Nature's pest turned nature's friend

Medagoda women's co-op turns Salveenia into eco-friendly bags

Irangika Range

President of the Co-op Society	Co-op members		A member carrying dried salveenia

With the imposition of the recent polythene ban there were mixed reactions from various segments of society. Environmentalists and nature lovers hailed the decision while certain sections were put off and dismayed. When everyone was eagerly searching for substitutes, a group of women in Medagoda in Puttalam district got together to create a viable alternative for polythene and an additional means of income.

They did not go too far to gather raw material for the product. Without using conventional and natural raw material such as rush, reed, jute, cane and strings, they went to the nearby tank invaded by salveenia, a rapidly spreading water weed. That paved the way for the discovery of a homegrown ingredient of their product.

Finely cleaned and pressed salveenia stems are woven into a strong bag. This eco-friendly packaging is strong enough to carry three-four kilos at a time.

Salveenia, a bustle plant is a big threat to the environment and difficult to eliminate. But it has shown enormous potential for manufacturing various types of fascinating weaving products.

The women who are from the Kalawewa Centre are successfully engaged in the business. Now they have formed the Madagoda Suhadasheelee Sathkaarya Co-operative Society to develop it.

"This packaging made out of Salveenia is the best adjustment for polythene bags.

We want to popularise this concept to enter the market," President of the Co-operative Society Sirima Weerakoon says.

The group has sufficient human resources, raw material and technology to meet the demand. "We request Government and private organisations to facilitate more orders to boost our local economy," she said.

Lilee Theresa Fernando, a member of the Society said salveenia is freely available anywhere in the country. "There is a good market for our products such as bags, boxes, mats, wall hangers, table mats in various types and colourful designs".

"Over 50 women are involved in weaving at the Centre and it is their main income avenue. Our major problem is finding a direct market for our products," member A.A Seelawathi says.

"The middleman earns the lion's share of the profit and ultimately our income is very low. Even though a bag is priced at Rs.400 in Colombo, they get only Rs.100. We request the authorities to consider this and to provide solutions," she said.

They are facing many difficulties since the commencement of the project. The building where the bags are manufactured is dilapidated and the roof leaks. Space in the building is also not enough to install more weaving machines and we have only eight machines. "We don't want to give up the industry and we need a positive response from the authorities," she said.

Member H.A. Chandrawathee said two women can weave four mats per day but they don't have the opportunity to sell the products directly. The Wayamba Human Development Bank helps them to improve their livelihoods, she added.

Manager of the Samurdhi Office in Hawana, Muttibadhiwela, Nirupa Fernando said her office is eager to help them in their novel effort.

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Rheumatoid arthritis

This is the first of series of articles that aims to help people who have rheumatoid arthritis. It helps you understand rheumatoid arthritis - how it develops, and how to deal with it and the most common questions which people ask about the disease.

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis ?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease which makes the joints in the body become inflamed. To understand how rheumatoid arthritis develops you need to understand how a normal joint works. A joint is where two bones meet.

Most of our joints are designed to allow the bones to move in certain directions. For example, the knee is the largest joint in the body, and also one of the most complicated because it has many important jobs. It must be strong enough to take our weight and must lock into position so we can stand upright. But it also has to act as a hinge so we can walk. It must withstand extreme stresses, twists and turns, such as when we run or play sports.

The end of each bone is covered with cartilage which has a very smooth slippery surface. The cartilage allows the ends of the bones to move against each other almost without friction. It also acts as a shock absorber.

The joint is surrounded by a membrane(the synovium) which produces a small amount of thick fluid(synovial fluid).This fluid acts as a lubricant to keep the cartilage slippery and help the joint to move smoothly. The synovium has a tough outer layer of ligaments called the capsule which holds the joint in place and stops the bones moving too much. Inflammation takes place within the synovium.

The result is very similar to inflammation which you may have seen taking place within your eye - it goes red, it swells, it cries and it hurts. The redness is caused by the increasing flow of blood.

As a result, the inflamed joint may feel warm. The swelling is caused partly by a build-up of fluid and cells in the synovium. The 'crying' of the joint also produces swelling. In this case it is not tears but extra synovial fluid which is produced.

The joint hurts because of two types of pain:

* Your nerve endings are irritated by the chemicals produced by the inflammation.

* The capsule is stretched by the swelling in the joint.

Is it the same as Osteoarthritis?

No, osteoarthritis is a different disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflammation in the lining of the joint. Osteoarthritis is more like a wear process, in which cartilage in the joint fails to withstand the loads placed on it.

Some inflammation does occur in osteoarthritis, but it is not the same as that in rheumatoid arthritis. Some wear may take place in damaged joints in rheumatoid arthritis, but this is a late complication of the disease.

The two diseases are quite different in their treatment and it is important not to confuse the two. If you have any doubt about which type of arthritis you have, ask your rheumatologist.

To be continued

Dr. Kaleel Cassim, MBBS, MD (Medicine), Consultant Rheumatologist, Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital