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| Sunday, 22 January 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Sharing with needy children The members of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd, (ANCL) Catholic Solidarity organised a programme recently with poor children in Polonnaruwa in connection with the festive season. Over 200 Catholic Sunday school children along with some Buddhist Sunday school children and teachers participated in the celebrations held at the 'Dhawala Mandiraya', Polonnaruwa.
The ANCL Catholic Solidarity project to help poor children during the season was carried out for the seventh consecutive year. The Solidarity was able to help the poor rural children with funds collected from the members, non-members and administrative staff and other public and private sector institutions. The children who took part staged dramas and participated in "Naththal Bhakhi Gee". The children represented Daham Pasalas at Maduru Oya Kuda Madhu Church, Alawathukumbura St. Sebastian Church and Bendiwewa Church of Mother of Good Health along with Bendiwewa Sri Shantha Daham Pasala and Kadalawewa Saddhathissa Daham Pasala. Ven. Peradeniye Shashanarathana Thera and Ven. Aralaganwila Somawansa Thera joined the Catholic priests to mark the occasion, which was organised by the Parish Priest of the church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Rev. Fr. Lasantha Abrew SJ. Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University Rev. FR. (Prof.) Guy Rajendran SJ was the chief guest. The Solidarity, appreciating the dedicated work of the Catholic and Buddhist Daham teachers, presented them with gifts. Improved facilities at Kanneliya Forest Reserve Have any of you ever visited the Kanneliya Rainforest Reserve? The forest reserve, situated adjoining the Sinharaja forest, is spread over an area of 12,000 acres. It is home to about 234 different plant species, of which about 155 are endemic plants. Among the flora of the reserve are a large number of medicinal plants and creepers including venivelgeta, kekum, hiruraja, maharaja, sandaraja, kuda hedaya, maha hedaya, bomee and ankendas . Of the 60 different species of animals in Kanneliya, about 25 are endemic to Sri Lanka. The area is rich in biodiversity and is certainly an interesting place to visit. The Kanneliya Reserve Conservation Centre Complex, Information Centre and Museum were opened at the reserve site recently, to provide improved facilities to those visiting it. The information centre has a large and valuable collection of data and other information about the Kanneliya Reserve and is sure to be of interest to students, researchers and the public. The South West Rainforest Conservation Project has been carrying out vital measures for the conservation of the Kanneliya Reserve during the last five years, in consultation with the surrounding community. Indian help to develop estate sector education The government is on a drive to improve the education sector in the whole country, and educational development in the estate community will be a primary area of concern, Central Provincial Council Minister S. Arulsamy said at a recent function. He said the Indian High Commissioner and the Indian government have promised a number of concessions and assistance for the promotion of education and other development measures in the plantation sector. A team of expert teachers from India were also expected to arrive in Sri Lanka in this regard. He said that a discussion was to take place at the Indian Deputy High Commissioner's Auditorium at Kandy, where university professors, professionals in the plantation sector and others were to draw up proposals and strategies with regard to the future plantation educational structure. Arulsamy appealed to everyone interested in the development of the plantation children's education to come forward and offer their co-operation and goodwill towards the successful implementation of this project. Awareness programme on heritage city The UNESCO regional office, in association with the Archaeology Department of the University of Peradeniya, will carry out an exercise on cultural mapping of the heritage city of Kandy. The first phase of the awareness programme, a two-day exhibition and seminar, was held recently at the Peradeniya University premises. There was a special morning session for schoolchildren within the Kandy Municipality limits. The awareness programme will focus on the heritage city of Kandy and its associated multicultural heritage, shared culture and intangible (not clearly defined) heritage. The city, with a history of over five centuries, has a healthy blend of religious and social life, with Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Moslems living in peace and harmony in its beautiful natural surroundings. In an era when the national effort is focused towards reconciliation and peaceful co-existence with greater understanding and respect for diversity, UNESCO and professional archaeologists of the Department of Archaeology, University of Peradeniya view the role of schoolchildren as a vital factor in this process. The aims of the programme are: Capacity building in the revitalisation process of the Kandy heritage city, considering schoolchildren as main stakeholders; To safeguard the intangible cultural heritage; To ensure respect for diversity and the intangible cultural heritage of the communities, groups and individuals concerned; and To raise awareness at local, national and international levels on the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, and ensuring mutual appreciation of these aspects Little Hands on Canvas 12 Little Hands on Canvas, the annual children's art exhibition and sale, organised by the art school of Swineetha de Alwis, is being held this year for the 12th consecutive time. The exhibition at the Lionel Wendt was declared open on the 20th by First Lady Shiranthi Rajapakse. It will conclude at 7.00pm today.
This year's exhibition displays the work of 10 children between the ages of seven and 17: Malan Rajendra, Anuth Dunuwila, Sachini Dissanayake, Dilshani De Silva, Thakshila Weeraratne, Natasha Perera, Binoka Dissanayake, Aneesha Fernando, Malith Peiris and Dilshani Yapa. Proceeds from the sale of artwork will, as usual, be directed towards
social and welfare services for children. |
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