[Winner]

How I spent my leisure

I am a student of Girls’ High School, Kandy. I am in grade six. We had our third-term vacation in December. I did many things during my vacation.

I have a small library at home. There are many books in the library. I read many books during my leisure time. Some of the books I have read are Madol Doova, Ape Gama, Russian Fairy Tales, Vahallu and Matilda. They are beautiful and interesting. My favourite book is Russian Fairy Tales.

I play games with my sisters during the afternoon. We play cricket, badminton and hide-and-seek. I like to play cricket and it is a popular game in Sri Lanka, as well as in the world. Playing games helps you to grow well and builds body strength and stamina.

I watch many cartoons and programs on television such as Tom and Jerry, Garfield, Rise and Shine, Veera and Diya Dangaya. My favourite cartoon is Tom and Jerry and the program is Rise and Shine. I learn many things by watching them.

We went to the temple on Unduwap Poya day. We took flowers, joss sticks, coconut oil and wax matches and worshipped the Buddha and returned home.

I spent my vacation in a meaningful manner.

S.M.Charika Nilakshi Samarakoon,
Grade 6,
Girls’ High School, Kandy.

[Winner]

A trip to Badulla

Last week my family and I went to Badulla. On our way we saw the Bambarakanda waterfall. It is the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka.

After that we walked three kilometres and went to see the Dunhinda waterfall and took photographs. It was a rainy day and the waterfall looked like a cloud.

We saw many landslides in the Badulla area. We stayed the night in Bandarawela. It was so cold that night.

Then we went to the Adisham Bundalow. It was built by a British Governor, five thousand feet above sea level. We saw many beautiful sceneries. We saw the Victoria hydro power station which produces electricity.

We enjoyed our Badulla trip.

Divyangi Sritharan,
Grade 4C,
St. Jude’s College, Negombo.

[Winner]

Holidays

Holidays are my favourite time. This is the time where all the family members and friends are free. During the vacation “play” is not my only aim. I like to improve my knowledge of English and I hope to write a book to present to my library. I visit my village to see my grandparents. We are planing to organise a “Kids Exhibition” in my village. We will present a creative exhibition where all the villagers will appreciate it.

My father is planning to take us to Nuwara-Eliya. My mother will make a variety of sweets and many delicious dishes. Playing with my little brother will bring me pleasurable moments.My class teacher who is in-charge of Grade 6-G told my parents that I was a bright student.It was a happy moment when I heard the news. My parents were happy and they bought me a speaking dictionary and a camera.

My friends were also happy for me.

R.A.D. Sadali Sandeepa,
Grade 6,
Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya.

[Winner]

Wild elephants in Sri Lanka

Elephants are giant animals which are regarded as an asset to the country. There are a limited number of elephants in our forest reserves today. Wild elephants are faced with the threat of extinction. This situation has arisen due to certain reasons.

During the past few decades, a large area of forest cover was cleared for development, farming and human settlements. Due to this elephants lost their natural habitat.

As a result, elephants raided the plantation for food, sometimes causing human deaths. Nearly 75-100 elephants are killed in our country every year and 25-35 people are killed by elephants. This is a sad state of affairs.

Particularly during the drought, elephants go on the rampage in villages in search of water. Sometimes they damage houses. When cultivations and houses are damaged by wild elephants, farmers are compelled to kill the elephants. Some people kill elephants for their valuable tusks. Even the hair and skin are used to produce various items.

The Wild Life Department alone cannot prevent elephants from danger. Voluntary organisations should cooperate to make their efforts a success.

When we go through the newspapers, we see reports of killing wild elephants in our country. It is a heart-rending scene to see pictures of dead elephants published in the newspapers.

What can we do to stop this destruction? The Government should take steps to prevent people encroaching into areas where elephants live in large numbers. These areas have to be protected and stern action should be taken against those who hunt elephants. More elephant orphanages should be set-up in such reserves to enable elephants to live in peace. Another way to preserve elephants in the country is to create public awareness of their fate through the media.

Statistics of the Department of Wild Life reveal that the total number of wild elephants in Sri Lanka today is between 3,000-3,500.

Fathima Hamna Hussain,
Grade 7E,
Royal International School,
Kurunegala.

[Winner]

Space missions

Space missions are one of the most difficult tasks in the world. The Russian mission and the American mission are what comes to mind. Let us look at them one by one.

First the Russian missions. After the initial success with small satellites where the effect of weightlessness was tested on animals, the Soviet Union began to develop programs to launch human beings into space.

The first astronaut to orbit the Earth at an altitude of 196 miles (315 km) was Yuri Gagarin in 1961. He was the sole crew member of the Russian spacecraft, Vostok 1. Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in his capsule, which was lifted into orbit by the 3L-3 rocket and which had an ejection system for the cosmonaut in case of an emergency.

Next the American missions. Over the course of the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States, the United States developed the mercury program between 1959 and 1963. The American project sent three astronauts into space.

Little Joe was used to test the escape tower and controls in the event of aborting a mission.These missions did a great service to the world.

D.M.Kasthuri Indu Dissanayake,
Grade 8A,
Royal International School, Kurunegala.

Snakes are amazing

Snakes are legless creatures. They are amazing creatures. There are more than 2,700 species in the world. Snakes are common in dry places but some are seen in wet places too. We can see snakes in deserts, rivers, oceans and in human habitats. This might be a threat to humans.

Snakes such as cobras, vipers and pythons usually live in the Dry Zone in Sri Lanka and India. In India the Hindus worship the cobra. Sometimes snakes are useful too. They help us in some way.

The rat snake eats rats otherwise our homes would be overrun by rats. The python, cobra and viper kill some animals that harm humans. They kill herbivorous pets or farm animals if not the herbivorous animals will eat all the grasslands. These animals maintain the ecological balance.

Snakes are dangerous too. When a cobra stings a man he has very little chance to live. Being caught to pythons means to be squeezed to death. There are some ways to cure when you are stung by snakes too. I think snakes are amazing although I am afraid of them.

Kavithi Fernando,
Grade 7C,Lyceum International School,
Panadura.

E- waste - fastest growing waste stream

The world known to present man was started with the industrial revolution. As a result of this revolution which occurred in the late 19th century technology began to spread rapidly. There is an idiom “Where there is good, there is bad” so same occurred with the technology.

Out of those unwholesome outcomes 'e-waste’ became a prominent but yet an unknown problem that indirectly affects the environment and also affects sustainable development.

Generally e-waste or electronic waste is defined globally as electronic products that have ended their time of use. They discarded mobile phones, computers, micro-wave ovens,CFC bulbs, batteries and televisions. Environmentalists consider this as the fastest growing waste stream in the world.

‘Guiya’ in China is known as the area where the largest amount of e-waste is deposited and it is known as the capital of e-waste. The situation in Guiya has resulted in many health problems due to addition of toxic substances to the soil,streams and lakes in the area.

The above situation shows that e-waste is a callouses problem that the world has faced. The world health organisation stated that e-waste is specially harmful for children and pregnant mothers. Recycling e-waste potentially bears an increased risk of death and injury.

Recycling, producing rechargeable batteries, teaching to reuse old batteries, invent e-waste collecting methods, companies who produce electronics could be encouraged to develop appliances which are less lethal or may be non-lethal to the environment are the solutions for e-waste.

Dulith Nirojitha,
Grade 10, Nalanda College.

Road accidents

Today the world is a global village due to the industrial revolution. There are advantages as well as disadvantages of the industrial revolution.

Many accidents take place on the road. It is a place where many people travel. During ancient times man travelled through jungles and footpaths. It was difficult and dangerous. It was a waste of time and also people were attacked by wild animals.

The situation today is different. Now these footpaths have turned into roads and highways. The number of road accidents have increased since there is development.

The most common cause for road accidents is high speed. Many drivers compete with other drivers and race on the road, especially bus drivers who are not bothered about passengers. They try to beat others and get more passengers.. This race will turn to be a destructive one where life and property will be lost. Many people drink and drive. They lose concentration. They cause many accidents.

The Sri Lankan government has introduced many policies. A speed limit has been laid down for travel on highways and another for normal roads. There is a special method to spot people who drive after taking lquor.

The government and the people should take action. Let us join hands and reduce this problem.

Hasira Mahel Koswatte,
Grade 10A,
Nalanda College, Colombo.