Mr. Buddhika Kalpa, Child Protection Officer at the Matale District Secretariat, and Mr. Ananda Vijayakumara, Divisional Education Director, were key supportive officials for the launch of the 10th stage of the “Good Hands” school-related project. The programme took place at Ovilikanda Maha Vidyalaya, a school located in the Ukuwela Divisional Education Division. 

Additionally, a programme was organized at the Residences of the District Secretariat, as per the request of the District Secretary, Mrs. Thejani Thilakarathna, and Deputy District Secretary, Mr. Nishantha Karunathilaka.

Matale District Secretariat

In response to the request of officials and following discussions with the District Secretary and Deputy District Secretary, a programme on coconut plantation was launched within the premises of the District Secretariat. The event witnessed the enthusiastic participation of the district secretary, administrative officers, and other officials in the office. After an informative awareness programme on coconut cultivation, the participants ventured into external activities, engaging in coconut planting and setting up seed nurseries in several residences near the office premises. 

The “Good Hands” Team distributed free copies of the “Good Hands Manual,” containing guidelines on cultivation practices, coconut seeds, and seedlings to the officials. According to that, the Deputy district secretary and the corporate administration officer led the initiative to plant those coconut seedlings in official residences situated in the Matale area.

Ovilikanda Maha Vidyalaya

The events of the “Good Hands Initiatives” began with a visit to Ovilikanda Maha Vidyalaya, situated in a remote hilly area of Katuaththamada GN division. This school has made remarkable strides in elevating the standard of education. The programme garnered active participation from the Divisional Education Director, District Child Protection Officer, Principal Mr. Saman Dasanayaka, dedicated teachers, enthusiastic parents, and students in grades 7, 8, and 9.

The objective of the first programme was to “promote coconut cultivation in Sri Lanka” on this day. In addition to conducting an engaging quiz programme that captured the students’ interest, the “good hands” team also distributed essential school supplies among the participating students. As part of their environmental education, each child received a coconut seed for nursery application. With the support of teachers and parents from the village, a “Kapruk planting programme” was successfully carried out on the school premises, following the theme of “one coconut tree per student.” This practical session aimed to inspire children to care for plants and seeds while providing hands-on learning experiences.

To further disseminate knowledge about coconut cultivation, the team distributed free copies of the “Good Hands Manual,” containing guidelines on cultivation practices, coconut seeds, and seedlings, to all actively involved villagers. As a token of appreciation, more copies of the “Good Hands Manual” were also presented to the school library by the team.