Published on - 9/30/2005
A coincidental meeting, Commander Lt General Shantha Kottegoda and his wife, Mrs Sonia Kottegoda, has had with a team of Thai monks at the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of Tooth) premises while the Commander was on a private visit, paid dividends after those Thai monks visited the Army Headquarters on Monday (26) with donations to children of Ranaviru families.
Some 300 children of Ranaviru families of the Sri Lanka Army, thanks to those initiatives taken at Kandy became beneficiaries of the goodwill gestures of those Thai monks who visited the Kandy Temple some three months back.
Mrs. Sonia Kottegoda, President Army Seva Vanitha Branch was instrumental in getting Thai donations organized for the benefit of those Ranaviru families after their initial meeting in Kandy.
Each child from those families received Rs. 2000/- in cash and Rs.1000/= worth study materials at a brief function, held at Army Headquarters grounds Monday (26) morning.
Thai delegation of 12 Bhikkus and 6 philanthropists handed over gift parcels with cash donations to those hundreds of school children whose soldier fathers have left them for ever during the peak of the war. Visiting Thai monks also offered a till for each child with a view to promoting their practice of saving money for their future.Army Seva Vanitha Branch has made arrangements to send those donations to nearly 150 children of those families resident outside Colombo. Chief Incumbent of Vatindravihar, Venerable. Prarathanaporn distributed donations to those children of Ranaviru families.
Major General Sarath Fonseka, Chief of Staff of the Army & Mrs. Anoma Fonseka representing the Seva Vanitha Branch were associated with the function.
