Listen to Anuradha Ekanayake's Story From Polonaruwa

A thirty year war that shook our nation had ended. In the few years following the cession of the war brought about many changes in my life.

When I reflect back on the war, although I have not experienced its full effects, the bomb explosions, the media and the stories of my mother’s experiences are still etched in my memories and they created questions in my mind. I had both Tamil and Sinhalese familial ties but because there were hardly any Tamils in our village and because many despised them during this time of turmoil, we were reluctant to let others know of this fact. In the meantime when I was in 10^th Grade I heard of Sri Lanka Unites and the Future Leaders’ Conference. Through the experiences I had received during the Future Leaders Conference I realized that in order to be untied and intergrated one’s ethnicity or religion was irrelevant and it was important to me to show this to my neighbors and those around me who believed otherwise. At this time we got the opportunity to partner with Wesley College and conduct a Medical Camp for those in my region as a Champions of Change Project. Many praised our efforts and we considered this an important and successful step in our journey.  The Doctors were from the Vavuniya Main Hospital and the students from Wesley College predominantly spoke Tamil. This event showed us the importance of working together while looking past language and social barriers. Those around me who had once despised those of other ethnicities now saw the significance in having these vital medical services provided by the very same people they had once ben prejudiced against. This project marked a very important time in my life.

At present I am learning at the Sri Lanka Institute Information Technology. The support I have received from fellow members of SLU during these past years has been immense. My hope is to serve my country as best as I can through the education and experiences I receive. I believe that reconciliation is a duty that we all must take up as young leaders of this nation.