Priyanthi Perera has bagged Outstanding Women Leader of the Award

Priyanthi Perera has bagged Outstanding Women Leader of the Award

• July 02, 2021

My name is Priyanthi Perera, a Social Worker from Piliyandala, Sri Lanka. I work with  children, young adults, individuals and families using an eclectic approach tailored to the  unique needs of people from different parts of the country.  

If I am to talk about my family I had one elder brother who is no more, (Passed away on  a car accident) and have one younger brother who is a businessman 

My father was a social worker plus was a politician involved in working for congress  parties and was actively involved in helping out union leaders and was there to stand by  their rights. Since he was more tied up with social work my mother was the pillar which  held the family together and played the main role. My father passed away when I was  twenty and it was the peak of our lives. At that period when we were mentally down my  mother was courageous enough to keep the moral up with her advice and guidance which have made us to be better humans today.  

Life was never a smooth journey for us from the day our father passed away. There have  been moments where we were stranded in making decisions, both financially and family  related. We went through our own ups and downs in life where we had to face our own  problems and find solutions and very clearly saw how so many people struggle to even find a  penny for their one days meal.  

I was 29 years old when I first stepped into helping societies around me who needed it the  most. I had no experience nor exposure, but I had the confidence that I can connect the  dots and make someone happy in my own way.  

I studied at St. Paul’s Girls’ School Milagiriya, graduated in 1992 and started my first job  at Caves group of companies, working there for 10 years. Started as the accounts  executive and by the time I left, I was the Head of the department.  

Then in 2012 I started my own entity Sithru Fashions and Embroidery was the sole director and was producing export quality garments and my latest entity started in 2020  is iZBella Clothing, a venture focused in producing branded clothing.  

In the year 2012 I was appointed as the Managing Director at Sithru Travels which is  owned by me and my husband. 

I got married in the year 2000 to Sudesh Liyanage who was working in the garment industry in profession and we started our own entities afterwards. It was not an easy task  but with a lot of hard work and sacrifices we somehow faced every obstacle and built the  company. In the year 2002 I was gifted with a handsome baby boy who is now following  his higher studies in business management and in the year 2007 I gave birth to my  daughter who is in the Eight standard now. With all the social work and business work  involved I somehow managed time to give my children the best I could in every possible  way. At the same time they have been very supportive of me. I’m a proud mother, as my  children never misused the time I’m away. They did the best they could to make their  parents happy with their studies and behavior. 

From our travel company we have traveled to many countries such as Singapore,  Malaysia, Thailand, China, Japan, France, Switzerland, Italy, Geneva and UAE on  business, in order to expand our business. 

Then in the year 2014 I joined the Past Pupils Association of my school as a committee  member and have been a part of so many fundraising and social sustainability projects  organized by the association. In the year 2015 for all the hard work and commitment I put  in as a committee member of the association I was elected as the Asst. Secretary and in  the year 2017 was elected as the Secretary, Then 2019 starts the biggest change with  the house electing me as the Vice President of the association.  

As the VP my main aim was to help support the physical development of the school to  make it a better place for the current students to study and to bring it to a standard  amongst the leading girl’s schools in Sri Lanka and for the betterment of the past pupils.  

To achieve this target myself, as the leader together with a team of 9 we organized fund  raising projects and on the first year we collected Rs. 141 lacks and gifted a Super Luxury  49 seater bus for the school and on top of that on the same year we opened a Fixed  Deposit worth Rs. 500,000/-. After many struggles this year I saved Rs. 1,500,000/- for  the school.. 

The journey was way too hectic and consisted of so many sacrifices, sad moments, fun  times, difficulties, sudden obstacles. Our family lives snubbed, our own children’s needs  not looked into…. etc... But nothing stopped our aim. It was an experience of a lifetime. 

The bus project was a historical and a proud moment for the association and the school  as no committee has not collected such a huge fund nor done such a valuable project in  the history of the association.  

Likewise I did many fundraising projects and developed many areas of the school such  as the school sickroom, Junior Library etc… Furthermore formed a team and organized  projects to help flood victims, victims affected by COVID19, who have lost their jobs.  

Apart from these projects I also organized and executed projects to help the less  privileged students and outside families. We distributed essential packs personally visiting  the houses during the pandemic period, collecting funds to purchase electronic devices  and distributing them to students who don’t have the facility to connect for online study classes.  It was a rough journey as the families we selected were far far away from the city and are  completely remote areas. 

In the Year 2017 I organized a project to distribute 1000+ Pomegranate fruits for the  patients in the Cancer Hospital. It was a huge success as we received many donations  and was much appreciated by the authorities. 

I am an animal lover, I have also formed a project to protect homeless animals as in my  view they also reserve the right to live. My aim is to form an organization against animal  violation and make every life matter. 

The services and projects we executed were not easy tasks… As the leader it was my  sole responsibility to keep the memento going. It’s a completely responsible role to  manage human and non-human resources tactfully. 

With the experience gained and the projects worked on, it has made me a person who  wants to support people in every possible way I can. As it has become a part of my life and  I am so grateful to god for the strength he has gifted me, the capability he has made  me find out to help the needy.  

My aim is to, while taking care of my family and my profession, to help as many families as  I can via organizing projects, which is my area of strength. Be a responsible citizen for  my motherland.