Gauge Newsletter September 2016 | Page 19

ARUNELLA FOR A BETTER FUTURE GENERATION A Arunella is the humanitarian program organised by Engineering Students’ Union (ESU) of Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, under the theme “Yahapath Wu Anagatha Parapurak Udesa”. This project was given life on 2002 with the main objective of financially supporting our very own undergraduates who were facing economic difficulties in 2002. Final year students organised a show in Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra Open-Air theatre, themselves raise money and continue the project with the help where the income was dedicated to offering scholarships. of each other. Since 2007, projects like donating library books, With the passage of time, the young minds wanted to offer more building a water supply system, building classrooms, etc., has to the whole society. So, they took a step forward to uplift the been conducted. As per the social project, final year students infrastructure facilities and academic aspects of schools in rural built a science laboratory targeting the grade 6-11 students and areas. In order to make the project more successful, now it is donated it to Othnapitiya Kanishta Vidyalaya, Nelumdeniya. Also, divided into three phases; a seminar series, social projects and the project of building 3 classrooms for Illagolla-watta Vidyalaya scholarship programs. is now ongoing. Sooner the children of Illagolla-watta Vidyalaya will become the beneficiaries and will be able to continue their studies under a pleasant environment. In the seminar series, schools from all over the country are selected, and O/L seminars are conducted during the weekend. This will help the students to learn subject matter mostly related to mathematics and science. While the seminars are going on, the children will be educated about the society and some worthy advice are given for them to shape up their lives in the years After completing the O/L seminar series the student who per- to come. Currently, the seminar programme for 2016 has been formed well in the examination will be offered scholarships and started and is being conducted by undergraduates throughout stationery items. the country. In 2016, scholarship award ceremony was held on 4th of May in Prof. EOE Pereira theatre with the presence of academic staff, other distinguished guests and faculty undergraduates. In order to raise money for the Arunella fund, two stage dramas were brought to the Ediriweera Sarachchandra Open-Air theatre, by Engineering Students’ Union. “Tharawo Igilethi”, “Makarata” were the dramas and they were staged on 4th and 5th of July respectively. Also, the fund is raised by selling items like T-Shirts and bags. Arunella, which is effective since 2002, also known as the “Heart Social project phase will be focused on building up facilities for of the Faculty of Engineering”, is destined to enrich the lives of a school which is in dire need of a helping hand. Undergraduates thousands of Sri Lankans students’ in the years to come. Gauge Newsletter University of Peradeniya 19