Gifts from Japanese resident community

Japanese Solidarity Association President Yoshiaki Kato and Japan Commerce and Industry Association Chairman Tadashi Komenoi will jointly provide 18 sets of mobile libraries with picture books called Alipencha to Northern Province Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri on February 8. The mobile libraries will be handed over to pre-schools in Menik Farm with the assistance of the Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry. Kato said: "We have discussed among Japanese residents what would be the best method to express our goodwill to the people in the affected regions. The reason we have chosen Alipencha which is focused on children, is because we believe the future of Sri Lanka depends upon children."

Alipencha, (little elephant) initiated by Japanese NGO, Surangani Volunteer Services (SVS), is intended to provide non-stressful experiences with picture books that allow children to explore and develop their language and literacy skills as well as promote multicultural understanding. With the Alipencha mobile library, children can borrow each picture book for a few days to read at home. It is hoped that this will also promote parent-child interaction.

"Reconciliation and integration of Sri Lanka may start from the sense of being one nation and it is important this feeling is shared with the children in IDP centres," Kato said. "Although our contribution is limited in terms of volume, we would be more than happy if this could contribute even in a small way to efforts of Sri Lankan people in that direction."

Japanese Solidarity Association is a voluntary group consisting of about 200 Japanese nationals residing in Sri Lanka, and its objective is to foster mutual friendship and promote friendship between the two countries. Japanese Commerce and Industry Association, with a membership of over 50 Japanese companies operating in Sri Lanka, works towards promoting business relations between Japanese and Sri Lankan companies.