Sowing the seeds of love

Air Force Seva Vanitha unit addresses a long felt need:

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

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Udeni, still in her sweet sixteen dreams to get selected to the University and one day to become a teacher. She shows such determination though the school she is studying, Morawewa South Sinhala School is unable to provide all the facilities for a sound education.

Fifteen-year-old Fasmia though happy since she can go to school safely without any disturbances after a long lapse.

“Air Force uncles are giving us security all day. So we can study well. It is really good that they are there to protect us,” says. Fasmia studies at Namalwattha Muslim School in the same area as Udeni’s school.

We had the chance to speak to Udeni and Fasmia at a special event held at the Air Force camp at Morawewa in Trincomalee organized by the Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit where many children of different age groups came from three different schools - Aveynagar Government Tamil School, Morawewa South Sinhala School and Namalwattha Muslim School.

“My parents always encourage me and my younger sister to study hard. My elder sister is working in a garment factory in Alawwa and my only brother is now a Buddhist monk. He still helps me and my sister to study,” Udeni tells us. These little ones are getting a rare chance to enjoy life.

The children from these three schools, which were opened recently after being closed for several years, received books, pens, pencils, school bags and many other stationery items as gifts from the Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit. Each of their families received a bag of dried food items worth 3000 rupees as well. Wheel chairs were donated to disabled children and elders of these villages. In addition Air Force conducted a fully fledged medical camp for the villagers.

Air Force Commander Air Marshal Roshan Goonetileke was the Chief Guest. Many distinguished guests including Director of the Health Services Air Vice Marshal Nimal Gunarathne, Principals of the respective schools, officials of the Executive Committee of the Seva Vanitha Unit participated at the event along with the Air Force officers and soldiers. Aveynagar, Namalwattha, Kattandikulam, Kokuvilan and Divulwewa and many such villages in the vicinity are provided security by the Air Force personnel of the Morawewa camp.

These typical villages are blessed with beautiful landscapes and an unpolluted fresh environment. The Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit has come to this area to address a long term need of this reawakening village.

To bring back a long lasting peace to such shattered societies it is necessary to listen to these children. “The main aim of this event is to bridge the gap between the communities by sowing the seeds of love, unity, friendship and peace, regardless of cultural, social and ethnic differences,” emphasised the Chairperson of the Air Force Seva Vanitha Nelum Goonetileke.

Children, Principals and Teachers of all three communities, i.e. Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim eagerly gathered at the camp premises to enjoy a pleasant day.

S. Anandasivam, Principal of Aveynagar Government Tamil School, a graduate teacher with over 18 years of experience, explains the present situation of the schools. “This is a very old school. It was established in 1959 and until 2005 for fifteen years this school had to be kept closed as the LTTE threats were at the maximum those days,” recalls Anandasivam. “During those days Tigers used to invade the villages and forcefully takeaway our children. Many people left the village because of this.”

Though some have come back some children are studying in schools out of this area,” he adds. Today they are working hard to regain that lost glory with the help of the Air Force officers and soldiers in Morawewa.

These villagers face many difficulties as they were resettled very recently and are trying to build up their lives with the unending support of the Government with the Air Force playing an important role. These villagers are so much close to these Airmen that they consider them as their own brethren.

“We returned trusting the protection provided by our airmen. Since the day we resettled here our Air Force brethren and soldiers have provided us with drinking water, medicine and all the basic necessities.

They supply us free medical facilities whenever we fall sick or get snake bites etc since the hospital is very far from the village,” says Rasalingam (54) from Aveynagar with gratitude when we met him during our visit to the village. He has no iota of doubt as to their safety as long as they are protected by these Air Force personnel led by Wing Commander Chandana Deepthi, Commanding Officer of the Morawewa camp.

These soldiers are knitted so closely with the villagers that they work hand in hand at any public event of the village - be it setting the paddy fields for cultivation, harvesting, cleaning up the public wells to get drinking water etc.

To a society which got hammered by the ruthless Tigers for well over a decade this companionship is a wonderful experience.

“In our village alone there are about 5000 acres of arable paddy lands. Since we resettled recently we only had one harvest previously by cultivating about 2500 acres,” goes n Rasalingam.

This time the villagers are putting their fullest effort to cultivate all the paddy lands with the relief services provided by the Government and safety and backing provided by the officers of the Morawewa Air Force camp.

This is a drastic change to the village and its inhabitants who are still fresh with the memories of a gloomy past of nearly 21 years of Tiger’ terrorized control. This is not the first visit by these fair lasses of the Seva Vanith to this village. With the help of the Air Force personnel in the Morawewa camp the Seva Vanitha unit conducted many activities to help these children. An art exhibition held on September 30 is a result of this long term concern.

The art exhibition was held at the Air Force Headquarters attended by Kusum Wickramanayake, Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s office Seva Vanitha Unit.

The Sri Lanka Air Force Seva Vanitha places much emphasis on the role of women and children to create a better future for our nation through a number of welfare projects.

The Air Force Commander, Chairperson and the members of the Seva Vanitha Unit, Air Force Officers and soldiers are very much interested in these children.

They visit the village regularly. Just like Udeni all these children must have the strong will to study hard and create a bright future in a peaceful united society.