Pioneers - Sri Lankan Elders' Welfare Association

Pioneers

Pioneers - Sri Lankan Elders' Welfare Association

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Pioneers

In our history page we have identified key persons who were responsible in floating the Sri Lankan Elders' Welfare Association the -�SEWA-�. If not for them there would not have been a -�SEWA-� Therefore they are the pioneers of SEWA. It is our bounded duty to make a record in this web site their services for the information of our future generation.

Mr. P Mahawela a retired Chief Executive Officer of the Sri Lankan Co-operative Department migrated to Australia with his wife Prema Mahawela a retired Senior Nurse of the Sri Lnakan Government Medical Service to join the family of their only daughter. Mr. Mahawela by virtue of his profession got the opportunity of closely working with a population comprising the village fork unheard of luxury living. Through the Co-operative movement he was greatly successful in uplifting the lives of the village fork to near urban living. He identified the aristocratic mentality as the main obstacle for this transformation and worked hard on those lines. Living in Melbourne Australia Mr. Mahawela together with his wife was experiencing the isolation, loneliness, boredom and becoming frustrated. They joined a Sri Lankan Seniors get to gather program run by an Association as a project. Mr. Mahawela who has been a martyr of the village fork at home soon realised that the unsuspecting Sri Lankan Elders of Melboure elders were being exploited and taken for a ride by an aristocratic dictator for personal  image building. Mr. Mahawela and Mr. Ekanayake found out that the Funds accrued by this Association by selling the name of Elders were never spent for the benefit of the elders. Having failed all attempts in getting this Organization to shed the aristocratic rule and the controlling hand on the Elders, Mr. Mahawela and Mr. Ekanayake resigned from this Organization.

Thereafter, Mr. Mahawela who conceived the idea of an Organization for the Elders' on the theme of BY THE ELDERS' OF THE ELDERS' FOR THE ELDERS' has been lamenting at home for the day his dream to come true. During this period Mr Mahawela was a member of Sri Lankan Study Center for the Advancement of Technology and Social Welfare Inc. known as SCATS. Mr. Mahavela was a close friend of the then President of SCATS Mr. Bandu Dissanayake. His son in law Sunil Arachchi and Tissa Amarasekera were also Executive Members of SCATS.

Mr. P Mahawela	Mr. L B Ekanayake

Mr. L B Ekanayaka was also a SCATS member and also a venerated associate of Mr. Bandu Dissanayake who fully supported Mr. Mahawaela's thinking and the theme.

With the initiative of Mahwela/Ekanayake combination a discussion took place together with Bandu Dissanayake, Sunil Arachchi and Tissa Amarasekera. on working out the preliminaries to form an Elders Association. This became the Steering Committee with Tissa Amarasekera as the Convener. The ball started rolling. A General Meeting of the Elders' was called and met at No 2 Podmore Street Dandenong on 4 April 1999.The name -�SRI LANKAN ELDERS'WELFARE ASSOCIATION' also to be known as -�SEWA-� was unanimously carried proposed by Mr.(now Dr.) Karu Liyanarachchi and Seconded by Mr. L B Ekanayake. The following Executive Committee was also elected.

Patron Mr. L B Ekanayake, President Mr.P Mahawela, Vice Presidents Ms. Hema Ekanayake & Mr.P Wimalaratna,

Secretary Mr. Tissa Amarasekera, Treasurer Mr.George Kulasekera. Executive Committee Ms. Sathya Jayasooriya, Mr. Wellington Molligoda Ms. P K Pethiyagoda and Ms. Mallika Rajapaksa.

The Executive Committee had a great task of dealing immediately with building up the moral and legal obligations for an Association to function and survive. Secretary Tissa Amarasekera took the challange. His first mission was to find a permanant meeting place for the Association to conduct their indoor activities. The Association also needed funds to conduct the day to affairs of the Association. There were many funding avenues available but the funding bodies insisting on basic requirements of which the Incorporation of the Association and to carry an ABN were mandatory.To achieve Incorporated status the Association had to have a Constitution to the Model outlined by the Department of Business Affairs. To get the ABN the Association had to be incorporated as a Non for profit Association. It was a huge challenge -�SEWA' was facing but -�SEWA' is proud and greatly appreciate for the untiring work done by SEWA Secretary Tissa Amarasekera for the work done all by himself, spending his time, money and all energy left of him after attending dialysis three days a week four hours a day.to fulfil this requirement. Tissa drafted a Constitution, got it approved by the AGM, registered it with the Department of Consumer Affairs, communicated with the Austraia Taxation Office and got an ABN and thereby qualifying to access and receive grants certified by the Taxation Office. 'SEWA' is now a receipient of all such grants.   

 

Having fulfilled the first task Tissa moved on to Incorporate the Association. On the model rules given by the Department of Business Affairs Tissa drafted a Constitution. A copy of the draft was give to each and every member of the Executive Committee. At the AGM held on 9 July 2001 SCATS/SEWA Supplementary Constitution was unanimously adopted and carried.  thereafterTissa submitted papers to the Business Affairs and the Certificate of Incorporation was issued on 04 December 2002 under the No.A 0043466A. Tissa then submitted a copy of this and applied for an ABN for SEWA. The Registrar of the Australian Business Register and Commissioner of Taxation by his letter dated 30 October 2003 issued the ABN 67 383 806 307 effective from 04 December 2002.

Armed with these tools basic requirements for grants Tissa applied for several grants. . Here are some of the successful applications.

1. Commonwealth Government IVY 2001 Small Equipment Grant $5000.00

2. South Easters Migration Resources Center $1000.00 grant for Outdoor Activities 2001.

2. On going VMC grants $1000.00 per year commencing from the year 2001.

3. Casey Meal Allowance Grants

4 Department of Communities $ 2500.00 grant to introduce Computers for elders'

5. City of Casey grant $250.00 for Computer desks.

Tissa continues to browse the web and apply for grants.

Tissa also attend on behalf of SEWA Seminars, Workshops, Public Lectures within the City of Casey and other Government and Non Governmetal Organisations. This web site was formed by Tissa after participating in a series of classes conducted by the City of Casey under the Caseyconnect workshop.