DEVELOPMENT OF THE THUNTHALAWA VILLAGE
This was our second village development project which is a counterpart a Vana Mee Knda Development Project. Thunthalawa is the name given by us to a non existing village. There was no village by this name in the list of villages in Sri Lanka. We got there isolated areas as in the midst of rubber plantation estates in a hilly area of Eheliyagoda about 60 k.m. away from Colombo. This was the emergence of the village now called Thunthalawa. There were about 50 families living in these three settlements in this hilly locality. Basic amenities were almost miel. There was no school no source of employment and no health facilities. When we visited this village in 2006, there was no proper road to reach some houses. We were told that no public servant has ever visited this area.
Initially on 12.10.2006 we proposed several projects to Adopti Sri Lanka regarding this development of these settlements. That included the construction of a Pre-School, a scholarship scheme for children who attended schools away from their village, a drinking water project and a program to build a toilet for each house.
Adoptie Sri Lank approved only two projects namely the pre-school and the Drinking Water Project. The estimated cost of the pre-school building and the fully equipped play ground was Rs.1, 838,000/=. The drinking water scheme claimed Rs. 275,000/=. The Rural Development Society (RDS) in Miyanakola Tenna is the care-taker village level organization of these two projects. Two pre-school teachers selected from the village were given a training for four weeks spending Rs. 24,000/=. The Pre-School with 12 students was declared open on 14th October 2007. This pre-School was named " LINE VANDIJCK PRE SCHOOL" because it was funded by Mr. & Mrs. Van Dilck if through Adoptie Sri Lanka. Following the pattern in Vana Mee Kanda Pre-School. these children are given uniforms, shoes, school bags, umbrellas, water bottle and all the books and stationery. A mid-day-meal is also provided. The Drinking Water Project was declared open in August 2010. The cost was Rs. 243,568/=. The two sectors of the project are expected to supply pipe-borne drinking water to 50 families in this locality. The RDS has provided individual pipe lines to most of the houses.
Adoptie Sri Lanka Belgium made yet another donation to construct two new houses for two families in Thun Thalawa . The fortunate recipients were selected by the RDS and approved by our association. The donation from Belgium was 4000 Euros which is equal to Rs. 660,000/=. This donation was made through Adoptie Sri Lank Belgium by Madam CHRISTINE NOUTS DESTELBERGEN and Mr. GILABERT HOUTTAVE. On their behalf the keys of the two new houses were handed over to the recipients by Mr. and Mrs. Van Dijck on 24th April 2013.
The last donation in 2013 to Thunthalawa by Adoptie Sri Lank Belgium was the inauguration of the scholarship scheme. The RDS selected 103 students attending 10 different schools from this locality. This scheme commenced on 24th June 2013. The donation made by Mr. John Van Dijck personally for this scheme for the first year was 1875 Euros which is equal to Rs. 300,000/=