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| Sunday, 23 November 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Silver hands, Golden hearts and a glowing example to all senior citizens by LAKMAL WELABADA A group of senior citizens, seven women with a long standing friendship since their childhood, had their annual eco-friendly handicrafts sale - 'Silver Hands' at the Girl Guides Headquarters last week. Their intention was to support the 'Millennium Triplets', the three girls born on January 1, in the year 2000. The Sunday Observer contacted one of the friends, Sujatha Samarajeewa who explained their aims more precisely.
"We have been a group of friends for 30 to 40 years. Some of us are known to each other since our childhood. We were all working wives, and after the retirement got loaded with the work of our grand children. No one can ever see an end to one's family commitments. But, fortunately at present we are blessed with a little free time. So we have been into community work for the past five to six years," said Sujatha with a smile. Though there are eight members in their group, seven took part in this year's sale as the eighth friend, Daya Perera lives in Australia at present. The eight old friends who are still active and energetic spend a peaceful life enthusiastically helping the needy, sharing their pain and assisting them by organising fund raising events, using their skills in handicrafts.
Sujatha Samarajeewa was a Probation Officer with a service of 14 years in Sri Lanka, and another several years in Zambia. Sepalika Molligoda was a Hostel Superintendent at Teacher Training Colleges. Anula Wickremasinghe worked at the Accounts Department at the Film Corporation. Norma Perera and Premalatha Athugala were science teachers. Dayani Ratnayaka, Charlotte Wickremasinghe and Daya Perera (in Australia at present) were English teachers. They call their group 'Silver Hands' on account of their silvering age. "We are from different towns and different schools with different faiths (Buddhists and Christians), but a flock of birds flying together towards the same direction. Since we don't have positions in our club, like chairperson, secretaries or treasurers, we have no fights, jealousy or greediness over things. We have tied our souls with the golden thread of pure friendship," she said. The 'Silver Hands' were unified with the intention of developing their talents as all eight of them were good in needlecraft and other handicrafts. The thought of sharing their knowledge with others came next. And after sometime the eight unanimously decided to step into social service, mainly to help the underprivileged. "We had our first sale of handicrafts in 1998, and continued each year. And we have been helping an eight-year-old boy who is suffering from a cancer in the bladder. His poor parents cannot afford to buy his medicine. So we help them. Last year we built one large room and a toilet for them," Sujatha said. "The 'millennium triplets' were next in line. We visit them at Dediyawala, Kalutara every month. Their mother was just 17 years old and the father was 22 years when they had the three angels. He was a labourer, but ambitious. The Projectors' Club of Hatton National Bank volunteered to help him. They donated a cement block making machine. Today he works very enthusiastically. It's nice to see them coming up in life. We are now looking for a well wisher to donate a sewing machine to the young mother so that she could also contribute to the family income," Sujatha said. Apart from the help rendered to individuals, occasionally, the 'Silver Hands' friends raise funds for the Cancer Hospital, Maharagama. Pollution is one major cause for cancer. The sorrowful plight of the cancer patients always breaks their hearts. After each visit to the Cancer Hospital, seeing the eight-year-old innocents every month, the old friends return home in tears. Finally they decided to pass the message on to people to be more mindful of environmental pollution. They thought the best way to do this was to add the tag 'environment friendly' at the end of their label 'Silver Hands'. So, this year the friends had a 'Silver Hands, eco-friendly sale'. And of course, each and every item used for their handicrafts for the sale was environment friendly. "We feel it's our duty as a group of senior citizens of this country," said Sujatha. The 'Silver Hands' hopes to assist in the Prisons Department's recently launched project to free prisoners and rehabilitate them. "We hope to free at least one female prisoner for a start, and help her to build up her life," said Sujatha. "We are positive thinkers. We help the needy only if we feel they would definitely work on it with determination and courage, and uplift themselves," concluded Sujatha. |
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