Dilshan builds home for impoverished family

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Tillakaratne Dilshan was seen playing a different role to what the public have got accustomed to.

The 39-year-old superstar who retired from international cricket last month has come forward to provide shelter to a poor family of three (mother and two daughters aged 11 and 6) in a remote place in Matale.

“I saw the news on Swarnavahini where this family was appealing to the public to help save their land which was mortgaged to the bank. When I spoke to Swarnavahini and inquired what could be done I was told that someone had undertaken the task of clearing the bank loan for them,” said Dilshan.

“When I paid them a visit I saw that they were living in poverty. The house they were living was a combination of aluminium sheets and polythene.

I thought now that the land has been saved I would build a house for them,” he said.

Relating their tale of woe Dilshan said, “The family fell into debt when the father a fishermonger and the breadwinner of the family died of electrocution five months ago. Since his death the family had lived on food provided by the schools around the area.”

Dilshan said that he has already given an architect to draw up a plan and once it is completed work on the construction of the house will begin.

“I am planning to complete it by about 3-4 months. We have not done an estimate yet as the costs will depend on the plan. Roughly it could be around Rs. One million,” said Dilshan whose charity work behind the scenes has never come to light until now.

“I have helped build more than 500 houses in the past ten years for needy people without any publicity. The public have got to know of my charity work through Swarnavahini when they broke the news that I was going to help this family build a house,” said Dilshan.

The inventor of the famous ‘Dilscoop’ said that at present he is spending more time with his family and attending to his charity work titled “Dilshan with Youth”
dailynews.lk