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Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 7.05 GMT |
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Washington Sri
Lankans contribute to Api Venuven Api |
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Members
of the
Sri
Lankan
community
in
Washington,
D.C.
area
raised
several
thousand
dollars
for the
Api
Wenuwen
Api
Ranaviru
Housing
Project
Fund.
The
contributions
were
made in
the
homes of
Ambassador
Jaliya
Wickramasuriya
and five
diplomats
assigned
to the
Embassy
of Sri
Lanka in
Washington,
D.C. at
a
special
event on
July 18.
They
invited
Sri
Lankans
to their
homes to
learn
about
the
Ministry
of
Defense’s
Ranaviru
fund.
Secretary
of
Defence,
Gotabaya
Rajapaksa
spoke to
those
present
via a
Webex
internet
link. He
also
answered
questions
from
guests
about
the
housing
program
and the
successful
conclusion
of the
nearly
26-year-long
conflict
with the
LTTE.
“Because
of all
hard
work of
the
armed
forces’
members,
it’s
very
important
to meet
their
every
need. We
need to
remember
the
people
who have
lost
their
lives
for the
sake of
the
country”,
said the
Defense
Secretary.
Schools
with
gymnasiums,
auditoriums
and
computer
labs
were
under
construction
in the
villages
of
returning
soldiers.
The Api
Wenuwen
Api fund
is the
backbone
of that
effort.
The
program
also
helps
families
of
soldiers
killed
in the
conflict,
he
added.
Following
Defense
Secretary
Rajapaksa’s
talk,
participants
generously
wrote
checks
and
signed
pledge
cards.
The
total
amount
of money
raised
for the
Api
Wenuwen
Api fund
throughout
the U.S.
in 2009
now
stands
at more
than
$200,000.
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