More than just a musical show.

When you are in a position to have gotten so much, the gift at that point is giving back

Paul Stanley.

I’ve always believed, that we, as undergraduates of state universities, are amongst the luckiest, but also the most burdened groups in our country. We have been given an opportunity to obtain an education, completely free from the normal costs that we would’ve had to incur, however, this opportunity has been made available to us, through the selfless sacrifice of the wider community. We carry on our shoulders, the weight of the knowledge that we learn, because of the contribution of others, and thus we will forever be in debt, to the communities that have made our education possible. 

It is hence a responsibility of each and everyone of us, to repay this debt in any way that we can, reciprocating the generosity, that has made our learning possible. It is our duty, to serve the communities that have given us so much, giving back everything that we have received, so that their lives may be made, at least a little bit better, than what they were. This is the mission and aim, of the Pahan Tharuwa ( පහන් තරුව ) outreach programme, organised by the Medical Faculty Students’ Union of the University of Peradeniya. A programme that aims to uplift the lives of the communities in close proximity to the University of Peradeniya, and ensure that we, as medical undergraduates of one of the most prestigious Universities in South Asia, repay the debt that we owe.

The Pahan Tharuwa outreach programme takes on two main forms. On one hand, an Ordinary Level Seminar series is conducted, and on the other, a health camp, focused on a particular geographical area is also held.

3 years since the restart of the Pahan Tharuwa programme, the Ordinary Level seminar series has been held continuously held at the Doluwa Maha Vidyalaya. What began as a foray into Ordinal Level education, has now turned into a programme in which several seminars for the subjects of English, Maths and Science, are conducted over a seven-week period, this year being conducted in the months of March and April. The Doluwa Maha Vidyalaya is a school situated barely a kilometre away from the Doluwa town. It is a school that serves primarily the community in the immediate vicinity, and thus serves mainly financially less fortunate families. Thereby, the academic performance of the school is definitely nothing to boast about and when the programme was first started, the Ordinary Level examination results reflected this reality. Since the beginning of the seminar series programmes for this school, however, back in 2022, the school has reported a significant upward trend in their Ordinary Level examination results. The seminars are conducted not as a replacement for normal primary education, but as an adjunct to it, through means of rapid revision, filling in any blanks in knowledge that may exist and training students to prepare for the examination through paper based targeted questions. Students from all the undergraduate batches of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, take part in this programme, ensuring equal participation and contribution. It is our belief that this is one of the most rewarding aspects of the Pahan Tharuwa programme, passing forth the knowledge that we have gained and contributing, at least by the barest of minimums, towards the future of the students the seminars are conducted for. 

The health camp segment of the Pahan Tharuwa outreach programme is the other hand of the two. Being Medical Undergraduates, and part of one of the oldest, well organised and wide spread free health care systems in the world, we believe that it is our duty to contribute to this system in any way that we can. The Pahan Tharuwa 2023 health camp was held in the Mahawaththa Clinic,Kundasale aiming at serving the residents of the area of Kundasale. This year, as with previous years, multiple facets of primary health were offered and covered, with special mention needing to be made regarding the OPD, NCD screening,  and Dental aspects of the health camp. In addition, surgical and medical consultations were also provided through the generous cooperation and contribution of several consultants and senior registrars attached to the Teaching hospital Peradeniya and the Kandy National Hospital. Any pharmaceutical prescriptions, obtained via the health camp, were also fulfilled, completely free of charge, using a stock of both donated and purchased pharmaceutical drugs. Over 150 participants were present at the health camp, and we believe that a significant service was done on the day. 

All in all, while “Pahan Tharuwa”, may come across as simply a musical show, featuring popular classical artists of Sri Lanka, it is, in reality, much, much more. The smiles that are seen on the students faces, the relief and gratefulness that is palpable during the health camp, and the multitude of other little moments that occur throughout the Pahan Tharuwa Outreach programme, all contribute to making every effort worthwhile. It is quite clear to us, that this programme can be so much more than it already is. The possibility for the expansion of this charity programme knows no boundaries. But this can only be done via the contributions and support that we have, and we hope to continue to receive, from our own Faculty, and also the wider community as well. We will continue to strive to give back, for what we have gotten, is immeasurable. We will continue to strive to pay the debt that we carry, helping the community that has built us up to where we are. We will continue to strive to uphold the values of free education and free healthcare in all activities we conduct, and we will continue to, to the best of our abilities, be worthy of our role in society. This is who we are and what we stand for. This is Pahan Tharuwa. Much more than just a musical show.