"KOSHE", the elders home with a heart!

The 'Association of our Past Pupils in 1994 to build the "Kotahena Shepherdian Home for Elders" (KOSHE) in Mabola, Wattala, with a Trust comprising five members in 1994 which was entrusted with building this "HOME". This project was the brainchild of Mrs. Marlene Caspersz, a past teacher who was then domiciled in Australia, 15 perches of land were gifted by one of the past pupils Mrs Judith Gunawardena nee Amerasekera (Head Girl) and the bright adjoining plot of, 15 perches at a nominal price making it a 30 perch land.

This is perhaps the first school in Sri Lanka to build a Home for Elders for their own past pupils and past teachers.

The "HOME" comprises two floors with 8 rooms, dormitory style each accommodating four inmates. Each dormitory has two toilets, two wash basins and a common bath area. Both floors have their own sitting, dinning and geriatric therapy areas. A central kitchen is located on the ground floor. A chapel and an infirmary have also been built on the ground floor. Solar panels have been installed to supply hot water for the entire building. Provision for an elevator has been made for completion whenever funds are available.

The major concern of the home at the moment is to collect monies towards a special fund for payment of the monthly expenses which is approximately Rs. 400,000 at the current rates. Our target is a fund of Rs. 5 million which is approximately one year's expenses which would give us a lead time to collect monies required thereafter.

According to the Trust Deed "no person shall be not eligible or less deserving by reason of her religious status and therefore even if an inmate is unable to pay the fee imposed on them, they would be eligible to be taken in if they are destitute.

If any past pupil or past teacher of Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena, wants to avail of this opportunity, please write to Mrs. Christobel Saverimuttu at 44/2, Jubilee Mawatha, Colombo 15 or call her on 2521917 (Res.) or 077368 7782 (Mob.)