Winner:

Madduma Bandara, the child hero

Madduma Bandara is one of our National Heroes. He is a child hero. He lived during the reign of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, the last King of Sri Lanka. His father Ehelepola was one of the King’s Ministers.

Ehelepola did not obey the King’s orders. He fled away and hid himself in a remote place. The King was very angry and ordered that Ehelepola’s wife and children be killed. They were brought to Bogambara by the King’s men. It was Madduma Bandara’s elder brother who had to face death first. But he did not come forward.

Madduma Bandara was a brave boy. He came forward like a hero. The executioner cut his head off. Thus Madduma Bandara became a child hero.

Vishaka Gangoda,
Grade 8A,
Udadumbara Secondary School.

Winner:

Books improve our knowledge

Books are very valuable to us. They give us information and help up to improve our vocabulary and knowledge.

We can study Science, English and Environmental Studies by reading books. We cannot reach anywhere in our life without reading books.

If we read books and study well, we can become scientists, doctors, teachers or authors.

Let us read books and become eminent people.

Asma Fahmi,
Grade 3,
Harcourts International School,
Colombo 3.

Winner:

Independence

A time filled with terror,
A dark period for our Motherland,
To be captured and governed,
By a different nation.
Our heroes in the past,
Fought for freedom until the last,
For they did not want the future generation,
To experience the suffering they had undergone.
A silver-line appeared in the dark clouds,
In 1948, February fourth,
Mother Lanka rejoiced to relate this story,
That her children gained freedom in victory.
Sixty-five-years of freedom,
And we stand independent as a mighty kingdom,
We, your future generation,
Will one day make you proud as responsible citizens.
Jude Shannon Lucian,

Grade 9,
St. Anthony’s College,
Kandy.

Winner:

Natural disasters

Natural disasters occur in almost every part of the world. Humans and animals become the victims of natural disasters such as tsunami, earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides, earthslips, cyclones and hurricanes.

Human beings pollute the environment in many ways leading to natural disasters. On December 26, 2004 a major earthquake in the Indian Ocean resulted in a devastating tsunami. Most of the people lost their lives, children, parents, houses and their pets. Recently great tsunami and an earthquake occurred in Japan.

Floods that occur every now and then are not so dangerous such as tsunami or earthquakes. Recent floods devastated many areas of the island. Droughts are another form of natural disasters. They are usually caused by soil erosion and deforestation. Cyclones and hurricanes cause havoc in certain parts of the world. They cause damage to houses and uproot trees. Irresponsible human activities have led to global warming. If we do not take preventive measures, there will be more natural disasters in times to come.

Sasmithaa Manickam.
Grade 8A,
Belvoir College International,
Bambalapitiya.

Kandy city

Kandy is a world famous city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Central Province and a very beautiful city. Kandy is famous for tourists too because of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha kept in the Dalada Maligawa. Many people come to Kandy in August to see the Esala perahera. There are many flora such as Kadupul, Na and Rose. The climate in Kandy is very cold. You can see the big clock tower in the town.

The Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium and the Asgiriya Cricket Stadium are situated in Kandy. The Agricultural Research Centre is also in Kandy. The Kandy lake adds beauty to the city.

There are many mountains in Kandy such as Bahirawa Kanda and Hanthana. The main plantation in Kandy is tea.There is a Museum and a prison at Bogambara. In the town there are various banks and modern shopping complexes.

The first king of Kandy was King Wickramabahu and the last was King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. Kandy is also well-known for handicrafts. Ambakke Dewale is famous for its woodcraft. There is a botanical garden where you can see lots of flowers and trees. Asigiri and Malwathu are the two main temples in Kandy. I am proud to be a Kandyan.

K.A. Usitha Kodithuwakku Arachchi,
Sri Chandananda Buddhist College,
Kandy.

Winner:

Water is precious

Water is very essential for all human beings, animals and plants. It is impossible to live without water. We use water for cultivation, drinking and many other purposes.

There is 71 percent water on the Earth. We get water from our natural resources such as rain, waterfalls, rivers and wells. We must not waste water because it is very precious. Water is also used for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing and watering plants. Water is precious and we should preserve it.

Erandi Wanigasekara,
Grade 10,
Princess of Wales College, Moratuwa.