Dance and beat the drum! – Friendship Association donates new dancing costumes

Such a group is vital in a temple school. Dominated by red and white colours, charming headdress,… which are as important for Singhalese dancers as the tricorne heads and pleated skirts are for the dancing girls in our Rhineland at carnival. Respecting and cultivating a long tradition is the main point. There are many different occasions and places where you can see these dancers and musicians perform their ability and enjoy: Buddhist ceremonies, Peraheras (processions), opening celebrations, wedding ceremonies, anniversaries,….and many more. (more…)

Our projects are in a constant state of flux – which costs money!

For many years we have been lucky enough to initiate and to finish lots of projects at Anura College: two two-storeyed buildings with specialist rooms, comprising furniture and equipment, washrooms, a library and even a small preschool. There were curtains for some rooms, two sewing machines, racks for music instruments, office cupboards and a cupboard to keep sports equipment and even a table-tennis table. Some of these things were sponsored by generous donations; others were financed by the friendship association. (more…)

Finally – running water and electricity!

Beginning of February, Edeltrud Pinger, Vice President of Neuwied-Matara-Friendship- Association, visited some of the scholarship students, newly accepted in our programme. These visits are meant to give information about the families’ life conditions whose children are suggested by the school administration. In the course of these visits, we can get evidence, and the English teacher’s translations help to speak with the children and their parents and thus, find out that they really deserve being accepted in our scholarship programme. That’s the way we can show responsibility and recruit sponsors in Germany. There are 24 of them and some of them even support more than one child in a family, actually there are 28 altogether. (more…)

In commemoration

Neuwied-Matara-Friendship-Association expresses

sincere condolences with regard to the passing away of the highly valued dear mother of Nayaka Thero Venerable Getamanne Dhamma Kirththi, High priest of Manthinda Temple School. Next to this Temple School is Anura College, supervised by him, as well. For several years we have cooperated with the Venerable High Priest, whenever planning and carrying out our projects at Anura College.

 

His dear mother achieved the old age of 102 years. The school community, monks, teachers and students were involved in the preparation and

achievement of the funeral, March 24^th, according to Buddhist rituals. Belief in rebirth, in starting a new life depending on the quality of the past existence, is one of the most essential elements of Buddhism.

 

We remain in respect and appreciation.

Opening of Princess Sophie Pre-School at Anura College

In January 2016, at the beginning of the new school year, 15 young pre-school children started their career at Anura College. Later, they can continue to Primary section and go on to college after grade 5.

Anura Vidyalaya has been supported for many years by the German Neuwied-Matara-Friendship Association, and economically weak families can apply for a scholarship, which means regular monthly help whenever a German sponsor can be required. Starting their help in 2005, shortly after the disastrous tsunami, they focused on building hostels and school buildings. Now, donations becoming less and less, they concentrate on individual scholarships to give a chance to those who are economically weakest. (more…)

First Chairman Mr. Mertgen meets German Ambassador in Colombo

In February, German Ambassador Dr. Juergen Morhard (left) met the President of Freundeskreis Neuwied-Matara e.V. Mr. Bernd Mertgen in Colombo.  Mr. Mertgen informed the ambassador about the association’s work, activities and projects, such building two hostels in Matara in 2006 and 2008, additional school buildings and classrooms, and donating corresponding equipment since 2005 till today. The organization has enabled education for orphans and underprivileged children. Since 2008, they have been offering monthly sponsorships to some poor students at Rahula and Sujatha College, supported by German sponsors and the Friendship Association. Currently, they cooperate with Rohana Special School and Anura Vidyalaya. The focus is on Anura College, where economically weakest and needy students are given scholarships and are supported regularly by German god-parents.

The ambassador showed honest interest and thanked Mr. Mertgen, his German association, members and generous donors for their precious help. Probably, there will be an opportunity in future to visit the association’s school projects in Matara and meet German helpers at work. Welcome, Mr. Morhard!

Final fight for clean water – Happy about new sports facilities

There are only two days to do what must be done before I’m going back to Germany. I want to visit some of the new scholarship children at their homes. Mr. Wasantha gets permission to accompany me, because without his help of translation I would be lost. I want to buy a writing desk for one of the scholarship girls; some curtains for the new building (library and ground floor office) make sense to protect the rooms from wind, dust and rain. The table tennis table donated by our member Martin Klein (on the occasion of his birthday) has been delivered and should be put up and “tested”. (more…)

Visit of Jamburegode Maha Vidyalaya

The focus of our association’s work is on Anura College and Rohana Special School, but sometimes we are given the chance of visiting other schools in this area although we must refrain of starting new projects there. First reason, we don’t have enough money anymore for projects in other schools, and we better concentrate on the current projects to aim at a lasting long-term effect. (more…)

Happy scholarship children and parents

The meeting of scholarship children and their parents took place on Tuesday, February 2nd in the Home Science Room of Anura Vidyalaya. We expected them all to arrive at about 12 a. m., but the first mothers and children had come at 10 already. Perhaps there was a good means of transport, may be they wanted to be early enough or had wrong information. Alexandra had to do the German lesson on her own, because the English teacher, Mr. Wasantha, helped me to talk to the first mothers and children, which was quite useful to have time enough later for all of them. We could sit in the big Home Science Room, because Mrs. Tekla, the home science teacher, was absent that day and the room was vacant. Some individual conversations could take place that were not meant for the public. (more…)

Signal example: Everybody could do it!

This morning it is Alexandra’s turn to do the lessons in German combined with Geography. The little globe, with its different colours for each country, helps a lot to find countries like Austria, for example, which seems to be as large as Sri Lanka. Now we learn to say in German where we would like to travel and which language must be learned to get along. “I would like to travel to Germany. I have to learn German.” [Ich möchte nach Deutschland reisen. Ich muss Deutsch lernen.”] That is the pattern that serves to do more sentences and probably initiates some wishful dreams. If those students will be able to go or given the chance of going abroad one day, who knows? Let’s hope for the best. (more…)