SWYAA Sri Lanka bid farewell to Mr. Janak Bandaranayake

 On 1st March 2019, the Cafe on the Fifth at Colombo echoed with the blessings of Swy Sri Lankan family who gathered to bid farewell to one of the outstanding personalities, Mr Janak Bandaranayake, senior Culture and Information Specialist of Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka. The day was a fiesta devoted to the years spent together with Mr. Bandaranayake who was always a pillar of Nipponmaru journey of Sri Lankans.

Mr. Bandaranayake retired from his service in January 2019 after serving the embassy for 33 long years. He was the coordinator for Swy programs from the very beginning. His involvement in Swy varies from selecting the National leader and PYs, receiving the representatives of Cabinet Office of Japan, arranging and guiding Port of Call activities with National Youth Services Council and advising each and every participant to be a good representative of Sri Lanka and to make the program a success.

One the other hand, this event was a grand reunion for Swyers of SWY 14, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28 and 30, as there were more than 35 EXPYs gathered. It’s not a secret that a Swyer cannot stop talking about SWY memories once he meets another Swyer. Because only a Swyer knows the beauty and the taste of it. It was a memorable evening where they shared their stories, got to know the new members of the family and of course discussed the future plans of the organization.

Mr. Neilsiri Kathriarachchi from National Youth Services Council and Mrs. Bandaranayake graced the occasion. Hence, it was a great opportunity to express our profound gratitude for Mr. Bandaranayake’s hard work and the great times we had working with him. The farewell party came to an end with countless blessings and wishes making the day memorable for all the participants.

Hasanthi Praharsha 

SWY 14 & SWY 28