Youth Journey on its way - Vanni Yathra 2018

Newton 

This is Isaiyalan Newton -  we got to know in August 2011. Since then he became "Our Newton". He was involved with LTTE Tamil tigers so many year during the war we had in Sri Lanka. He was appointed to join with us in our first ever journey – Kelani Nadee yathra (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfcefmB9OkI) when he was under rehabilitation process. Since then he got involved with all the Journeys we conducted to create “Green leaders”

Newton during Kolamba Yathra 2015

He slowly got established as true Green leader. he changed his lifestyle, became vegetarian, stopped drinking fizzy drinks, fight against environmental pollution and unhealthy life style. Participated in many training programmes, campaigned and became an environmental activist and a champion in Northern Province. He learnt Sinhalese very fast and became the Sinhala- Tamil translator for our programmes. Whenever we said we have a prgramme he always traveled from Kilinochchi and early morning 6am he at our office door step. Today he is going to drive his own Journey - "Vanni Yathra" with the support of Chapa Erandi another young yathree (participant of previous journey) who emerged through Ruhunu Yathra 2016. After that she became permanent staff member of ECO-V after volunteering with us for few months. Today she is the coordinator to Climate change and sustainability projects of ECO-V.  

Chapa Erandi the Vanni Yathra Southern Leader

She will take the lead of 15 youth from South of Sri Lanka and will join with Newton who has his own team of 15 youth from North on 3^rd of June to ride their common bicycle journey together towards sustainability and reconciliation through Mother Earth!  

This is what they are going to do...They will ride bicycles starting on World Bicycle day (3rd June 2018) for 10 days covering 3 main districts in Northern Province with 30 youth. During the journey they will learn about Climate Change, Biodiversity, Sustainability, connections with Nature, Food Security and food safety and of course they will enjoy Nature by watching birds, connecting with trees while planting more trees etc. They will also create awareness on above topics to general public, security forces and school children. Once they finish the journey, they will go home with their bikes and start empowering their local communities and will become messengers for sustainable living. 

So as president of ECO-V and president of Journeys for Climate Justice, I am trying to lead these youth by helping them to raise funds and guiding them in coordination the journey. They are trying to raise some more funds to cover expenses for buying bikes. Thanks to many who supported us so far we have collected enough funds to purchase 15 bikes. So we have to buy 15 more bikes and its only 1200 Australian Dollars. Our Australian organization; Journeys for climate justice came on board again and set up online system to raise funds for this journey. So I really wish that our blog readers will give their blessings and contribute even small portions of money to raise some funds for this yathra. The link for donations is at www.jcj.org.au and you can use Paypal and pay to JCJ bank account. Aus Dollar 80 will be enough to buy a bike and a helmet. You can contribute even with a small amount which means that even one dollar will help us to achieve our target.

So Vanni Yathra is about to start with youth leadership immerged through ECO-V. This time I will be just the retired driver of the journey as I really wanted these two to lead the journey without my active participation. So I am watching them but will be with them physically and spiritually to be the strength to them.

I know our friends, supporters and well wishes will be with them too. Thank you for trusting ECO-V and admiring our work!

When I lead journey - Paapedi in 2013.

New Country, New life but with similar activities…

Four months of the year 2018 are already gone….I feel bad for not writing a fresh blog for whole 2018. when I look back it’s being an amazing beginning ….with so many changes and new adjustments. It is a turning point in my life as well as at ECO-V. We as a family shifted to New Delhi, India. So officially now we live in the capital of India. The reason is purely personal as Thushara got promoted to regional office of World health organization, so we decided to join with him as a family. I took it as an opportunity for ECO-V to grow up as an independent organization without me being the driving force . Still I can be the supervisor but ECO-V is not depending on me anymore, which is one of my dreams.

January was the month that I came here and got settled down and took some time to absorb and understand what I want to do in rest of my life and observe the paths I have here. Also it was the month ECO-V was walking through the conservation path without my presence at office. Thanks to technology I got connected with my team via WhatsApp almost every day. So it was constant communication with Waruni, Chapa, Jayani and Wasana. However, I kept travelling on every month to Sri Lanka. 

What I missed most was My Chabby (the cat), Kalu (the dog) and our Eco and Metta Gardens. I know they all are under good care. Thanks to online searching I found a farm here – The Edible Routes and made my first official contact with them on 20^th of January. So by 26^th of January I started my own terrace Garden which was truly a happy start for me here in New Delhi. Wow…it was really new as everything I had to purchase such as soil, compost, coco peat, and containers. It showed me how precious these resources are. In Sri Lanka, almost all these resources are freely available. I was so happy to see the progress of my container garden on my terrace. 

on 26th of January 2018

On 6th February 2018

On 15th of March 2018

On 27th of march 2018

Well I found my kind of space on my terrace and started making my compost using my kitchen waste. 

Home composter made by me using clay pots

My home composter which I bought

I never mixed my waste since I arrived here so it was a very hard battle for me to teach my maid how to separate waste and why not mix it and how precious water and electricity is etc…I started my Eco bricks and constantly talked about it with Edible Routes staff. So it was lot of hard work for me to continue my green practices with my Indian maid and friends.

But luckily I found some like minded parents at The British School New Delhi where Nipuna was schooling at. They loved the idea and we had several meetings with school management board and by 22^nd of April, on the Earth day, we launched our Eco Brick Movement at the school. Also I contributed ideas for new Green policy of the school. How wonderful it was??? I was so thrilled as four months have gone and I never felt that I was not working and I kept walking on my green path and continued the eco practices we were having in Sri Lanka, as a family and professional. So now I feel really happy as somehow I made that difference and also I learnt many new things. I started making my own organic detergents using citrus peels, found soap nuts and other alternatives for cleaning and washing.

Also made some connections with organic markets here and those are growing up spaces exactly like our own Good Market in Colombo. 

Saturday organic Market at Vasanth Vihar

At the beginning of April we shifted to a new apartment. It has a beautiful terrace garden.  I am proudly announcing that I did not give any of my waste to the waste truck here since we moved into new apartment and continue my zero waste life style while teaching others how to do it. I have my own Eco bricks, composter and place for collection of recyclable waste. So I am managing my own waste very responsibly. 

Our own Terrace garden (did not create by me but the owner of apartment did)

As of today I am a member of some wonderful networks here together we are trying our best to fight with air pollution, sustainable waste management and I am learning about trees and butterflies of India. I already conducted some training workshops, presentations on 10R and Eco bricks at schools and public. Planted trees too. 

Tree planting on Earth Day

Eco Brick workshop for kids at British School New Delhi

Eco bricks we made 

Met Mrs. Maneka Ghandhi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneka_Gandhi) one of my inspiring characters in conservation field. 

With Ms. Maneka Gandhi

So life is flowing along same path same manner at a different place on this Mother Earth!