Pragna Pradeepa programme celebrates 30th anniversary
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The Pragna Pradeepa programme, initiated by Western Province Councilor and United National Party (UNP) Borella Chief Organiser Jayantha De Silva, celebrated its 30th anniversary recently. The programme, which Mr De Silva has been conducting continuously for 3 decades, has seen him distributing large consignments of books and school requisites to children of low income families. Throughout his career, Mr De Silva has also implemented projects of his own to uplift the poor.
“Early in life, I thought of social service and started my ambitious career as a social worker, and undertook that arduous task even before I took to politics,” Mr De Silva explained. Both Mr De Silva’s parents were also social workers, and it was they who first instilled the ideal that life should be led in service to one’s fellowmen, he added.
Mr De Silva said his alma mater, Ananda College, Colombo, gave fresh impetus to his ambition and equipped him with the “noble concept of social service.” “Several members of Ananda College’s teaching staff too were dedicated social workers, who were role models to their students,” he recalled.
In the beginning, Mr De Silva commenced Pragna Pradeepa with just 8 children, donating school books to children from his personal funds. Later, they were able to inaugurate a loan scheme for low income families depending on self employment, and also implemented projects to develop infrastructure facilities in underdeveloped areas.
While some had misunderstood the Pragna Pradeepa programme initially, as one launched to gain cheap political mileage, Mr De Silva stated that, some of those who misunderstood, ultimately joined hands with the programme. Today, the programme functions as a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with 35 honorary office bearers.
The 30th anniversary of the Pragna Pradeepa programme, was celebrated with the donation of a large collection of schoolbooks and a cultural show, in December 2017 at Campbell Park, Borella.