Many picked up courage from this brilliant motivator

Deshamanya Sivagamie Verina Dassanaike (Obeyesekere) entered Ladies’ College when Miss. G.F. Opie was Principal. She joined first as a boarder in Gaster House. Dassanaike, fondly known as Siva, was nurtured by Ladies’ College. The Matrons – Miss. Wilkie and Georgina Ponniah- made the Hostel a second home for their young charges. Siva enjoyed the boarding life.   

In 1940 Siva came first in the Standard 5 Government Examinations and Miss. Opie gifted her with a small gem of a dictionary and requested her to take great care of it.  

Siva was born a leader. Whether it was in the school hall, helping with Kala Ulela plays, forging ahead with Loos House activities or winning the Westrop Shield at netball, Siva knew how to get the best out of a team. She was so focused on success that she always searched for excellence and found it.

Those who were at ‘Uplands’ (The name given to the school when it was relocated in Kandy during the war) will remember how she made the netball team practise even in moonlight! 

With the training we Ladies’ College girls received through the Annual CMS sales and the cooperation Siva was able to muster, she was able to collect funds for so many projects

The disciplined way of life in the Hostel helped Siva in later life. The Saturday morning ‘mending hour’ taught the boarders to sew, darn and fix buttons – all which inspired her in later years to set up Sewing Classes in Attanagalla and Mirigama. These classes were set up for unemployed, educated girls to do the most exquisite embroidered articles under the ‘Attanagalla’ label. Likewise, the ‘Home Beautiful Week’ programmes taught boarders that nothing was menial – and they put heart and soul into the cleaning of kitchens, toilets and drains. These skills Siva later put to use when visiting hospitals as Minister of Health.   

Siva loved sports and she was Games Captain at ‘Uplands’ for three years and in Colombo for three years. She won both netball and tennis colours. Together with the staff she took on the responsibility of organizing all sports activities including the annual Sports Meet until the arrival of Miss. Wyness from Australia, who took over as Games Mistress. One of the most vivid memories of our school days was the winning of the Westrop Shield – which was won by Ladies’ College two years in a row. We still remember Siva shooting those winning goals. 

Her scholarship endeavours were cut short on the eve of her University Entrance exam when she married hi-flyer – J.P. Obeyesekere (Jr.). This wedding, which took place in 1948 in the Chapel of the Hope of the World, was an unforgettable event. The Chapel and garden overflowed with staff and schoolgirls.   

Tradition has always meant a lot to Siva, and through the PTA, OGA, the Board of Governors and the Standing Committee of the Church, she helped the school survive the winds of change.   

From the first little hostellers’ “Oriental Night” in 1946 (in aid of a Christmas Treat for the Deaf and Blind schoolchildren who were housed in a shed near Gaster House), when they made a collection of Rs. 16375, later through Festivals, dinner dances, Fairs, Talentasias, etc., Siva organized innumerable fundraisers. She collected funds for the school through the OGA, PTA and on her own, for school buildings, Scholarships, the Sports Complex and for the setting-up of the Vocational Training Institute. The collections from these activities were huge.  With the training we Ladies’ College girls received through the Annual CMS sales and the cooperation Siva was able to muster, she was able to collect funds for so many projects. Siva became a high-achiever – not for herself, but for the school and the wider world around. Her concern for the underprivileged and financially deprived was very real. She, and her sister Srimani, will never forget the kindness shown to them by Miss. G.F. Opie and Miss. Stella Parker when they were kids in Gaster House.  From 1981, through her contact with a women’s organization in Stockholm – Fredrika Vremer Forbundet – Siva had obtained assistance for needy students following courses at the D.V.S. An annual grant is sent and Rs. 2.5 million has been received to date, which has helped nearly 4,000 students to secure education and gain employment. Here is an object lesson for those who follow these guidelines; aim high, work systematically and keep focused on a goal.    

She helped St. Thomas’ College and St. Thomas’ Prep too, and in appreciation of the millions she collected on their behalf, Rev. Cyril Abeynaike had her picture hung in the Hall of Fame among other eminent ‘Thomians’.   

On Prize Day 1984 Sirancee Gunawardana, Principal, presented Siva with a Gold Brooch bearing the College Crest – the only past pupil to receive such a prestigious award to date.   

In 1974, the International Year for Women, Siva was appointed Chair of the National Committee for Women – which proposed the establishment of a Women’s Bureau. This led to the establishment of a Ministry for Women’s Affairs.   

The other role in which Siva plays a major part is in the revival of crafts in Sri Lanka. At the bottom of the scale were the neglected craftspeople whose skills were dying out for lack of governmental support and national recognition. In 1964 ‘Laksala’ was born, which institute is Siva Obeyesekere’s brain-child. Her Guru in India was Kamaladevi Chattoadhaya whose guidance was followed in reviving the handicrafts and handloom industries of Sri Lanka.    Siva’s work in the political arena cannot overshadow her work in the voluntary organizations. 

Siva’s interests cover a range of activities; the Scout movement, the Bible Society, Schools for the Deaf and Blind, the mentally disabled, Cancer Institutes and even the Kennel Association of Sri Lanka are among those that have benefited from her organizing and fundraising capabilities. Today she devotes much time in running with much joy a Home for the Aged and an Orphanage in rural Wathupitiwela.   

Being the first woman Deshamanya is a singular honour to Siva and to Ladies’ College. 

Her association with the school family remained unbroken through a long line of Principals. 

Going back in time, I asked Siva if she had any special memories and her reply was, ”Yes, winning a Courtesy Badge (a little red bow on a pin) along with Anoja Amarasinghe and some others in 1941.
Siva has proved that educational qualifications are not the important criterion, but rather sincerity of purpose, commitment, dedication and sacrifice are what brings fulfillment.   
Ranjini de Mel.