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Wijeya Tsunami Fund brings sunshine to needy children
Tuesday, September 13, brought a silver lining to the dark clouds over the lives of ten children affected by the tsunami, thanks to the readers of Wijeya Newspapers Ltd., who went that extra bit to extend a helping hand to them.
It was the high point of a campaign started by Wijeya on December 29, 2004, contributing Rs. 1 million to set up the Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. Tsunami Relief Fund. The campaign closed on April 4 this year with a tally of Rs. 3.1 million.

Last week, ten children, four from the northeast and six from the south, identified from the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) database, received their bank passbooks with the first monthly instalment of Rs. 2,500 at a simple ceremony held at th Cey-Nor Orient Seafood Restaurant in Fort. These monthly scholarships will be awarded to them until they are 18 years, to help towards their educational needs. Five of these children who are in the 8-15 years age group, have lost both their parents to the tsunami, while three have lost their mothers and the other two their fathers.

The ceremony was attended by the Commissioner of the Probation and Child Care Department, D.M.B. Abeygunawardene, Deputy Commissioner A.K. Ariyadasa and officials of Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.

Earlier Rs. 500,000, part of the interest accrued on the funds collected, was utilized to buy two refrigerators and weighing machines for the Health Ministry for the medical aid that flowed in after the tsunami.

The funds are now in a fixed deposit (No. 190314) at the Corporate branch of the Bank of Ceylon, The other project to be supported by the Fund is the construction of a library for tsunami-hit Rohana Maha Vidyalaya in Ahangama.

Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. is grateful to all the generous donors who sent their contributions to the Tsunami Relief Fund and say a big thank you.

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