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by Edward Arambewala ,Hony. Secretary Centenarian Friendship Society

An illiterate poor woman in Galle, who at 114 years of age happens to be the oldest living centenarian in Sri Lanka, is hopefully awaiting to create history in this country, and perhaps in the world as well by being honoured by the OPA for the unique achievement she has made in human life, in exceeding a century of living and still remaining in fair health.

OPA will decide this week, whether to invite this woman, as an honoured guest at the inauguration of its annual sessions, scheduled for September 18 at BMICH, in Colombo as a gesture of respect and honour for human life, which the OPA too is accepting as two of the vital social values that has to be fostered and promoted by the educated public and the professional bodies in a country if an orderly, peaceful united and harmonious society is to be founded.

The proposal to invite the woman centenarian as a guest of honour to the OPA sessions was proposed by Prof. Colvin Gooneratne-headed Centenarian Study Team of the Centenarian Friendship Society. The social objective of the study being fostering respect and honour for human life by recognising the living centenarians as having achieved a rare unique position in human life, deserving to be acknowledged honoured and respected by the society.

It is believed that nowhere in the world human life has been honoured and respected this way by any professional or social body and no study of the living centenarians has been carried out by any group in the way it is being done by Prof. Gooneratne who led the centenarian study team, who are doing it voluntarily purely for the strong conviction and commitment they have for the cause of humanity, and the need to take action to foster human values.

Whichever way the OPA decides on this issue, it is going to be historical, because the OPA will be telling the world, whether they as a group of human beings themselves. Even though they are professionals ready to accept the position that becoming a centenarian by itself is an achievement in human life deserving respect recognition and honour, or not.

The centenarian study team which has been carrying out this study since April 2000 has met so far twenty five centenarians in various parts of the country. Three of those whom we have met with and studied have passed away. There are 35 in the list so far.

We have not made any attempt so far to get a sponsor for the study, because we were reluctant to commercialise this unique study and thus taint its dignity. However we are rethinking on this, as we are faced with a transport problem to visit the left over centenarians.

We would like any interested person or social organisation who has a vehicle to offer during weekends for the study to contact the Study Secretary and Coordinator, Arambewela on 632007 or Prof. Colvin Gooneratne at the Colombo Medical Faculty 074 612643. We are going to complete the study after meeting a few centenarians in the North and East, including Killinochchi, and then write our book on the study. At the moment we are trying to get information about living centenarians in these two areas. We would welcome from the public any information on this to either the coordinator of the study or Prof. Gooneratne.

Vanda 100 Centenaria

On August 24th last year for the fist time in the world we dedicated A special orchid variety to the centenarians, and named it vanda 100 centenaria. It was done at a simple ceremony at the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens in Kandy.

The namin was done by a centenarian in Kandy Mrs. Yatawara who was in our study and still living in good health. The accompanying photograph shows the event taking place in the Botanical Gardens.

The plant is being kept at the gardens and we are planning to take it over and popularise it. Our study team comprises Prof. Colvin Goonaratne, of the Colombo Medical Faculty, Prof. Herbart Aponso, emeritus Professor of Paediatrics Peradeniya University, Dr. Dennis J. Aloysius, visiting lecturer PGIM and Family Physician, Dr. Githanjan Mendis, Consultant Neurologist, Dr. Viraj Peramuna, M.O Base Hospital Puttalam, Dr. Ranesh Wijesinghe, IMO Colombo South Teaching Hospital and this writer, coordinator of the project.

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