2010 – Sri Nivesarama Dhamma school
Sri Nivesarama Dhamma School was founded in 1988 as a Buddhist Sunday school. It is connected to the Nivesarama Temple in Urapola, located right beside the new PRIPA processing unit for dried and canned fruits (being permanently under construction since 2010).Urapola is a small village, surrounded by rice fields, approximately 55km northeast of the capital Colombo. About 850 families live there (98% of them are Buddhists). The majority of the inhabitants work in the cultivation of rice. 60 villagers are now employed at PRIPA.
Every Sunday morning about 300 children aged 4 -15 attend the Dhamma school. They are taught reading and writing the Sinhalese language as well as the Buddhist religion by Buddhist monks. Sunday school is a significant factor concerning the education of children in the local community contributing to the preservation of Sinhalese culture. The children are due to be raised to live a careful, respectful and peaceful life.
In 2009/2010 the community of Urapola was no longer able to provide for all the means necessary to support the school. There was a lack of stationery and school uniforms, even school reports could not be written any more.
At the end of 2010 PRIPA agreed to support Dhamma school financially. In December 2010, the funds financed by PRIPA were presented to the students in a ceremony. All the students were given cloth for school uniforms and school supplies (pens, ring binders and fountain pens). In addition all the 310 children could be awarded with a school report again. The graduates were honoured with diploma and were honourably said good-bye. The present representatives of PRIPA were able to enjoy beaming faces.
