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| Sunday, 10 November 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Jak - her secret of good health and long life by U.G. Kalyananda, Poddala group correspondent
She is an exceptional great-grandmother - living on her own, taking care of herself without any assistance. Lucyhamy is 92 years. A welcome smile is always there on her face. She is very hospitable too. No wonder she is known as being more agile than her own children. She was in the pink of health as she greeted us with a glowing smile recently when we visited her to find out the secrets of her good health and long life. Born on June 12, 1910 at Karuwala Kohomanadeniya, Balangoda she is a mother of five,and grandmother and great grandmother of many. Living independently she takes care of herself without any assistance. "I have not been admitted to a hospital all my life. I have never suffered from any of the so called diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatism and the like. I have always been doing all the house work myself and from childhood, my favourite food is jak. I think that's what has given me good health", says Lucyhamy. Simple and pleasant, her neat little house and the small compound bears witness to her statement. "Yes, jak is her favourite food. Not only her favourite, she made it our favourite food too, by introducing it to us in our early childhood. And her favourite tree from which we have harvested a huge crop during the season is still there behind her house" says Sekadari, her youngest daughter.
"I liked jak so much so, that I had a plate of boiled jak even at my wedding reception" adds Lucyhamy. "At my ancestral home in Balangoda, we had seven jak trees. Myself and my two sisters had competitions in eating jak" she laughs. Married to K.W.C. Francis Appuhamy in 1939, she has two daughters Besynona (62), Sekadari (57) and three sons Nobel (56), Sirisena (53) and Ruparatne (49). "Even my children find jak the favourite food, because I have been feeding them with jak in their small days" says Lucyhamy. Her youngest son, Ruparatne is ready with a more detailed description of his mother's love for jak. "She would love to have boiled jak and coconut anytime. It does not matter whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is a 'heavenly' food for her", he adds. Lucyhamy started living on her own after her husband, Francis Appuhamy's death in 1969. Even today she takes care of her little house and her compound all alone. And as we were taking our leave, she wished us long life with a cheerful smile. ******************** Plant distribution at SLAFF awards ceremony The National Jak Development Foundation (NJDF) will distribute five hundred (500) jak saplings amongst children, at the BMICH today (10) at 2.30 p.m. when the Sri Lanka Agonshu Friendship Foundation (SLAFF) holds their 10th scholarship awarding ceremony. Six hundred and fifty (650) scholarships will be distributed under the Agonshu scholarship scheme amongst students and Agonshu priests at the ceremony. The members of the Board of Directors and Divisional Coordinating Officers, who had assisted the foundation with voluntary service since the inception of its scholarship scheme in 1994, will also be awarded at this ceremony. The Chief Sangha Nayake of the Western Province Ven. Medago da Sumanathissa Nayaka Thero will preside, while Most Ven. Seiyu Kiriyama Thero, founder of SLAFF will present the awards. A delegation headed by Ven. Fukada Seia, Deputy Chief Priest of the Agonshu temple of Japan, Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Lands and Mahinda Rajapakse, Leader of the opposition, Imitiaz Ismail, Chairman Sevana Lotteries and Nalin Ladduwahetti, Chairman ANCL are also scheduled to participate at the event. The ceremony is organised under the patronage of W.J.M. Lokubandara, Minister of Buddhasasana, Justice, Law Reform and National Integration. --- Planting goes on... The planting season, which began in September continues and planting ceremonies are being conducted throughout the island. Individuals and organisations interested in the project are requested to contact the Secretary NJDP, Sarath Amarakoon, Chief Administrative Officer ANCL - 429201 or Coordinating Secretary NJDP, Nihal Abeysinghe - 429268 or write to National Jak Development Project, C/o Silumina, Lake House, Colombo 10 for more details. About 8,000 jak saplings in good condition are available at a nursery in Talawatte, Matugama. Individuals and organisations interested in purchasing jak saplings are requested to contact Janaka Vitanage (01-817156) at the Green Movement of Sri Lanka.The NJDF, jak planting project is sponsored by Sevana Lotteries division of Sri Lanka Lotteries Board. * * * More information on NJDP could be obtained from the website http://www.geocites.com/heraliyainasia/index.html |
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