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| Sunday, 7 August 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Dudley Asoka Liyanage : Working for humanity by Lakmal Welabada
Dudley Asoka Liyanage is not merely a social worker, but a devout and dedicated worker who organises blood donating campaigns especially for cancer patients. In recognition of his work for the past 14 years, Dudley was awarded the Voluntary Donor (Rare) Award by the National Blood Transfusion Service of Sri Lanka, at the World Blood Donor Day ceremony recently. He received a medal and a certificate from Country Director World Bank in Sri Lanka Peter Harrold. Minister of Healthcare, Nutrition and Uva Wellassa Development, Nimal Siripala de Silva was the chief guest at the occasion. So far he has organised 27 blood donation campaigns, and was successful in getting more than 2000 pints of blood donated to the Cancer Hospital Blood Bank at Maharagama. He has donated blood nearly 50 times. Dudley maintains the records of more than 2000 blood donors including their blood groups, addresses and telephone numbers. Hence, when many people are in need of blood they come to this 'walking blood banker'. "Cancer, if not detected and treated at the very first stage, could be detrimental. Many patients come from remote areas like Moneragala, Trinco and Anuradhapura and get warded at the Cancer Hospital and rarely go back to their villages. They rarely have visitors due to this reason. Their only hope is the hospital and voluntary services," he explains. Dudley is the Founder and Chief Organiser of the Asarana Sarana Welfare and Community Development Service Association which conducts many welfare projects in the Cancer Hospital. "We have nearly 150 members in the Association, and there's no membership fee charged. These donors donate items like milk powder, sugar, tea, coffee, Sustogen, biscuits, soap, toothpaste and tooth brushes monthly. I distribute these among the poor patients who don't have anybody to support them," he says. Dudley goes from home to home of his donors to collect the items monthly. It's tedious, but the self satisfaction he derives is immense and worth the trouble as it is for a worthy cause. If poor patients have to go home in between their treatments, they get their travel fare from him. Dudley organises Atavisi Buddha Poojas and Bana sermons for these cancer patients. "In addition to all this, our donors constantly give tea and Thambili danas in commemoration of birthdays, death anniversaries and wedding anniversaries. On the event of death, those who cannot afford a burial; a donor takes over the expenses for the coffin and cremation or burial rites at the Godigamuwa Cemetery, Maharagama. The Mathakawasthra Pooja is also done at the hospital before the corpse is taken to the cemetery," he says. The life story of this unique man is also quite an interesting one. Dudley was born to Appuhamy and Baby Nona of Katubedda, Moratuwa in 1950. "My father was the chief mahout for the elephants of the former Prime Minister, Sir John Kotalawala at the Kandawala Walauwa. My mother was a top wholesale businesswoman who bought and sold vegetables at fairs at Moratuwa area. After his father's death, Dudley joined the Sri Lanka Army in 1970. But after nine years, he decided to quit the job in order to look after his bed-ridden mother. "I didn't think of marriage and after her death, I dedicated my life to social service," he says. Although Dudley has been engaged in blood donation campaigns mainly, he gets his donors to help many Homes for Elders and Children in the area as well. "I have no one left in this world. Once I am feeble, I have decided to move to an Elders' Home," he smiles. Dudley also wishes to thank his fellow donors and especially S. Liyanage,
PHI at the Blood Bank, Narahenpita who has been of immense encouragement and
a strength to him all these years," he concludes. |
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