News Today

Over 300 metric tonnes of Alum from South Africa for tsunami affected areas

A high level team of experts from the South African water sector visited Sri Lanka recently to assist the Southern and Eastern Districts affected by the tsunami.

In response to a request received from the Government of Sri lanka through its High Commission in Pretoria, the Government of South Africa pledged assistance towards the provisions of Alum for water treatment and support for the Government's drive in the reconstruction of the areas affected by the tsunami.

A shipment of 310 metric tonnes of Alum from South Africa, required for water treatment, is due to arrive in Sri Lanka shortly, said Yolande Burger-Ingham, a Civil engineer who worked on several ADB and WB funded projects in South Asia.

Yolande who was in Sri Lanka with her team of civil engineers met National Water Supply and Drainage Board General Manager M. Wickramage and Water Services Support- Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Director Challenge Pelpola at Hotel Galadari recently.

Louis Fourie, Amatola Water Board, James Ngobeni of the South African Black Technical and Allied Consultant Organisations, Rachi Rajagopaul, Umgeni Water, Faan van Rensburg, Botshelo Water Board, Bossie Bosman, Rand Warter and Dr. Danie Wium of the South African Association of Consulting Engineers also participated at the conference held in Colombo.

The team of experts representing the public, private and NGO sectors from South Africa, coordinated through the Department of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka and the national Water Supply and Drainage Board visited the Southern and Eastern District and met with officials to familiarise and get first hand information on the reconstruction efforts of the various agencies in Sri Lanka.

Site visits to the hardest hit areas also served to identify the synergies that can be achieved between needs for permanent reinstatement of water and sanitation infrastructure and potential resources from South Africa.

The South Africa experts held several discussions with the public sector at national, provincial and local levels, as well as the private sector. These discussions highlighted the commitment from officials at all levels to the enormous reconstruction task that lies ahead. It was clear that the greatest challenge would be to coordinate the applications of resources that are available in abundance.

A number of areas were identified where Sri Lankan officials might benefit from the most recent experience in South Africa, where a large-scale service improvement programme has been conducted by the South African Government in collaboration with the South African civil society, and private sector. Such support could include assisting some districts with integrating their planning initiatives to ensure that a balanced development strategy be followed in addressing the needs of the tsunami victims.

Various forms of technical assistance have also been identified, building on the skills of a number of water boards and the private sector in that country. This would typically represent support in issues of water loss management, feasibility studies and operational trouble-shooting, where inputs will be provided by experts from the water utilities and other water institutions in South Africa.

Early childhood development in post-tsunamis, Kalmunai

The Competence Centre for Early Childhood Development (CCECD), initiated a 23 member ECD teacher-training program from those living in the villages of Panduiruppu, Maruthamunai and Periyaneelavanai in Kalmunai for a two-year training program in ECD.

Interestingly, 5 members are male ranging from ages 20-27. The students at the end of the program are each working with 20 children who are mainly from camps and those whose parents cannot afford pre-school education.

Under the program, early childhood education for 400 children from ages 3 - 6 is made possible in these three villages. The areas selected are vital to the cause of the peace process for people of the villages. Marunthamunai provides a healthy filling between Pandiruppu and Periyaneelavanai. The entire project is supervised by committed educators from the three villages called Pesum Nilayam.

The training participants selected for this program were trained by a team of early childhood educators from the Association of Montessori Directresses (AMD), Sri Lanka. The program also includes vocational training.

Everything we did from day one was absorbed like that of ink on blotting paper. The student teachers were all agog with excitement that finally some interest was shown in them.

No cameras flashed, no TV crews were present with their annoying lights, no eloquent speeches were made, and most importantly no Ministers or any 'important' mortal invited to the opening ceremony. Everything went like clockwork for the entire two weeks and we topped it all with an exhibition of all the work that was done.

The exhibition lasted three hours with a steady stream of curious onlookers and many 'oohs' and 'aahs' were heard from teachers and parents. The zonal directors in early childhood development, education officers, as well as Principals of schools. Teachers and Students attended this special feature. The Ministry of Education in Colombo could take a page out of the Eastern Block on the functions of a separate authority for early childhood development.

Not that the teachers had no inkling on the subject of ECD as some of their Colombo counterparts would have you think. Indeed they knew lots of theory by attending the many seminars organized by government and NGO sectors. In fact they were over-exposed to theory.

They had the right theory and the right knowledge BUT what they gained here was the practical aspect of classroom management, practical-life skill training, lesson planning and a host of other areas we take for granted in our own classrooms. We filled in the gaps although we found that the gaps were rather large and could not be filled in a hurry! They took to all this like ducks to water and even taught us a few home truths of their society. We were humbled by the eye-openers and are richer by far for knowing.

The program is unique because of this element. It caters to teachers taking into account the strengths and weaknesses in the segment of society a teacher work in. Through this interaction the early childhood educator in Kalmunnai will be on par with that of her (or his) counterpart in Colombo - or from anywhere in the world.

Hands-on practical training was given priority - be it learning origami, carpentry, crocheting, art, craft, designing a home/school facility, phonics or math. Many teachers as well as experienced educators commented on this feature.

The entire project is unique because of this factor. Too often I have seen the looks of anxiety and uncertainty on the faces of non-English speaking pre-school teachers when they attend the CCECD monthly seminars.

They understand but do not speak. They are more than keen - in fact keener - to know about being a good teacher so that the children in her care gets the best from her.

Unfortunately, she is usually swept aside. Even if she sits on the lap of the English-speaking teacher no way will she gain entrance to making a statement. For the bold ones with the "me-no-care/l-ol'ly-2-awn-learn English speaking" a kind of embarrassed silence follows a simple statement she makes with ghastly grammatical errors. Feet shuffle, loud coughs nearing guffaws, scratching of heads and kind of quirky smiles appear at the corners of well outlined lips. Poor thing! To think that she maybe a far more committed educator than the manicured types - ouch!

This program therefore allows teachers of all sorts, shapes and sizes (without the superior attitude) to further education facilities on ECD. You will find yourself graduating after a period of 4 years depending entirely on the time and energy you put into the projects under the CCECD. Teachers have access to all our seminars on related topics to early childhood.

For special training-of-trainers (TOT) programs usually in tsunami affected areas, AMD teachers are handpicked to undergo training in working with student-teachers in post-trauma situations. If you would like to join our programs during vacation time and help other teachers or learn more about CCECD, please call 077-900-5346 or write to CCECD, 713, D.P. Wijesinghe Mw., Pelawatta, Battaramulla.

by - Shanthi Wijesinghe, Chief Administration Officer/ Vice-Chairperson - Competence Centre for Early Childhood Development (CCECD), Sri Lanka. Exec. President - Association of Montessori Directresses, (AMD) Sri Lanka.

Youth shot dead at Dehiwela

A Tamil youth identified by Police as Nadaraja Jeewaratnam (28) was shot dead at point blank range on Saturday night in Dehiwela, Police said.

According to the Dehiwela Police, unidentified persons had fired seven shots at the victim using a 9mm pistol around 9.10 pm along Second Lane, Dehiwela. Police informed by a neighbour rushed to the scene and had found a passport and an identity card belonging to the suspect.

Police who traced the location on identity card had found the address at Jintupitiya, Colombo 13 to be fictitious. The victim was conducting tuition classes in Dehiwela. Dehiwela Police are on trail of the suspects still at large.