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A rural woman carries a jak on her head while accompanying her grand child on their way home. Jak is the largest tree-borne edible fruit in the world, popular among low-income families as an alternative food which can be cooked, boiled or roasted as a vegetable. ANCL has launched a jak fruit popularisation program to help the government’s freedom from hunger project, which will be inaugurated at BMICH tomorrow by planting 125 jak saplings. (Picture by Ravindra Seneviratne)

The Jak Development and Popularisation of Jak Related Products project, which is a Community Welfare Program of the Silumina, will be ceremonially launched on Tuesday (June 11) at the premises of the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall amidst a representative gathering of Ministers and Members of Parliament, Environmentalists, Academics, Authors, Artistes and Schoolchildren.

Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasooriya and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse will be the chief guests, while Environment Minister Rukman Senanayake, Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister W.J.M.Lokubandara, Mass Communication Minister Imtiaz Bakeer Markar, Agriculture, Livestock and Samurdhi Minister S.B.Dissanayake, former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Lake House Chairman Nalin Ladduwahetty, Working Director D.K.Somasiri, Editorial Director and President of the Jak Development Project Bandula Padmakumara, Ambassadors of foreign missions in Sri Lanka and Nanda Dias son of pioneer "Kos Mama" Arthur V.Diyes will be among the distinguished gathering.

The premises of the BMICH which had been the venue for many flowering plants will on this day give way to the planting of 125 Jak Saplings to fulfil the aim of the project to Free the Starving. Representatives of 25 schools from Colombo will be among the distinguished visitors who will plant 125 Jak Saplings on Wednesday and each tree thus planted will carry the name of the respective school or the visitor who will be responsible for maintaining the tree.

Supporting the planting of 100,000 Jak Tree Project will be several government and non-governmental environmental organisations as well as 450 other schools affiliated to the Central Environment Authority's Schools Pilot Projects Programme will simultaneously plant 6500 Jak saplings at different venues, as part of the Environment Month programmes.

The Wildlife Trust will participate in the program by planting Jak saplings in Ritigala, Rajawaka, Yala, Victoria, Randenigala, Rantambe, Galoya, Kanneliya, Bundala and Wasgamuwa National Parks and adjoining villages. The Matale Katudeniya Maha Vidyalaya will be another venue where 100 Jak saplings will be planted on June 11.

Participating in the program by supplying Jak saplings will be the Agriculture Department (25 plants), S.M.Illangantilleke, President of the Rambukkana Veerya Seva Forum (200 plants), Jagath Dharmadasa owner of the Arundathie Nursery, Katana (200 plants) Mrs.Ramya Gunatilleke, Chairperson of the Amila Nursery (200 plants). K.D.Amith Vasantha, of the Lake House Security Service will donate 500 Jak Saplings

The ceremonial launching of the project at the BMICH will be followed by several other Jak sapling planting programs to be undertaken in Mahanuwara, Galle, Matara, Anuradhapura, Kegalle, Moneragala, Ampara, Ratnapura, Badulla and Jaffna districts. A special series of awareness programs on the project will be launched in schools islandwide, while a special stall at the Amila Flower Show scheduled for june 14 - 16 at the Vihara Maha Devi Park will showcase jak related food. Quality Jak Saplings will be distributed free of charge at the stall during the three days.