EBO Library

English Books Only Library - Opening Ceremony Speech

Dear Rev. Father Shansana Wasara, the Assistant Parish Priest of Wasalakotte  

Mrs. R.K.H. Ranasinghe, Assistant Director of Education for English

Honorable representative from Candle Aid Lanka

Honorable representatives from Millennium Information Technologies

Mr. Gunadasa Jayawickrema, National Secretary of United Schools Organization and

Mr. S.H. Ameen, Principal of Arrahmath Muslim Primary School

The Principal, staff and students of St. Anthony’s join me in welcoming all of you into our midst this morning.  EBO library is, indeed, a wonderful gift our school has received, and I’m sure this will definitely bring about a qualitative change in the English learning and teaching process in our school.

First, I very warmly welcome Rev. Father Shansana Wasara who is representing Rev. Father Yovan Savarimuttu.  I think it’s your first time here at the school.  Rev. Father Yovan has always been with the school extending his guidance, support and blessings right through out.  The assistance he extended for our handball team at the initial stages, for example, has gone a very long way.  Our handball teams have been able to become All Island School Champions over and over again beating leading schools in Colombo that are 10 or 20 times bigger than ours.  Everyone admits that it’s a marvel that we have been able to do this with just 350 students.  Father, since this is your first time here, I hope you’ll have a pleasant experience, and I want you to know that we consider it an honor to have you with us today at this very memorable occasion.

Next, I wish to welcome Mrs. Harindra Ranasinghe, Assistant Director of Education for English. Your presence is an encouragement to the school administration, the English teachers and the students.  Harindra, Ameen and I together with Mr. Gunadasa Jayawickrema have done so many fruitful services to our communities. And in return, we have been blessed by God in many ways. 

Captain Elmo Jayawardane and his dedicated team including Mrs. Shanika Moraes at Candle Aid were expected to be present here.  They deserve our sincere gratitude for it was their idea to establish a library of this nature.  Ever since I spoke to Captain over the phone once Ameen introduced him to me, I have read quite a lot about him and I was looking forward to meeting him at the opening.  Unfortunately for me, Captain is out of the country at the moment.  Anyway, I very warmly welcome Miss Sarani Jayawardane who represents Captain Elmo Jayawardane and Candle Aid Lanka. 

Next, I wish to welcome the representatives from Millennium IT. The people at Millennium IT, its administration and staff, have very big hearts.  Instead of competing with each other for victory over some ball game they have three houses that reach out to do some worthwhile project every year to help the needy in the country.  They have been trained to gain pleasure by serving their fellow men.  Creative thinkers like you are a blessing not only to our country, but also to the entire world.  Ever since Mr. Nilanka Diyabalanage, Miss Shahera Omar and Mr. Lakmal visited our school they have built a very good rapport with us.  I hope this relationship will not end here, and that our students will continue to receive your generous compassion.

Gunadasa, Ameen and Sujeeva, a Buddhist, a Muslim and a Catholic, the three of us have been friends for a long time.  We have done things that an ordinary person from Galewela would not even think of doing.  We have organized international youth exchange programs, brought down European volunteers to teach English in rural schools, fought for free and fair elections hand in hand with organizations like PAFFREL, created awareness on human rights among rural people, worked for peace and development in our own ways, participated in international  and regional forums held in Europe and Asia.  I welcome both my friends to be with me at this special occasion too as they have been with me always.

Finally, I want to welcome all the teachers, prefects, students and the parents of handball players who are helping me to make this opening ceremony a success. 

Before I end, I want to invite my sons and daughters at St. Anthony’s to get the maximum use of this EBO Library.  Make reading a pleasure.  It’s a habit that can change the way you think, the way you dream and the way you live.  Stop dreaming about becoming an ordinary government servant, or flying to Korea, Italy or Middle – East as laborers or housemaids. Stop fearing the English language.  Start dreaming about working in multi-million-dollar companies like Millennium IT, Google, Yahoo or Microsoft.  As a kid, I started my education here under this very same roof.  I did not have foreign volunteers to teach me English. Neither did I have kind hearted people like these to donate EBO libraries, but my English is not different from the English Nilanka who is a Royalist speaks.  If I could do it, you can do it too.  Start thinking BIG. Yes very BIG. God bless you.

Sujeeva Wijeratne,

Deputy Principal,

St. Anthony’s High School,

Wasalakotte.

November 14, 2012