Tharindu a river journey Yathree in action

Tharindu, one of the Sri Lankan youths that participated in the river journey last year, has been enthuastically inititating environment projects within his community. On day two of my time in Sri Lanka, Wednesday 4^th July, Tharindu had organised three awareness raising presentation to take place at schools in his local area. Kanchana, Sameera a young university student who is getting training at ECO-V office, and I travelled the distance to present on climate change and sustainability in a more remote area of Sri Lanka.

The three schools were situated in Ruwanwella area, two of which were Sinhalese and one Tamil school ensuring that the message and knowlegde had a large and varied audience. Each presentation lasted an hour and a half and I was amazed with the undivided attention Kanchana was receiving from the students. At one of the schools the presentation for the older students was done in the main hall during a time that other students were on lunch break. To my surprise the young students snuck in, choosing to listen to Kanchana over enjoying their lunch. The student’s willingness to listen, absorb information and learn about new subjects I believe marks a fine character in Sri Lankans that I have witnessed during my stay here. Within one day this awareness program reached over 450 school students and many teachers. 

While this presentation was happening we also conducted a survey to get a picture of the knowledge and prior awareness of these topics that these students held. The results highlighted the lack of information provided around sustainability and climate change, illustrating the need for further awareness raising in all areas of Sri Lanka. Education and awareness is one of the first and most important steps to social change. This was also a very important networking opportunity by building relationships with different schools and communities around Sri Lanka.

Tharindu addressing gathering at his own school, with the presence of school principle 

After these presentations took place we had an appointment a local politician to talk about the projects that have been happening and to organise a date for a tree planting to happen in the area. These plantings will help the environments resistance towards the impacts of climate change while also reducing CO2 emissions. During this meeting the politician received us well marking the bridges that are slowly being formed between social issues and politicians in Sri Lanka.

Youths like Tharindu are inititating these grassroot events that are creating positive impacts while also encouraging movement towards a greener future. Eventually it would be the aim of ECO-V and Journeys for Climate Justice to provide these youths with enough support, information and training that they feel comfortable enough to do these presentations and meetings themselves. ECO-V and Journeys for Climate Justice is providing continual contact with these youth to enable their development and empower change within them so that they are able to create further change in their community.

children  of Rajasinghe Central College at mini exhibition on Climate change

Gathering at Rajasinghe Central College, Ruwanwella

Gathering at Tamil School in Ruwanwella

This campaign is called "My Future My Country" which has initiated by ECO-V to create awareness on Climate Change at Grass Root levels tafter Kelani Nadee Yathra and it is sponsored by Deutche Bank of Sri Lanka.

A visit to an Organic Farm

I would like to well come Karina Donkers from Australia. She is the 7th volunteer we had for this year from overseas and the 3rd volunteer from Journeys for Climate Justice (JCJ). Just like any other volunteer we invited her to write few blogs for us. Here she wrote..

Sri Lanka is a beautiful and magical place yet has to face the confronting challenges of a changing climate. I have started my month of working as a Journeys for Climate Justice volunteer and am blessed with the opportunity to work along side Kanchana, president of ECO-V and renowned conservationist.  On my first morning in Sri Lanka we set out to visit an organic farm in a nearby area. Trudy and Sion (friends of Kanchana) who are willing to settle down in Sri lanka after so many year working in Burma also joined with us. We had been invited to see the progress of the farm, to share knowledge and network with the workers there. Amongst the workers was a man named Sampath, who had been working in environment and organic farming in Sri Lanka for 18 years and had produced 11 books about organic farming. Both kanchana and Sampath were UNDP/GEF small grant winners for their projects few years ago. This small group of workers had only had this plot of land for seven months and had already created an amazing sustainable food source, which was producing delicious and healthy food, some of which we took home with us.

Thushara, Sion, Trudy, Karina and Kanchana walking to the farm

Sampath explaining about his organic farm

Sampath raised the concern of not being able to find heritage seeds of certain plants as they were not readily available as hybrid seeds had taken over in the area. Sourcing these seeds is important and also raises the need for a seed bank. Eventually this organic farm hopes to expand the availability of hertiage seeds so that they are available for the entire community.   

During this visit we established a partnership with Sampath where their organic farm will be used as a place to run workshops and teach Sri Lankan youth about organic farming. These skills and knowledge need to be passed on to younger generations so that they are practiced. Through these workshops youth will be able to grasp the importance of this way of farming and share their knowledge with their local and wider communities.  On a grassroots level an important part of building resilience to climate change in communities is sharing skills and knowledge.These workshops will not only build their knowledge and skills but hopefully empower them to become young leaders in this time of transition.

Permaculture Retreat –Dhanushka’s Dream

Dhanushka is one of the  Kelani Nadee Yathrees (Traveler). As a post journey project Dhanushka was having a dream of turning an abandon land into an eco-friendly eco system. ECO-V encouraged him to create a permaculture garden where he can use it as an educational centre too. It was a dream for Dhanushka since then as he didn’t have a plan or money to do that. Thanks to volunteerism, Jackie , a volunteer from Journeys for Climate Justice (JCJ our partner in Australia) made a beautiful blue print using her experience in woofing and permaculture activities at CERES (http://www.ceres.org.au/) in Australia. Thanks to some funds we had for supporting KNY post projects, we could hire a van to go to Udawalawa to Dhanushka’s area which is a 4 hour drive from Colombo. There were 6 volunteers from Colombo.  Dhanushka’s grand parents made us delicious breakfast and lunch using the harvest from their home garden. Dhanushka was able to invite very energetic 16 youngsters who were anxiously waiting for us to arrive.

What a day! We all shared the labour and did shramadana  work and cleaned the ground, got rid of invasive plants, trimmed some branches, made a seating area for youngsters, started composting, etc. Within 4 hours it was ready for next step to have some vegetable beds, need to have a toilet and a small kitchenette to start living there.  We even planned for a tree house, and a deck to the small lake which is situated inside his land. Then our volunteers can go and start developing it as permaculture retreat and can enjoy Nature watching too. We saw lot of butterflies, birds, lizards and even snakes! What a beauty…..we all have a dream now, a dream to live with Nature in harmony and train youngster as Eco friendly volunteers! 

Earth Walk 2012

Sunday morning on the 1st of April, the yathrees and some ECO-V members met in Colombo to participate in the youth Earth Walk 2012. The event was a collaborative effort of "Youth for Greener Sri Lanka (YGSL)" the newly formed network of youth The group joined hundreds of youth in a march through Colombo’s streets in an effort to spread messages about climate change. The ECO-V banner was carried with pride, as well as a number of posters with slogans about climate change and the environment. The group did themselves proud and it was heartening to see the yathrees continuing their campaign in raising climate change awareness.

After lunch in the park, the weary yathrees bid farewell to one another and began on their journey to their home towns across the island. Personally it was so great to meet the yathrees (having heard so much about them!). They are a passionate group of budding young environmentalists who are doing themselves, and their country, proud! Keep up the great work!!  - Jakie Scally

My Future My Country exhibition of ECO-V

What a busy week this one has been for ECO-V and many of the KNY yathrees?!

‘My Future, My Country’ exhibition was held from Thursday 29^th – Saturday 31^st March at the Public Library, Colombo. The exhibition, targeted at youth, included displays about climate change, sustainability and biodiversity. A key theme of the exhibition was introducing the concepts of ‘carbon footprint’ and ‘eco-handprint’. The various displays gave simple and handy tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint and increase your eco-handprint in order to live a more sustainable life. Tips were given on waste management, energy efficiency, transport and food.

Kanchana talks to exhibition attendees about the harmful environmental impacts of plastic

Sales counter was very popular too

Some visitors and our members

A significant part of the exhibition included a display on the Kelani Nadee Yatra. This included photos and poems from the journey, as well as art work and the screening of the KNY documentary. Many of the yathrees travelled to Colombo to participate in the exhibition. It was great to have the yathrees on hand to share their stories of the journey and help spread the message about climate change and sustainability (I think they also enjoyed catching up with each other too!).

Overall the exhibition was a success! Across the three days, many members of the public wandered through the exhibition and I’m sure the majority left with new ideas about how to make their life more eco-friendly. Hopefully the ‘butterfly effect’ will take place, and those that attended will share the messages about sustainability with their family and friends. ECO-V also recruited some new members and sold quite a bit of ‘eco-friendly’ merchandise – the coconut badges were a particular favourite! 

New member

Leading Singer and a politian Mr. Madhumadhawa visited Exhibition

The ‘carbon footprint’ and ‘eco-handprint’ displays

Newton, Dr. Safras and Selva at exhibition

Earth Hour on 31st March 2012

Oil lamps with the shape of 60+

I was able to witness a very succssful exhibition of ECO-V which finished on the 31st March and all Kelani Nadee Yathrees and some other ECO-V members gathered at Saravodya, Moratuwa to celebrate Earth Hour 2012. Rest of the team of Earth Hour Sri Lanka joined with the president at Presidents' house in Kandy as we could not join with them due to exhibition we had in Colombo. At 8:30pm, the lights were turned off and oil burners lit. The coconut oil smelt quite delicious! The oil burners were laid out in the shape of 60+. The ‘60’ symbolises the one hour beyond the one hour.  that is observed during Earth Hour, and the ‘+’ symbolises the continuation of sustainable practices.

 

Earth Hour Sri Lanka team including Minister Gammanpila at 2nd press conference

During the hour, Kanchana took the opportunity to reflect on the lessons learnt during the exhibition, asking the yathrees to identify one action they were going to take to improve their eco-handprint. This was an excellent way to conclude the three day exhibition.

Dr.and Mrs Ariyaratne of Sarvodaya joined with ECO-V for Earth Hour

ECO-V members lighting oil lamps

Mrs. Ariyaratne and Kanchana lighting oil lamps

Team at a dicussion on Climate chnage during Earth Hour 2012

Earth Hour Sri Lanka 2012

The countdown for Earth Hour in Sri Lanka continues with great excitement. On 19^th March morning (very early this morning, infact) we rubbed bleary eyes and held back yawns, as we headed out to see the launching of a hot air balloon promoting Earth Hour. Arriving before dawn, the oval was already a hive of activity. Many familiar faces from the press conference last week were here again – Hon. Udaya Gammanpila (the Western Province Environment Minister) and pop singer Bhathiya Jayakody were amongst the crowd. Organisers handed out Earth Hour t-shirts and it was an impressive scene to see so many wearing the shirts in support of the pending event.   
 A traditional Buddhist blessing preceded the launching of the balloon. This was a beautiful ceremony to experience and I was fortunate enough to receive a “blessing cord” from one of the monks.

Blessings of Maha Sanga

Jakie getting blessings

 With the ceremony complete, attention quickly turned to the balloon. As the Earth Hour banner was stuck in place, the balloon was inflated. Crowds gathered to take photos – the Minister, Bhathiya and others posed for photographers.

All was looking good until the Earth Hour banner became too heavy for the balloon to launch! This banner was removed and another strapped to the basket, as Bhathiya, and Abdul Uvais from Earth Hour Sri Lanka, joined the pilot for take-off.  

It was a beautiful sceptical indeed to watch the balloon glide across Colombo’s morning sky.

It seems Earth Hour is gaining increasing attention and support in Sri Lanka, and if this morning was any indication the event itself promises to be an exciting one. Stay tuned! Jakie Scally – Volunteer for journeys for Climate Justice (JCJ)

You all can visit our website www.eco-v.org and show your support towards Earth Hour 2012 

We all support Earth Hour Sri Lanka 2012

Bathiya says...are you sure I can come down again

taking off...