In 1931, a young tea planter who took up residence in a remote village called Waralla in Morawak Korale felt the need for education facilities to be provided to the youth of the area. At a time when children merely followed in the footsteps of their parents in either cultivating their land or taking up their parents professions, M.D.Yapa felt they needed education to equip them to be trained in new skills.

He obtained a plot of land from the government and with the support of the villagers established the Waralla School in a picturesque setting in an area surrounded by paddy fields. The school was handed over to the government and Mr. Yapa ensured that all his children had their primary education at the simple village school. "Never forget that your roots must always be in the village because this is where you started from," he reminded them often.

Deputy Minister of Education N. Kotalawela declaring open the M.D. Yapa Computer Centre donated by members of the Yapa family, on the initiative of Vijitha Yapa, Chairman of the Vijitha Yapa group of companies, at the M.D. Yapa Vidyalaya premises in Waralla on July 1. In the picture from L to R - Deputy Minister Kotalawela, Vijaya Dahanayake, Deputy Chairman, Southern Provincial Council, Mr. Vijitha Yapa, Aruna Gunasekera, District Manager (South), Vijitha Yapa Bookshop, Mrs. Lalana Yapa and Principal of the M.D.Yapa Maha Vidyalaya, Waralla, H.G.Dayaratne.

In 2007, the Education Department informed the Principal H.G. Dayarathna that the school had been upgraded to a Maha Vidyalaya. When this was announced at a parents-teachers meeting, one villager got up and proposed that they should ask the Education Department whether the school could be named after the initiator the late M.D. Yapa who had died in 1982. The decision was unanimous and subsequently approved by the Ministry of Education.

When the news was conveyed to Mrs. Yapa who is now 93 years old, she asked her son Vijitha Yapa, Chairman of Vijitha Yapa Bookshop whether something could be done to improve the facilities in the school. He in turn enlisted the support of his brothers and sisters.

Though the school had no computers, eight children had passed the computer paper at the G.C.E. O/L examination in 2007. The family members asked the Principal whether they could donate a fully equipped computer centre including a new building in memory of their father.

"Our early education was at this school and we are now in successful jobs but we owe a lot to this school," they said. The Principal welcomed the idea and obtained the necessary permission to construct it on the school premises.

On July 1, Deputy Minister of Education Nirmala Kotalawela renamed the school as M.D. Yapa Maha Vidyalaya. He also declared open the Rs. 3 million state-of-the-art computer centre which is equipped with 18 new computers. In addition, 26 sets of books were distributed to 25 poor schools in the area on the initiative of Gunasoma Vithana, Chairman, Book Development Council.

The Deputy Minister said it was an inspiration that the Yapa family had their primary education in the school created by Mr. M.D.Yapa in the '30s and have not forgotten their village.

Speaking at the occasion, Vijitha Yapa said that his father had taken the initiative to start the school in 1931 and the villagers had unanimously requested the Education Department to rename the school after it was decided this year to upgrade it to a Maha Vidyalaya. He said his father had told the family, "Never forget that your roots are in this village" and pointed out that even today the village has no name board.

Ven. Banagala Upatissa Nayaka Thera, Chief Nayaka Thera of the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka was born in Waralla and said publicly at a meeting in the Waralla temple that he should really be called Waralla Upatissa Thera. He added that his father had been employed by Mr. M.D. Yapa.

At present there are 74 children who are studying computer science but the number is expected to rise with the computer centre. The students will use the facility in the morning while in the afternoon and evenings classes will be held to educate village youth in computer skills to train them for employment.
Even though remote Waralla on the Akuressa-Deniyaya road still does not have a signboard, students from this school are today serving in leading private establishments and public institutions throughout the country.