Say enough is enough
Powerful voice:
Dr. Jeziema Ismail
Pictures by Ranjith Jayaweera
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A VOICE: Globalisation , social economic conditions and the tsunami.
These are among the horrid storms that battered us. But women have the
force and strength to withstand these turmoils.
They are very concerned as they are the ones who nurture of the
living beings. To combat these what we need is a civil movement and
women can spark it. Dr. Jeziema Ismail, renowned educationist and critic
observed.
âWith the tsunami men became incapaciated and they lost hopes. They
lost their property, children and source of income. But women were
resiliant as she is the force behind the man. They need to mobilise to
bring about a change and combat these evil circumstances. That endavour
has to be peaceful and they embody it,â Dr. Ismail said.
She was speaking on the theme â Women, the force that turn the worldâ
at an event organised by the Colombo Up Town Rotary Club in Colombo on
Monday. Dr. Ismail believes that women have to get together wihout being
armchair critics.
âIn Sri Lanka we cannot stand apart. We need to buid up a strong and
empowered network to combat the problems we faceâ. Men and women inhabit
the world equally but definately with a difference.
That very difference helps to retain the balance. Women are thinking
in terms of partnership but the unnecessary, extreme feminist ideology
has reduced this meaning, she remarked. According to her complementarity
of sexes is very important to ensure balance and existance.
But women have to paly a more active role in dealing with social and
economic issues. Asian women have taken initiative such as countries
like India and Philipines. Sri Lankan women should come forward to
organise a civil society movement to claim âEnough is Enoughâ.
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Gayani Anisha Amarasena:
High-flying achiever in the art world
Sumathipala Deeyagahage, Southern Province Roving
correspondent
Creator: Gayani Anisha Amarasena
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Lotus flowers are firmly rooted to the Earth, or are they ? There is
one lotus flower that blooms in the sky, 35,000 feet up, every day. And
with it blooms the countless dreams of Lankans - and the aspirations of
a Nation ascending towards prosperity.
This magnificent flower first took shape inside the creative mind of
Gayani Anisha Amarasena. After its transformation to the physical
dimension, it now adorns the two Mihin Lanka planes, Lankaâs pride in
the sky, as the airlineâs official emblem.
Little did Gayani, a past pupil of Southlands Balika Vidyalaya,
realise that her creation would one day literally fly high. This
talented artist from Galle responded to an advertisement calling for the
design of an emblem for Mihin Lanka. She did not give it much thought
until an airline official contacted her with the good news that her
design had won the contest.
âWhen I was informed over the phone that my creation has been
selected I was stunned. I have no words to express the joy I felt,â she
remarked.
Crest: The emblem Gayani Anisha Amarasena
created for Mihin Lanka.
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She was rewarded with Rs. 100,000 and an air ticket to Abu Dhabi. In
addition she got the opportunity to join the nascent airlineâs inaugural
flight to Buddhagaya with prominent Bhikkus, several ministers and media
personnel.
A few minutes before take off, Highways and Highways Development
Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle presented the cheque for Rs.100,000 and
the air ticket to Gayani.
She considers herself extremely lucky as she was able to pay homage
to the sacred place where Prince Siddhartha attained Supreme Bliss. It
was a dream come true.
She had indeed come a long way to take to the skies. As a toddler,
she watched her father P.H. Amarasena, how his hand moved, how his
thoughts came real in brush strokes and vivid, colourful expressions.
Her father, Traffic OIC at Galle Police, was always there to
appreciate, criticise and guide her whenever he was away from official
duties.
Like a duckling taking to water she followed in her fatherâs
footsteps.
The daughter infused her own thoughts and experience blended with
inherited talent to grasp subtle human expressions on canvas. âEven
before attending montessori I had the passion to draw and paint. My
father and mother Nimali Amarasena, a teacher of Kannangara MV, Gintota,
helped me tremendously in my work.â
Gayani receiving the Rs. 100,000 cheque an air ticket to Abu Dhabi
from Minister Fernandopulle.
Pictures by Sumathipala Deeyagahage
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Gayaniâs inherent aesthetic qualities were evident with the skill she
displayed with brush and paint at the tender age of five.
She showed a special interest in drawing human figures.
She wasnât fortunate enough to sharpen her artistic skills under a
special art teacher at Southlands BMV where she started her education.
âIn school I won awards at several art competitions. I was a
consecutive winner at art and handicraft exhibitions organised annually
by the Galle Municipal Council. At the age of seven I won the first
award. Then I succeeded in securing first places in competitions at
school and district levels. I also won first place in competitions
organised by Dhamma schools.â
Gayani had got through her Advanced Level in the maths stream.
âAlthough art is my undying passion, I studied dancing as a subject at
school.
I am following a course in computer graphics and wish to become a
graphic designer. But I reckon I would never give up my love for art.â
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Share the joys of needlecraft
Ruwini Jayawardana
It was a world of creativity and colours at âShare the Joyâ, the 15th
all island patchwork and needlecraft exhibition and competition at the
BMICH Banquet Hall on June 2 and 3.
âIt is not an easy job to put this event together. Most of those who
took part are my students but there are some participants who have
mastered this craft as either a hobby or a means of self employment,â
stated Daisy Vittachi the organiser of the event.
âWe hope to encourage women towards this art so that they can start
their own employment. This will also test their patience as the work has
to be done accurately and neatly. The participants get a lot of orders
once they display their creations at this exhibition.â
According to Vittachi a number of migrant Sri Lankans in Philippines,
Italy and Malaysia had sent in their creations through friends and
relatives. There were table clothes, bed spreads, cushion covers, wall
hangings and creations made of ribbon embroidery, cross stich pictures
and paper piecing... anything you could possibly dream of doing with
cloth, needle and thread.
âTheir enthusiasm is admirable. Even schoolchildren took part. If you
can witness the surroundings you can note how amazing all these
creations are,â she exclaimed.
Among the hundreds of creations four main items have chosen for the
winning titles. Zamrooth Rafeek, Ramani Amarasooriya, Samantha
Jayawardane, Nalini Jayawardane and Zeeniya Muzammil topped the event
Pictures by Palitha Gunasena
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Pregnancy and arthritis part ii:
Preparing for pregnancy
Dr. Kaleel Cassim MBBS, MD (Medicine)
Any couple trying for a baby should stop smoking. This will reduce
the chance of having a small baby (due to growth retardation) and will
also reduce the risk of cot death. You should also cut down the amount
of alcohol you drink and preferably stop taking any recreational drugs
you may use.
If you are overweight this will make it harder for you to become
pregnant and make you more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy.
So try to lose some weight before you get pregnant. This will help your
joints as well.
What supplements should I take?
All women who want to have a baby should take a folic acid tablet
every day from 3 months before the time of conception until 12 weeks
into the pregnancy.
This is particularly important if you have ever been given
methotrexate to treat your arthritis as this drug can affect your bodyâs
supply of folic acid . This will reduce the risk of having a baby with a
defect in the spinal canal (spina bifida).
With the exception of folic acid and iron supplements you should
avoid all other supplements unless a specific deficiency, such as lack
of vitamin D, is found.
If you are taking steroids during pregnancy you may also be advised
to take calcium and vitamin D tablets to help protect your bones from
thinning (osteoporosis).
Should I stop all my drugs before becoming pregnant?
You should never stop taking prescribed drugs without talking to your
rheumatologist. If you tell your rheumatologist you want to become
pregnant then he can help to get you onto the safest combination of
medication at the lowest reasonable dose to reduce the risk of the
tablets causing problems.
During the pregnancy What tests will I have during pregnancy?
An ultrasound scan, to check for abnormalities in the baby, is done
in all pregnancies at 18-20 weeks. The doctors choose this time because
the baby is bigger and it is easier to find any problems then. Some
problems can be quite minor.
If any problem is found at your 20-week scan, the doctors will talk
to you about it and discuss the implications and options available to
you. More detailed scans may be necessary if, for example, you have
taken tablets or drugs during the pregnancy that may cause particular
problems.
Sometimes you may need two or three scans before the doctors can see
everything clearly, but this does not necessarily mean that there will
be a problem. Sometimes the parts that we are trying to see may be
hidden, for example, by the babyâs hand. So do not worry if everything
cannot be seen clearly at first and you are asked to return for a second
scan. To be continued
The writer is Consultant Rheumatologist
Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital |