The LBW Trust Scholarship Programme On the 25th of January 2013, the LBW trust held their seventh Annual Dinner in the Steve Waugh room at the Sydney Cricket Grounds. On occasion of the event, former Sri Lanka cricket Captain Kumar Sangakkara was invited to speak during the dinner. Sanga's speech at the SCG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfCfohjxMSM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STuVznHsTXg
LBW stands for Learning for a Better World, while also reflecting the cricketing origin of the organization, and the Trust provides scholarships to “economically disadvantaged students in developing, cricket playing countries to help them complete their tertiary education” in the hope that the scholarship recipients will one day play a role improving the future of their communities and nation. Drawing on the world wide appeal of cricket, they generate funding base from the international cricket community. (http://www.lbwtrust.com.au/) Kumar Sangakkara is one of Sri Lanka’s preeminent cricketing legends and his contribution to the game can only be surpassed by his contribution towards society through his community outreach work. One of Sri Lanka’s most decorated players, his prowess on the field is matched by his golden tongue. Sanga is lauded for his 2007 Calgary Spirit of Cricket lecture at Lords where he voiced his belief that cricket can be “a voice, a force, for change”. Proving that these were not mere idle statements, Sanga has stood by his word, doing all that is within his capacity to make the world a better place for everyone. Since joining the Foundation of Goodness board of trustees, Sanga has Launched the “Sanga’s Bikes for Lives Campaign” through which he and the FoG have collectively raised and distributed over 3000 bikes across Sri Lanka’s post-war North. During his interview with LBW Trust director Mike Coward at the dinner (for which he received a spontaneous standing ovation, a first in the history of the event), Sanga spoke at length about his work with the FoG and he spoke with such passion and conviction that after the event, the LBW trust came to us with a unique and generous proposition to provide educational scholarships for 50 students from around Sri Lanka.
After combing through countless requests, the FoG selected 50 tertiary students from a variety of disciplines, ranging from medicine, the arts and sciences and engineering hailing from all across the country, with 25 students from the South, 15 from the North and 10 from the East. The only thing they all had in common was the daily struggle they had to endure while struggling to gain a higher education. N. M (names withheld to ensure privacy) is a second year medical student with three years of his degree left to complete. The son of a farmer who has been paralyzed for the past three years, his entire family of eight siblings are provided for by an older married brother who has a young family of his own to care for and feels that he may have to drop his dream of one day serving the sick and ailing because he can’t burden his brother with the expenses for his studies. Abandoned by his father as a child, J.R’s mother couldn’t afford to bring him up by herself so he grew up at a local temple, and later lived with his school teacher in order to complete his high school education. He was later selected to enter the Faculty of Engineering. Having completed three years of study as an engineering student, J.R was forced to contemplate dropping out with only two years left to complete his degree. But he is now able to do so thanks to the sponsorship by the LBW trust. E.S is a medical student who ranked 6th in her district for her Advanced Level exam results, who along with her two siblings (also in university) struggles to make ends meet with a father who’s farming work only brings in 1250 rupees (USD 9.50) a month. M.N’s father is a schizophrenic who had to undergo surgery for a VP Shunt placement and her mother, the sole earner, plucks tea leaves at an estate to sustain the family and R.M’s father passes away 8 years ago and she studied by lamplight with her 4 siblings and although she has earned a place at the University of Colombo, she felt she could not attend university due to her financial difficulties.
The stories continue in this fashion, and today, there are 50 hardworking, dedicated and intelligent but impoverished students who have the opportunity to develop their lives and enlighten the future of the entire nation because of a great act of love and generosity by the LBW Trust and Kumar Sangakkara. Working in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Afghanistan and South Africa in addition to Sri Lanka, the LBW Trust states that in the year 2013, they hope to raise their number of scholarships from 450 to 750. We wish them longevity and great prosperity in going forth with their good work just as we hope that victories pave the way for Kumar Sangakkara as he proceeds to awe us both on and off the field with his skill as a cricketer and his compassion and caring for all in need. The beauty of life does not depend on how happy we are but how happy others are because of us
24.07.2013
|
