
READ GIGIRI'S
INSPIRING STORY.

ON A PATH TO SUCCESS
Gigiri Gaurangana Weerathunga Jayawardhana
Born in 2003, Gigiri and her brother were brought up by her single mother, Indira, after their father left them. They live in Bandaragama District, about 25km south-west of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.
Our team in Sri Lanka made contact with Gigiri’s school, Sri Saralankara Primary School, when she was eleven years old and the school principal put Gigiri forward for a scholarship with us on the basis that she was highly talented and faced financial hardship at home.
Gigiri was delighted to get through our selection process and the family used the LKR1000 (£5 at the time) per month to fund extra tuition as well as essentials. The school principal made an excellent choice and Gigiri went on to achieve seven As and two Bs in her O-levels, winning a scholarship to the Devi Balika Vidyalaya Secondary School where she achieved three As at A-level in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
In 2023, Gigiri was selected to study medicine for five years at the prestigious University of Jayewardenepura. While studying, she stays in a boarding house during the week and heads home to be with her family at weekends. When she completes the course, she’ll do a one-year internship before becoming either a doctor, cardiologist or teacher – or possibly studying for a PhD abroad.

Gigiri and her family
Whatever this rising star decides, OneSky will continue to support her throughout her education.
Gigiri comes from a hugely talented family – her brother, Manuja, is a painter and her mum, Indu, is an entrepreneur who makes ends meet by growing fruit, vegetables and spices, as well as working for a local garment factory. If you shop in the UK, Europe or the USA, it could be that it was Indu who sewed the buttons onto your clothes.
When OneSky founder, Guy Monson, visited Gigiri and her family at the family home in April 2024, Indira made a delicious curry from her own produce with the help of Gigiri. When Guy asked Gigiri what she likes to do in her spare time, there was a moment’s confused silence before, with a big laugh, she announced simply: “I don’t have any spare time.”
Read more inspiring stories here.

EVERY SINGLE PENNY
AT THE HEART OF ONESKY.CHARITY IS A VERY SIMPLE PROMISE – 100% OF THE MONEY WE RECEIVE IN DONATIONS ARRIVES IN FULL WITH THE RECIPIENT. OUR FOUNDERS, MIKE COOMBES AND GUY MONSON, COVER THE FULL COST OF ALL ADMIN AND ALL FUNDRAISING.
© 2023. OneSky.charity/Proporta Education Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1154827).