura Vidyalaya – would enjoy your generosity which leads to better quality of school education in that place. Thanks a lot.
(–> Freundeskreis Neuwied-Matara, IBAN DE58 574501200030041800)
We will keep you up-to-date.

Report of our journey to Matara, Sri Lanka, January 2015

Here we are again: all my bags are packed, and tomorrow I’ll be sitting (me = Edeltrud Pinger, vice president of our Friendship Association) in the plane to Sri Lanka. Looking forward to meeting my friends at the south coast of the island and my students who are rather willing to learn German – with the help of English, because their teacher is not as good at Sinhala as she should be, on her eleventh visit of the country……and my “Personal Assistant” Sabine Wirges, responsible of our scholarship children, is going to come with me, of course). (more…)

New board members in our committee

The annual general meeting took place on January 8th 2015 in Neuwied. Members were informed about projects of the last year and about planned activities ahead. There was a detailed report of the cash balance of our account presented by our treasurer Jürgen Hoppen. The cash audit didn’t find any reason for complaint, and thus, total discharge of the board was granted.

Information was given about the construction activities at Anura College, starting in February 2015: first floor and solid roof on top of the ground floor of the little library. Financial support by the state government in Mainz can be expected, and this first floor will be finished in July and may be opened when board members visit Matara in August 2015.

An ambitious project will be celebrating the tenth birthday of our Neuwied-Matara-Friendship-Association in autumn 2015. There will be a summary and report of all our projects and activities having been carried out continuously since February/March 2005. Information about scholarships – the present focus of our work – about history and culture of Sri Lanka, about food and lifestyle…will be given on that occasion. (More details about the exact date and programme to follow)

Associaton board: former members of the cash audit Mrs. Herta Ries and Mr. Fridhelm Schuhbauer were suggested to replace the leaving board members Mrs. Tanja Bartz and Mrs. Sandra Schmidt. Mrs. Ries and Mr. Schuhbauer were ready to accept and were elected unanimously. As new cash audit members were elected Mrs. Karin Schuhbauer and Mrs. Brigitte Raithelhuber. They all agreed to fulfill their duties willingly. The president thanked Mrs. Bartz and Mrs. Schmidt for all the work they had done as board members for the association’s sake and kindly asked them to continue their support as members.

Here are the members of the newly constituted board:
President – Mr. Bernd Mertgen
Vice President – Mrs. Edeltrud Pinger
Manager – Mr. Sagara Abegunewardene
Treasurer – Mr. Jürgen Hoppen
Assessors: Mrs. Meilen-Hoppen; Mrs. Herta Ries; Mr. Hermann-Josef Simon; Mr. Fridhelm Schuhbauer; Mrs. Sabine Wirges (not in the picture)

Our Association on TV

By Mrs. Pinger’s and Mr. Sagara’s lecture and report at evening school Neuwied, last Wednesday, the visitors were reminded of the tsunami that caused enormous destruction ten years ago. December 26th is the exact date.

This date, December 26th, will be remembered all over the world, in Germany and Rhineland-Palatinate. An interview with our board-members and lots of pictures of the disastrous event and our projects in Matara thereafter, will be broadcast on that date at 7.45 p. m. in “Südwestfernsehen RP, 3. Programm”. Perhaps, this contribution on TV can attract more attention and support.

We want our members to think of the annual general meeting, January 8th, 6 p. m., Weinhaus Adam in Neuwied.

To all of you who visit our homepage, to all members, friends and supporters, we wish MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR  2015 ! We wish so much being able to continue our work next year for the students’ sake. Ayubowan!

English Translation

It’s a pleasure that our friends in Sri Lanka visit our homepage from time to time. Our manager, Mr. Sagara Abegunewardene, has arranged a site on facebook which is kept in English. So, our official homepage here, should also offer the same service for those, worldwide, who don’t speak and understand German. Step by step we want to translate the past entries, which will take some time, of course. We will try to give an English translation immediately, when new texts are published. The first translations have been published for the reports of September 8th, 10th and 15th.

Visit to the schools of Matara

Our vice president, Mrs. Edeltrud Pinger, is on her way to Sri Lanka. Comparing her situation to the last years, it is a late visit in the year, but after the summer holidays she won’t have to go back to her German school, because she got retired on July 31st. So, now,  she can extend her stay till mid or end of September.
For the first time, she travels alone on this tenth journey to Sri Lanka, but there are lots of things she has been asked to do, lots of presents and letters in her luggage  for scholarship children and their families.