Projects - WSAP
In 2022, the University of Peradeniya approached the Colombo Chapter of the Alumni Association seeking funding for scholarships to be offered to needy students. This led to dialogue with the university and funds raised by the NZ chapter of over $2,000 were initially used to top up Mahapola Scholarship scheme that was in place to help with students’ costs of education at the university. Following on from the success of this initial efforts, Prof. Dileepa De Silva, Director Career Guidance Unit of the University approached the NZ Chapter to fund thirty three students selected from across the university for placements in part time work of ten hours per month for a year commencing January 2023. Strict criteria based on financial needs was used to select the students to participate in this noteworthy program. Hence the Working Student Assistantship Programme (WSAP) was born.
This was fully funded by our association and the first remittance amounting to LKR 1,000,500.75 from the Association towards this project was made in January 2023.
On the 3rd of October 2023, a hybrid meeting was arranged by the Director of the Career Guidance Unit at which a few students who benefitted from the programme along with senior officials from the university and committee members of the NZ chapter participated. This meeting which was deemed to be the closing ceremony of the first round of the successfully completed WASP venture. The stories shared by the students were truly very touching.
A further hybrid meeting was held in March 2024 to discuss the future of the WSAP program. This meeting was well attended with members of the University officials including the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and committee members of the NZ Chapter of the Alumni Association participating. Rani Kirimetiyawa, Executive President of the association was at the meeting in person.
Following this meeting, an amount of LKR 350,250.37 was remitted in April 2024 by the association as an advance payment to fund the second phase of the program. This second phase was set to commence in May 2024 with the number of students participating increased to fifty with each student to receive Rs. 5000 per month over six months.
A meeting was also held in October 2024 as a follow up to receive an update on progress of Phase 2 of this program. Dr. Jayantha Sirisena, our Assistant Secretary attended the meeting in Sri Lanka in person whilst other members of the Executive Committee attended on line via Zoom.
Projects - Other
Ever since its inception in 2009, the NZ chapter of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya, its members and well-wishers have readily responded to appeals for assistance from the university when a specific need arises.
In 2010, in response to a request from the parent body, the association donated books to veterinary and dental science faculties of the university.
In 2011, the association sponsored seven scholarships for first year students at the university to the value of $150 per student.
In 2015 and 2016 the association presented the Peradeniya University Medical library with books to the value of $4,030.
In 2019, in response to a request from the Science Faculty of the university of Peradeniya, a donation of equipment including a computer, a fridge, and a grinder were made by the association. The total value of this donation was $1,817.50. This was duly acknowledged by the head of the department of Chemistry of the science Faculty.
Again in 2019 and 2020, the association donated books to the value of $1,050 to the Management Faculty of the university.
In 2020, the association fully funded the Mobile Platform for Monitoring Covid 19 Non-critical patients, costing $4,220. This was a research project undertaken by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Peradeniya. The unit was donated for use at Kandy National Hospital.