LAKVIRU SEWANA

Lakviru Sevana Disabled War Heroes Vocational Training Center

Founder :

Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero

Chief Incumbent - Dharmayathanaya,

General Secretary - Dharmayathanaya Arakshaka Sabhawa

::::::: Reason for Inauguration of Lakviru Sevana Disabled War Heroes Vocational Training Center :::::::

When the war in the North and East was powerful, the strength of the main Army Camps including Elephant Pass became weak. At that time Her Excellency the President Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayaka Kumarathunga addressed the nation and announced that the soldiers in the armed forces were abandoning their services. On that occasion Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero requested a discussion with the President and he questioned her and asked her that as to how many soldiers would be required to end the war in the North and East and her reply was that she would need at least 10000 soldiers.

Even though at that time a general amnesty period had been declared by the Sri Lanka Army and the Government inviting the soldiers to re-join, and the response to this request was extremely weak.

At that stage, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero published the request in the mass media for those soldiers who abandoned, to return through him under cover of the general amnesty. In response to that a large number of soldiers who had abandoned the service started lining up from Dharmayathanaya along Bauddhaloka Mawatha to re-join the service. After discussion with every soldier regarding his personal, physical and mental problems Ven. Thero himself got involved saying that he would help in solving their problems. As a result soldiers agreed to re-join the forces. Thereafter Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero invited the Prime Minister Hon. Mr. Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka and the Army Commander and handed over the soldiers to them and informed them to solve problems of the soldiers. Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero succeeded in handing over to them more than 12000 soldiers who had abandoned the Sri Lanka Army.

In the mean time it was found that over 18,000 War Heroes who were in the battlefront had become disabled due to War in the North and East. Therefore and in view of the fact that the soldiers listened and responded to the request of Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero an expression of gratitude, compassion and as an honour to the armed forces he inaugurated a LAKVIRU SEVANA DISABLED WAR HEROES VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER at No:48, Bodhirukkarama Mawatha, Colombo 7 for the benefits of disabled War Heroes.

Date & Place of Inauguration

Lakviru Sevana Disabled War Heroes Vocational Training Center inaugurated on 22-06-2001 at No:48, Bodhirukkarama Mawatha, Colombo 6 by the Dharmayathanaya Arakshaka Sabhawa on the instructions of Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero.

Target : Training Groups

It is desire to train the under mentioned Groups to achieve the Targets stated in the Courses.

(1) Disabled War Heroes.

(2) Destitute Youth due to War.

Main Objects

This is our ancestral mother-land excelled and saved by our forefathers sacrificing shedding their tears and blood over a period of 2550 years.

The number of very valuable young human lives lost in the battle that ensued and faught against terrorists and terrorism during the last two decades, by the three armed forces and the Police, to prevent a division of this country, is very high. In addition, over 18,000 young soldiers have lost their limbs and are disabled and are in a state of distress.

It is therefore extremely necessary that those of us who are capable should take every step to rehabilitate those disabled mainly because they became disabled due to the fact that they stepped forward to save our motherland from terrorist.

Lakviru Sevana Disabled War Heroes Vocational Training Center has the Disabled War Heroes a six months suitable vocational training free of charge and re-engaging them, and admit them back in service, so that they will not be a burden to society. This is the only Institution which has been set-up in Sri Lanka for disabled soldiers.

Presently we provide the facilities to the children of disabled War Heroes and the children of War Heroes who died in action and other youths who come from poor families.

Facilities have been provided for other religious devotees too who are following training courses.

Training Courses

The following Training Courses are providing free of charge such as.,

Computer Operating
Information Technology
English / Sinhala Typing
Hair Cutting /Hair Dressing
Dress Making [Male]
Leather Production
Cookery
Repairing & Maintenance of Electric & Electronic Equipments (Including House Wiring)
Repairing of Office Equipment
Music
Postal & Telecommunication Work
Business Activities

For example if one is trained in Computer Section or Typing Section he would be engaged as an Office Worker, and a person trained as a Barber could be engaged in such a position in the Camp. On the other hand a person who is slightly disabled can be trained as a Chef/Cook and he will get the opportunity to cook for others in the Camp and those who can be trained to sew uniforms and make leather goods, they can supply their products to the camps.

This service was inaugurated nearly eight years ago and is being carried on with perpetual succession. Every six months this Institution recruits Disabled War Heroes for training and after training an Examination is held and the successful trainees are awarded a Certificate which is accepted and recognized by the Government. Those who are unsuccessful in the Examination are given a chance to receive the training again for a further period of six months.

Literary Association

For the Disabled War Heroes’ benefit a Library has been opened and a Literary Association too has been formed. Through this Literary Association we conducts monthly lectures to be delivered by knowledgeable resource persons and discussions in order to develop their morality and self-confidence. We also arrange to hold musical shows with the assistance of reputed Artists and Musicians in our motherland.

Milk Bar & Agency Post

A Milk Bar and Grocery was opened by this Institution and these disabled War Heroes are engaged in this shop. By that we hope to give them a knowledge of business activities, so that after they are released from the military service [either medically rejected or after retirement] they can engage themselves in business on their own.

An Agency Post Office opened for give a post and telecommunication training and the disabled War Heroes are engaged in this Office. By that hope to give them a knowledge of postal and telecommunication work, so that after they released from the military service they can engage themselves in any other agency post offices in Sri Lanka.

Lakviruvoo Musical Group

The Musical Group consisting Disabled War Heroes has been formed and by this we expect to minimize their mental suffrage.

Progress

The Students are receiving the training imparted by us satisfactorily and are making use of this training for the development of their economic stability. After the training we provide assistance to the disabled War Heroes to initiate self-employment. In addition we provide the vocational training and practical experience with the help of various private sectors in the relevant vocations.

More Facilities

We are providing all the training facilities free of charge to the children of Disabled War Heroes and the children of War Heroes who died in action and also to the children in villages without security and the children who had to suffer from natural disaster such as Tsunami and the children in poor families.

Our Expectation

Towards achieving our main objects we could rehabilitate and re-engaged the disabled war heroes in the Military Service. Whenever they are found to be unfit for Military Service, they can start their own business using the knowledge gained by the vocational training courses.

The result would be that they will not be a burden to the rest of the Society.

Therefore please make your contribution towards the achievement of the objectives of this valuable Institution.

Let us be permitted to mention here a notation expressed by a rehabilitated War Hero on his depature after the completion of his period of training.

� “ .................. I came to LAKVIRU SEVANA Disabled Vocational Training Center as a disabled person; but I am now leaving this valuable Institution as an able person with confidence .......”

"......මම ලක්විරු සෙවන වෙත පැමිණියේ ආබාධිතයෙකු ලෙසිනි. එහෙත් මා මෙම වටිනා ආයතනයෙන් පිටව යන්නේ ආබාධිතයෙකු නොවන්නෙකු ලෙසිනි......."