Ex-Army Women join "Shaka Sanga"

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

COLOMBO: The Ex-Army Women's Association joined "Shaka Sanga" on Poson Full Moon Poya Day signifying the importance of the Tree, under the shade of which Lord Buddha was Born, Enlightened and attained Pari Nirvana.

Shaka Sanga is a CSR project for Adoption of Million Trees which is a unique concept where the participants will not merely plant trees,but every person will be encouraged to adopt and preserve at least one tree.

Members of the Ex-Army Women's Association with their children gathered at Thotupala in Piliyandala where they were educated about the concept by the "Shaka Sanga" group.

During the day-long discourse the mothers experienced the interdependence of universe and the value of moment to moment living, where one begins to see, hear and feel the equilibrium of nature and the value of co-existence of the unreachable relativity with the living beings as the fish discover the water.

The mothers were given the responsibility to motivate and encourage their children to adopt a tree look after that until it grows well in the manner that the mother brings up the child with love and care until he or she becomes an adult.

"The diminishing forest cover where the jungle clearance goes on unbated to augment economic prosperity whereas there should be a minimum of 10% of forest cover in Sri Lanka, the forest reserve has now depleted to three per cent.

Under such circumstances Shaka Sanga Group is ambitious to reduce this serious damage at least by one per cent through this concept. All the members gave the oath of "Shaka Sanga" and one plant was taken over by the new members for adoption to symbolise the launch. Five mothers with their children were selected to implement the pilot project in their schools.