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| Sunday, 23 October 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Your rights as consumers Have you heard about the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA)? It is a government authority established under the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs to deal with all things to do with consumer rights. You may now be wondering what this has to do with you. But you are consumers too, and your consumer needs are also taken care of by the CAA. The CAA, in a news release issued with regard to Children's Day, said it has made many contributions to ensure the existence of a free and caring society for the children of the country. Some of its activities include conducting seminars and awareness programmes on consumer rights and obligations, conducting quiz programmes and art, essay and drama competitions among schoolchildren, imposing punishments on manufacturers and traders who trade in articles harmful to children and their nourishment, contributing effectively to implement a fair and just society for children and taking the initiative to ward off malnutrition and poverty in the society. The CAA release also puts down some rights children are entitled to as the right to live in a healthy and comfortable environment, to receive an education till the age of 16, right to fresh air and fresh water to drink, right to parental attention, care, love and affection, right to express your views and to be heard, to access consumer information and redress (remedies) and the right to shelter, food, water, clothing and other basic needs. Intruding on your thoughts
The only way to find out is to read 'Midnight Intruder', the maiden book of Chathuni Uduwela, which was launched at the Namel-Malini Punchi Theatre recently. Thirteen-year-old Chathuni, a Grade 9 student of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, started writing this book at the tender age of eight to 'express her sense of adventure'. "I have been writing ever since I was in Grade 1. I started with poems and then graduated to stories which were published in various cluster school publications. The seeds for Kavya's adventure were planted in my mind a long time ago. It kept growing and taking shape, finally resulting in this book," Chathuni told the Junior Observer. She gets ideas for her creations from the events taking place around her. "Something special around me would catch my eye and get etched in my mind. That will grow within my mind until I have a fully developed story". She has a special relationship with Kavya, the pre-teen heroine of her book. "Kavya is my creation. Today, she and I are one. I see in her an outlet for my thoughts, ideas and much, much more. We are different, yet so alike...we are two, but feel like one," Chathuni emphasised. She is already working on another of Kavya's adventures and hopes to publish it as soon as possible. Chathuni's interests are not confined to writing. She actively takes part in debating, acting and oratory activities. She stressed that she always gives priority to her studies despite all the extra-curricular activities that she's involved in. She is following her studies in the English medium and will sit for her O/Levels in 2007. Chathuni harbours ambitions of becoming a lawyer after completing her studies but insisted that she will continue with her writing and acting. She thanked her parents, grandparents especially her maternal grandparents and her teachers for always being very supportive to her. Chathuni has some words of inspiration for budding writers like her: "May every aspiring writer find their own Kavyas for the sake of literary achievement and mental relief". - Indunil A book tackling hearing impairment issues You may have friends or know of children who are hearing impaired (having hearing problems). Hearing impairment in infants and children is a serious concern, because it interferes with the development of language and poses communication problems. As this handicap is largely invisible, it poses more harmful effects on sufferers as the problem may not be identified and dealt with by their parents or elders. Samaya - The Deaf Baby Elephant is a book which tackles the issue of hearing impairment. Written by Tineke de Silva-Nijkamp and published by Sarvodaya Vishva Lekha, the book draws the attention of children as well as adults to this problem in a creative way. It was originally written in Dutch and translated to English by the author herself. Children suffering from hearing impairment should get speech therapy as early as possible. Sign language can help them to express their thoughts and communicate with others. Through such therapy, deaf children can develop their skills and potential, and will be able to get an education which could be denied to them otherwise. This is what Samaya tries to achieve. The author, de Silva-Nijkamp had her first association with deaf children in Sri Lanka in 1974, when she visited the island with her Sri Lankan-born husband. She was shocked to see that such children were not sent to school, and decided to help. She resigned from her job as a teacher at a school for the deaf in the Netherlands in 1984, and settled down in Sri lanka with her husband.She started the Dr Reijntjes School for the Deaf in Moratuwa, of which she is also the principal, while her husband set up the Sarvodaya Vishva Lekha Printing Press in Ratmalana. The school, which started in 1984 with 16 deaf pupils, has now grown to 100 pupils between the ages of six and 18. They receive education free of charge. The drawings in Samaya are done by Ingrid Maters while Piyasena Wickramage was responsible for the Sinhala translation. Talking of physical impairments, did you know that October 15 was White Cane Safety Day for the visually handicapped? |
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Kavya wakes up in the middle of the night hearing noises in the house.
Disturbed by what she hears, she rushes and wakes up her mother who
promptly ignores her and continues to sleep. Now more worried than ever,
Kavya wakes up her grandparents and together start searching for the
source of the noises. What happens next? 
