World Bank Sri Lanka launched an online campaign titled #StoriesfromLKA during the month of June celebrating World Environment day “Connecting People to Nature”. The campaign included online interactions to learn about World Bank operations related to the environment and a photo competition to appreciate the natural beauty of Sri Lanka that needs to be preserved while Sri Lanka pursues a development drive.
This competition began on the 21st of June and aimed at showcasing the many talented photographers from Sri Lanka as well as celebrating the rich flora and fauna of the country. After the contest ended on June 30th, 167 entries were shortlisted. We asked you which photos were your favorites and you voted on your selections through social media. Your votes helped us narrow down the top three winners, here they are:
1. Ganindu Madhawa
Ganindu, 26, is a final year student at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. Born in the Southern coastal city of Tangalle, he spent most of his childhood among coconut groves and sandy tropical shores, admiring its beauty. He believes that this is likely to have been what trained his eye to grow into an avid photographer. As a medical student, he joined the faculty’s photographic society to learn the basics in photography. He wishes to be an expert in Sports Medicine and Emergency Medicine and in his free time, a passionate photographer.
2. Balamurali Ellamurugan
Balamurali is a dedicated and energetic photographer with over 8 years of experience in custom and specialized photography. He is his own boss, the entrepreneur of RedONE Media. He is also conversant with different types of photography, especially, wedding and wildlife photography. He also possesses an in-depth knowledge of advanced photography equipment and tools.
3. Shehan Thiwantha
Shehan, 27, is a Systems Engineer currently working for Attune Consulting. He is from Katubedda and studied at Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa. He has been attached to the IT sector for 7 years. He spends his leisure time hiking and visiting wildlife sanctuaries as Nature Photography is his favorite pastime. His ambition is to become a member of the wildlife photography team at NATGEO.
What's Next?
In light of the overwhelming responses we received, World Bank Sri Lanka will be hosting a Public Dialogue on the Economic Benefits of Environment Management in Sri Lanka on the 25th of August at HIVE, MAS Innovation Center.
We’d love to meet you! Do come by, say hello to the winners and find out more about the work we do in Sri Lanka. You can find out more here.
Prior to this public dialogue, we will also be hosting a Twitter Chat on the #SLDU2017 under the theme, Economic Benefits of Environment Management. This Twitter Chat will happen on the 21st of August, 5.30 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. IST on World Bank South Asia (@WorldBankSAsia). For more details on our Twitter Chat, read our blog!
Click here to register! We hope to see you at the event!
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