Providing Water to Kiriveldola Junior School After More Than 70 Years Without a Drinking Water Supply

Date: 1-2 December 2020 Location: Kiriveldola Junior School, Deniyaya, Sri Lanka Project: Hadawathinma Daruwanta (From the Heart, for Children) Implemented by: Isura Wickramarachchi Foundation

Kiriveldola Junior School in Deniyaya had reportedly been without a drinking water supply for more than 70 years since its establishment. After learning about this longstanding problem through a request from my friend Thilina, I undertook a project to provide water to the school through the Isura Wickramarachchi Foundation's "Hadawathinma Daruwanta" initiative.

The solution involved bringing water from a natural spring located approximately 1.5 kilometres away in the surrounding hills. This required digging trenches, laying water pipes across difficult terrain and along the roadside, and connecting the supply to the school.

The work was carried out on 1 and 2 December 2020 with the voluntary labour of local residents, parents and members of the teaching staff. The mountainous surroundings made the installation physically demanding, but the cooperation and dedication of everyone involved enabled us to complete the work.

After two days of intensive effort, we successfully brought water to the school, addressing a basic need that had remained unmet for more than seven decades.

For me, the significance of this project extended beyond the installation of a water pipeline. It demonstrated what could be achieved when a community came together for the wellbeing of its children. Seeing water finally reach the school after so many years was one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my community service journey.