As a result of the project carried out at Ma/Dullewa Maha Vidyalaya last year in association with the Matale District Secretariat, the good hand’s team was able to launch a program in the Imbulpitiya area in Matale. We also received support on the advice of the Matale District Secretary, the Ukuwela Divisional Education Office and the Matale Zonal Education Office. Since it is not only an external program but also a lesson related to the environment and agriculture, the full support of the Divisional Education Director was received in launching the program. The campus of Imbulpitiya Maha Vidyala, which belongs to the Ukuwela Education Division in Matale District, was selected as follows.

Imbulpitiya Maha Vidyalaya, Karagahahinna

The school was located in a challenging mountainous area, about 25 Km from Matale city. About 150 students of the school are studying in this school from the prior year to the general level. On April 27, 2023, due to the preliminary preparations made several days ago, the good hand’s team entered the Karagahahinna area.

For this, Matale District Secretary Ms. Chamila Athapattu, Divisional Education Director Mr. Ananda Vijayakumara, District Llama Protection Officer Mr. Buddhika Bandara, Principal of Imbulpitiya Maha Vidyalaya Mr. Sudham Kumara Ratnayake, Imbulpitiya Sri Nandanarama Maha Vihara Temple Director, Yattawatte Rahula Thero, Matale District Secretary Office officials, Teachers and parents, as well as Sinhala Tamil students studying from 6th to 11th grade of the school, participated in our program.

Information on the damage and remedies of the coconut white fly, which is spreading rapidly around coconuts in Sri Lanka, was significantly updated here.

Then we gave practical exercises to students about the activities from a coconut seed to planting a coconut tree and assigned them. Here we could build a seed nursery of about 60 coconut seeds for the school students by their own hands. At the end of that session, we implemented a “Kapruka” planting programme on the school premises with the support of all those present. We presented the “Good Hands Coconut Cultivation Manual” to the library to further study students and distributed it to all those involved in the programme.

In the end, coconut seeds for nursery and coconut seedlings for planting were distributed to the village parents and school teachers who participated in the programme in appreciation of their interest in the concept of good hands and their contribution to the programme.

Sri Nandanarama Maha Viharaya, Imbulpitiya

We also donated coconut Seedlings to be planted in the Sri Nandarama Temple premises, primarily linked to Imbulpitiya village. Cheaf prelate Yatawatte Rahula Thero took charge of these activities.

Divisional Education Office, Ukuwela

Coconut Seedlings were donated for planting in Ukuwela divisional Education Office premises in the southern region of the Matale district, which showed great support to make our good hand’s program series successful. We could see how the Divisional Education Director, Mr. Ananda Vijayakumara, who had been in service for about 30 years, had already started coconut planting at the level of public places.