Chairman's message
The founder of the Sahanoda foundation Mr. Bandula Weera-Wardana was born in Sri Lanka to a renowned philanthropist family in Kalutara and went to United Kingdom for his studies at the age of seventeen as per the family tradition. After successful completion of his higher studies he embarked on an international career related to petroleum while based in England. Within a very short period he became a leading player in his field. Thereafter he ventured in to international commercial shipping and became the first Sri Lankan to own a fleet of large shipping vessels in England and Bahamas. Although Mr. Weera-Wardana was in the company of the elite in England due to his success during this period, he constantly was thinking of his motherland and its people who were not dynamic and fortunate as he was. The family background with true Buddhist Sri Lankan values made him constantly inquire about the less privileged and deserving in Sri Lanka. He requested his family and friends to select such deserving and to make arrangements for him to assist in every possible way. As a result deserving children from needy families were assisted by him in their education and were later made qualified professionals.
Whenever a natural calamity occurred in Sri Lanka may it be tsunami, landslides or floods, Mr. Weera-Wardana was first to call and inquire about the effected even if he was busy with his work far away in another country. It is no secret to those who are close to Sahanoda Foundation how unhesitant he was to come forward with his kindness whenever he heard about any deserving person who was in need of assistance. He gave assistance in medical requirements as a priority to the deserving. Such assistance given to heart surgeries, kidney transplants, healing of burn injuries etc, are too many to mention at this moment. True to the word as a Philanthropist, Mr. Bandula Weera-Wardana has even built an entire School in the Unang Province in China with his own funds, which was recognized and appreciated by the Chinese Government.
I met this noble figure in 1992 while he was involved in his humanitarian activities through his friends and relatives in Sri Lanka and he was deeply concerned about the difficulties the ordinary people had to face in their lives. He extensively discussed about deteriration of our social values and the urgent need to educate our youth in this respect. He was concerned about the economic and cultural setbacks our society was facing and was seeking a sincere answer and a proper mechanism to address such issues. As a result Sahanoda Foundation was established with the distinct objective of creating a just society enriched with proper values with an active role to uphold equality, dignity of the individual in society.
Thereafter for the last fifteen years Sahanoda Foundation has been rendering an immaculate service to our society in almost all corners of Sri Lanka in all possible ways and has been recognized globally today.
I take this opportunity to cordially invite all of you to join us in this noble task.
Ven. Haputale Pangnarama Thero
Hon. Chairman
Sahanoda Foundation