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by Ilika Karunaratne

To most Sri Lankans, the UNICEF here, and Hiranthi Wijemanne, are synonymous. She has been with the organization for 26 years, and is totally committed to all aspects of her work. Hiranthi is the daughter of one of our most respected businessmen, the late Mallory Wijesinghe, who can be referred to as the genuine article, honest, caring, frank and an exceptionally good man.

I'm sure he would have been inordinately proud of both her academic glory and her choice of career. "I chose Public Health as opposed to curative medicine, as I felt I could do more for the community as a whole. My focus was always more on children and women, immunization, early childhood development and reducing maternal deaths. I wanted to focus more on prevention helping and educating in ways and means of prevention of illness. In the context of todays world, I feel that the emphasis must be on prevention."

There is a lot of substance in this point of view, as if one gets a disease which can be cured, it takes its toll and the healing process sometimes lingers on. "Promotion of a healthy lifestyle is an integral part of prevention.

I believe that a woman has the right to a healthy pregnancy and shouldn't die in the process of birth. The woman is the child bearer and every effort must be made to preserve her life. The death of a mother is like a ripple that affects the family forever. Children suffer all their lives without a mother, so it is imperative that no effort is spared to prevent maternal deaths. The emphasis on a healthy pregnancy will give the baby the best chance together with professional care at the delivery".

Hiranthi worked with The Family Planning Association for 6 months after her internship, then left with her husband, Narendra, a plastic surgeon for England, where she worked as a House officer, in psychiatry. She then returned to Sri Lanka, again to the FPA, where she worked for a few years, before leaving for Harvard to do her Masters in Public Health.

She worked for a brief period for the FPA and then joined UNICEF. I started at UNICEF, working in Health and Nutrition, then went on to child abuse, gender based violence, child labour, sex abuse of children, access to schooling, maintenance of quality, learning achievement programmes and prevention of Aids. My work has taken me all over the country including the North and East.

I'm always most concerned when I see children who should be in school, running around the streets, working in homes or in shops. I wondered what Hiranthi thought of this? "The problem is less here than in other parts of our region, but there are instances in certain parts of the country like Uva, Moneragala and the deep south, where they are used to work in fields and in domestic service, and in the North and East where they are in camps.

In 1997, UNICEF and UNESCO did a survey in learning achievement and found that our students were poor in numeracy and literacy, which is why educational reforms were thought necessary. We have to look at the issues as to why they are not absorbing and learning, even while at school. Learning achievement is of vital importance. 35 to 40 children in one class cannot possibly learn at the same pace.

Some have to push and plod, while others find it comparatively easy to absorb and sustain knowledge. I think it is important to assess children. 70 per cent of the learning capacity of a child is established by the time they are 5 years old. Speed, rapidity and capacity is most prevalent. This why proper parenting is vital. Children are all too often dumped with grandma, domestics or at pre school. Children often suffer great emotional deprivation due to a lack to parental imput and are unable to convey this. "Parents, unfortunately, seem to bother only at exam stage.

As a child is born, the brain is like a computer disk without programmes. From the point of birth, in the warmth of the mother's arms, they feel, see, hear, observe colour and movement. All this stimulates the brain and synopsis formation takes place. The five senses are stimulated and the capacity to learn is established. Parental education is very important at this stage. Language, love, and human interaction are imperative.

A child feels warm. Loved and secure held close in a mothers arms. I must emphasise the importance of breast feeding. This provides the foundation for the perfect entry into childhood. It is a most intimate and precious time for a mother child relationship and is the most normal and natural method to forge an unbreakable bond.

Unfortunately, it seems to be dying out now." Hiranti appreciates the help given to them by the late Lalith Athulathmudali in this respect who introduced a rule to prevent advertisements on infants formulas in the mass media to promote breast feeding.

"I must say with due respect that whichever government was in power, politics never came into issues concerning children. Every government realized that children are our future and our best investment, were ready to listen and to act".

What about the prevailing violence among schoolchildren? "There are many reasons. The war situation, children of single parents, victims of domestic violence, children of parents who have a grudge against society. As a nation, we are not good at resolving conflicts peacefully. Headlines in newspapers often reveal that a minor issue, which could easily have been resoled, has disastrous consequences.

We lack skills in conflict resolution. We need to focus more on life skills, to tea children how to deal with life and how to say 'no'. It is wellknown that someone who doesn't smoke till they are 18, is unlikely to ever do so.

We must learn to maintain standards and set examples to children. To get on with other people and other life skills are as important as O and A levels. The totality of the individual and the development of potential are both important. Porn on internet, violence in the electronic media and in cinemas and video, all easily accessible to children has led us into a sick society.

If a child before he is 18, knows the right values and standards, he will not go wrong. Otherwise, communication becomes difficult and they fall between cracks. The war too has created chaos and stress. Nothing to my mind, justifies war, peace must be maintained at any cost. A child born in '83 or after, has heard of little else than the war. Of killing and being killed, of families bereft of young men all contributing to our nations loss.

Hiranthi and Narendra, both doctors committed to their work, although a common bond, must have found it difficult, when their children were young." Yes, we had a juggle time a lot and had no social life at all. Our time with our children was very precious and we were determined to spend a lot of time with them. One wants to share the special moments that never come again. But it was all worthwhile, both of them are on their feet now and have turned out alright."

I do not think privilege has anything to do with money. Privilege is to have parents who love, guide and support you throughout life. The intensity of her feelings, for the children or our nation eclipsed all other emotions as Hiranthi spoke to me. She is bubbly, vivacious, full of effervescence and is an acutely attractive person, with instant warmth and quick humour. Totally committed to children who are her world and the future of our nation. 'The children of today are the Leaders of tomorrow'. Their protection has to be the priority.

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