Palmerston North's Sri Lankan community celebrates with fun and food

Nina Kirschbaum, left, and Tishan Sampath join Wishmi Nevinka Kumari, Darren Wijerathna and Sahith Liyana Arachchi singing Lowe Sama, a song about unity and peace. Photo / Judith Lacy

The hard work of the children of Palmy's Sri Lanka community towards its World Fair Day stall has been acknowledged both by the city's mayor and MP.

Sri Lanka won the best cultural stall this year.

Certificates signed by Mayor Grant Smith and Manawatū Multicultural Council president Nina Kirschbaum were presented by the mayor and Palmerston North MP Tangi Utikere at a function last Friday night.

The occasion was the first of the multicultural council's pot luck dinners, which are being held monthly with a different country theme and venue each month.

This month, it was Sri Lanka and the venue was Mash Trust.

Sri Lanka community leader Kanchana Seneviratne said it was a night the children would remember for the rest of their lives.

Among his acknowledgments, the mayor noted the work of Tishan Sampath in making the Sri Lankan community so visible.

Smith said 32 ambassadors and high commissioners from Wellington attended the World Fair Day in February, part of the Festival of Cultures. He said they couldn't get over how many communities were practising their culture and sharing it with everyone.

For many of the pot luck attendees, it was their first time visiting the support service provider. Mash chief executive Dave Robinson said the trust started in 1990 and on day one it supported five people with one house.

Today Mash employs more than 600 people from Hawke's Bay to Wellington, has more than $35 million worth of health-funded contracts and works with about 2000 individuals, families and whānau. It delivers more than 30 support services including mental health, addictions and disability support.

Robinson said Mash's mission is working together to achieve great lives and that means the service walks alongside people, supporting and caring for them to achieve their goals, not telling them what to do.

He said his staff are heroes and they help to make the community a better place for everyone.