From the Wilds to the Crown: A Stage for Dreams at Mahadiulwewa School
Today marks a special day for Mahadiulwewa School. A new stage, built by the very hands of the students’ mothers and fathers, was inaugurated. The reason? To crown their children—children who have achieved something truly extraordinary.
Mahadiulwewa was the sixth school we partnered with, starting on August 22, 2022. For three years, we have been on a significant journey with this school.
Recently, during a visit to the school, we were greeted with a beautiful, poignant welcome. The children presented us with a basket of flowers, plucked fresh from the wewa (tank) nearby, and invited us to offer them to the Buddha.
“Who picked all these flowers?” I asked.
A young boy stepped forward and proudly announced, “I did!”
The school is situated in a basin near the Ritigala mountain range, adjacent to the Matabbuwa Maha Diwul Raja Maha Viharaya (temple). The tank is visible from above the school, and on three sides, it is surrounded by the elephant-inhabited jungle.
“Don’t elephants come here?”
“Yesterday, right where you doctors stepped down to the school, a man was killed,” came the chilling reply.
From that point on, we walked amidst elephant dung.
Later, the children performed a spectacular array of dances, songs, and dramatisations. Every single daughter and son performed, their feet kicking up dust on the earthen ground.
It was then I felt the strong urge to build a stage. Yet, the location of the school is incredibly remote.
“Doctor, the village used to be right here,” we were told.
Over time, as people were attacked by elephants, as life became harder, as there were no shops or transport, people slowly drifted towards Bandiwewa. Now, the village is there. Only the school and the temple remain in the heart of the jungle.
When we started, the school had around 40 to 45 students. Now, the number has dropped to 25. This made us think twice or thrice about making a new investment. This was once a school that taught up to Grade 11. As students graduate and families slowly move further away from the village, the number of people remaining is dwindling, leaving mostly the elderly behind.
After a long period of contemplation, a message arrived from the school: Five of their students had passed the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination!
In such a small school, five out of ten children had passed this pivotal exam with high marks. The remaining five also scored over 100 points. These children live too far from town to even consider tuition. The teacher cannot hold evening classes because the school is isolated and in the middle of the jungle.
“In the evenings, I am the only adult on the entire school premises,” the teacher shared. She had taken an immense risk to teach these children.
For these five children to pass the Scholarship Exam with high marks means they are certainly heading towards the town. The Scholarship Exam is not merely about scores for these children; it is a goal that can lift their entire generation out of the jungle.
As a tribute to these five children, who have created a path for five families, we decided that even if the school closes in the next four or five years, we must build this stage so the children can perform during this time.
And so, we built it.
Mr. Ashoka provided financial support.
The parents of the children contributed immensely with their labour.
Today, those children were crowned upon that very stage.
Someday, when they have moved past Kekirawa and return to Matabbuwa Mahadiulwewa to visit their grandparents, they will say, “This stage was built because of us.”
And truly, it was built because of those five.
We wanted to provide them with a foundation where they could stand tall with pride, free from the dust.
And we did it.
Our Sincere Gratitude to:
1. Pabalu and Saumya, who have provided food and drink to the school for three years.
2. Mr. Ashoka, for the financial sponsorship of the stage.
3. The Principal (Loku Sir), our Food Teacher, and everyone else for beautifully executing the task and inviting us to the crowning ceremony.
When I spoke to the Principal, I asked him, “Will the school close?”
“It will not close, Doctor!” he insisted. “If it closes, where will these children go? One direction leads to the jungle. The other direction is eight miles to the next school. Can a bus even drive on this road?”
My conviction is that this school must close eventually. But before it does, every child attending here must pass the Scholarship Exam and be given the path out of the village. Then, the village must close. On that day, the Ritigala jungle should be left to the elephants, and the children of this village must go to Bandiwewa and then on to Kekirawa.
That is what equitable education means.
It is not the “equal education” many envision.
If we can truly confirm it will not close, our next project is to build them a proper playground.
By Dr. Kiloshini Hendawitharana
