Scholarship sans religious discrimination

The Fr. Peter Pillai Fund supports and guides many needy students. Tharuka Dissanaike reports

For Dr. Nalin Randeniya, scholarship days are long gone. The young dental surgeon passed out of Peradeniya two years ago and is already building up a reputable practice at a clinic in Homagama. But he made time to be present at the ceremony that awarded scholarships to twelve needy university students recently at St. Joseph's College, Maradana.

"I came to offer my advice and encouragement to the new students," Dr. Randeniya said. "It's also a pleasure to meet all the old friends and committee of the scholarship fund."

Dr. Randeniya received the Fr. Peter Pillai Memorial Scholarship in 1987 just after his O/Ls. The scholarship helped him through tuition and extra coaching during his Advanced Level studies at Royal College. With no paternal support- his father had passed away when he was very young- the scholarship helped the young man immensely to obtain the much desired entry into the dental faculty.

From that time onwards Dr. Randeniya has nursed a close relationship with the members of the scholarship committee. "Though I am a Buddhist, I really love all these people. I have very close ties and strong inner feelings about the entire project. We are not isolated after the scholarship is granted.

The committee keeps track of our activities and guides us through studies and even other problems."

As Rohan Cooray, President of the Peter Pillai Memorial Scholarship Fund reiterated in his welcome speech, the committee takes an extraordinary interest in the development of scholarship students. "We want you to know that we are also proud of your talents and abilities. Remember that we are with you all through your academic career."

As good as his word, Cooray and the rest of the committee will shadow the youth as they struggle through years of campus life and even after. Each student has a mentor or monitor. The monitor is always available for the student- not just to offer help in academic pursuits but also for support and encouragement and even in case of personal problems. Each monitor obtains a Dean's report of the student's performance academically as well as socially. If a student is involved in a disciplinary issue, the monitor will seek a way to counsel him or her.

If a student fails in exams, support and encouragement is offered to persevere at studies.

Take the case of Sudesh Duminda, a 28-year-old diabetic patient, about to sit for his final exams in agriculture. He first obtained the scholarship for his Advanced Levels in 1990. But he did not obtain enough marks to enter university.

Meanwhile the boy developed diabetes and had to undergo daily insulin treatment. His impoverished family could hardly afford his treatment.

"It was my monitor, Mr. Nihal de Silva who kept me going throughout this difficult period. He kept encouraging me, forcing me not to give up on the A/Ls and finally, in 1993 I managed to obtain enough marks to enter the agricultural faculty. The committee helped further by extending my scholarship upto university as well," Duminda recalls in gratitude.

Today the scholarship fund extends support only to engineering and medical students. No longer does it support Advanced Level students.

"We found that Ordinary Level examination results was too early a stage to judge the students' capability of entering university with high marks," said Cooray.

"This way we are careful to choose the brightest and the most deserving students of those who apply. What we expect is to make all of them worthwhile citizens of Sri Lanka."

The selection criteria are quite strict. A large number of applications flood in from all parts of the country in answer to the Fund's newspaper advertisement. Of these applications those with good results and those from underprivileged areas are first chosen. The committee holds interviews in Colombo in which the student's personality is also considered an important criterion. Then home visits are made to make sure the family cannot afford to put the youth through university.

"Here we come across problems with applications from the north and east, since most of them are from uncleared areas and home visits are out of the question. Without visiting the house, we really cannot judge the students' suitability for the scholarship," said Derek de S. Wijeyeratne another committee member.

Students chosen for the scholarship are initiated into the scheme at a simple ceremony, attended by their parents as well.

At the recent initiation, students were treated to a lecture by Prof. Charles Senarath of the Moratuwa University on developing personality beyond academic achievement. Then the students formed three groups and presented dramatic displays of common university issues, stunning and tickling the audience with their creativity and panache.

The fund that started sponsoring just two students in 1982, today supports 45 students every month. The most recent batch consisted of 12 new university entrants.

Throughout their university life, and for most beyond, the students will meet at get-togethers of similar fashion. The older students will encourage the younger. They will share lodgings when they participate in the Life Education programme at Subodhi Institute at Piliyandala, a three-day, fully sponsored seminar on developing life skills and discussing youth problems.

Hemanthi Abeygoonewardena, a final-year medical student from Thanamalwila said she has benefited greatly by the Life Education programme.

"In schools and universities we never get to discuss problems that often plague youth: drugs, alcohol and bad company. We never get a proper sex education either. These things are never discussed at home. It's important for us that the Fund sponsors this workshop at Subodhi."

The scholarship fund not only gives monies to cover students' educational requirements, but also maintains a library to which books are added to the student's request. Since most scholarship recipients are medical and engineering students from poor families they really appreciate the library facility through which expensive text books are available at their fingertips.

The fund, established in memory of Fr. Peter Pillai, scholar and priest, does not discriminate against students on their religion. In fact only a tiny minority of the scholars are Catholic. "At the beginning we did wonder if this was some kind of missionary conversion practice," said Duminda. "But we were never ever influenced in any way on the religious aspect.

These people (the Fund) are only interested in our studies and preparing us to live a fruitful life, whatever religion we may belong to."

More Plus

Return to Plus Contents