Rural women, playing major role in development activities - First Lady

The 17th Carlton Suva Udana Health, Nutrition Social hospitality and welfare service organized under the patronage of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa to provide relief to people in remote areas was held at the Yodhakandiya MV in Tissamaharama presided by the First Lady on January 28.

The arrival of the First Lady was itself a big source of inspiration to the people in the area who gave her a rousing welcome, said a press release by First Lady's Media Secretary Anoma Welivita.

Addressing the large gathering First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa said women and their families in the rural sector were making a great contribution towards the mega development activities taking shape in the country and the Carlton Suva Udana Programme aimed to improve their state of health and nutrition and mental peace in order to enable them to work with added vigour. The other motive behind the programme was to improve the health and nutrition condition of the child generation.

The day's programme also included an awareness programme, a health education programme and a free health clinic.

The First Lady also distributed a stock of 1,000 free spectacles among a group of vision impaired people and wheelchairs and crutches among the needy. Nearly 3,000 families resident in Yodhakandiya, Kirinda, Magama, Sithulpawwa, Mahadeva and Andarayaya attended the programme and parcels of books were distributed among 1,500 students of the Yodhakandiya MV.