Lankan hotelier in Germany to help motherland

by Ananda KANNANGARA

It is rarely we hear of Sri Lankans domiciled in foreign countries with their families for years still love their motherland. They always focus attention on economic development and the political activities of the country.

Sanath Kularatne (left) and Nuwan Gamage opposite the German Restaurant.

On a visit to Kandy, Perahara in August last year, I had the opportunity to speak to a young Sri Lankan who runs a restaurant in Germany 'Ayubowan and English Pub'.

The 42 year old Sanath Kularatne who owns the restaurant left for United Kingdom in 1990. He was 23 years at that time.

A product of Nugawela Central College, Kandy, Sanath had his primary education in Halloluwa Primary School. Thereafter, he entered Sri Rahula College, Katugastota for his secondary education. He was in the school cadeting platoon and this resulted him to join the Sri Lanka Army in 1985 as a Cadet officer.

After a few years he was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Light Infantry. Sanath excelled in sports and represented the Kandy Sports Club and Havelock's Sports Club and played rugger for several years. Thereafter, Sanath went to England to continue his higher studies. There he followed courses in HND Computer studies, BA Business Administration and BSc (Hons) and Business Information System.

He was then employed as an IT and Voice Telecommunication Engineer in a British firm and promoted as a Project Manager in the year 2000. During this period Sanath also had an opportunity to work in Germany for a short period.

Thereafter, he came to England and opened his own Information, Technology Consultancy Company `Page Engineers Ltd' and introduced a new software package to several freight forwarding companies in the United Kingdom.

During this period Sanath changed his profession to fulfil his childhood dream to become a hotelier.

While being in England, Sanath bought a hotel in Achern, Germany in year 2005 which took him nearly two years to renovate and develop to turn into typical Sri Lankan traditional Restaurant and English pub. He opened the restaurant in December 2007 with a Sri Lankan cook, Nuwan Gamage.

"I named the restaurant `Auybowan' and it means `Long Life'", Sanath said.

Sanath told the Sunday Observer' his sole intention was to expand his business activities in Germany, while starting a star class hotel or a restaurant in his motherland.

Nuwan Gamage is employed in the restaurant as the main cook with three German nationals.

He said German visitors and thousands of foreign tourists who visit Germany regularly go for Sri Lankan traditional food that are currently served in the restaurant.

Asked whether he had any idea of doing any development program in Sri Lanka, Sanath said he had already decided to serve his motherland by starting a model village at Halloluwa in Kandy, with the support of German investors for the benefit of village folk and their children.

"Majority of the villagers in the district are very poor and most of them have no proper income.

Although their children are educated most of them are unemployed and it is our duty to help them to improve their economic situation," he said.

"I also planned to set up a solar power electricity scheme within the proposed model village and provide power to needy people through the Ceylon Electricity Board at a cheaper rate," he said.

Sanath also hopes to commence a recycling plant, a cattle farm in the model village and also to develop schools and community centres.

"As Sri Lankans, it is our bounden duty to help our own community and fulfil their needs," he said.