METILDA

Much loved in Las Vegas

Here is a Sri Lankan lady who sacrificed her life for the care of the kids in the USA. This a glimpse of her success story.

by Nimal Sedera

With the nationalisation of the plantation sector several planters left the country. Wilson Senaratne was one such successful planter who thought it was wise to migrate to USA when his kingdom was threatened by the estate take over it was his wife Metilda Samarasinghe (Senaratne) who went to USA prior to Wilson a couple of years ago.

Metilda I met in Las Vegas is now 82 years and she has completed twenty eight years of stay in the USA. I was

 able to discuss matters often and freely with Metilda.

Metilda had been the pioneer Sri Lankan to settle down in Las Vegas in 1982.

"This city was so different... and so much less population... less roads... no traffic... We cannot believe this rapid expansion. When I arrived in Washington - Meryland in 1982 I read of a vacancy in a Day Care for a teacher in the press and made a telephone call to the advertiser and I was asked to come for an interview.

I didn't know where Las Vegas was I could not understand what a casino city was. So for the first time I flew to Las Vegas. My first boss in Las Vegas was Connie Norman... The job.. the country.. and everything were all new experiences.

She had four children, three daughters, Priyani, Nilu and Sharmali.. and the only son Ajith. The three girls at the time they left Sri Lanka were studying at Musaeus College and the son is a product of Trinity College, Kandy.

In fact it was the eldest daughter Priyani that went to USA Washington first as far back as 1972. She became a Montessori teacher and carries an unbroken service of 35 years up to date in the very same school.

Metilda, the pioneer Sri Lankan lady that went to Las Vegas boldly stayed with the owner of the Montessori and the day care and soon became a caring teacher who was liked by the parents of the school and the Day Care.

Having worked with lady Connie for six years Metilda was looking for the opportunity to begin a Day Care of her own. She hit her goal in 1986 when her second daughter Nilu arrived in 1988 and opened up Day Care named "Little Margie's..." and "Little round up.." Then a second school was started "Supper tot" in 1988.

Then their was a demand for the Montessori teachers and care assistants and Metilda becoming active began to get down a lot of relations and friends from Sri Lanka to work in USA. Metilda is proud that she got down over twenty five Montessori teachers to USA with her sponsorship.

The youngest daughter Sharmali who arrived in Washington in 1988 worked in a Day Care and Montessori attached to the World Bank for five years. She too arrived in Las Vegas and joined the mother Metilda, father Senaratne and brother Ajith in the large Day Care business they do up today.

Metilda, at the age eighty two does more than eight hours at the Day Care. She enjoys life with the little kids. "I cannot believe this... kids who were in the Day Care are bringing their children to the Day Care now... Some times kids who were here twenty five years ago... when they are graduated walk in and introduce them and speak to us.

This is the greatest pleasure in this job. Young parents who brought them here are... old women today... They are grand mothers like me..."

"I take over specially the smallest kids... at the Day Care who are a month or five weeks old... Yet there are

 some kids who need special attention.... who are classified naughty.. They must be handled with lots of love...

"Some of the staff at the Day Care have served more than fifteen years... There was one teacher who retired a few years ago... who worked from the day one of the school." I interviewed a teacher at the school and her answer was so wonderful.

"We are blessed to work with Metilda... God has been so good to give us such a kind family to work with... They are like Gods messengers.."

Metilda and her husband Wilson has added fame to the Sri Lankan community.