I leave home around seven in the morning and walk ..!!! Jak the bread winner..!!!

Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Jak the bread winner
Jayanthi Liyanage


Ariyadasa brings Jak in his wheel barrow

Gone are the days when Jak (kos) fruit was regarded as "the poor man's food". As a local delicacy, Jak has crossed gourmet boundaries, adorning the affluent dining tables with equal aplomb.

But the messy and sticky process of cutting Jak fruit and cleaning up Jak gum (Koholla) has made him sell only the Jak fruit - a poor man's livelihood. This is a blessing for Hewavitharanage Ariyadasa . So every morning he trudges many a mile to gardens where he knows jak fruit to be thriving and fills his wheel barrow with the fruit he buys, usually around Rs.40 per fruit.

"I leave home around seven in the morning and walk to areas like Koswatte and Malabe where I know Jak to be growing," said Ariyadasa, explaining the exhausting process of gathering jak fruit to be sold every day. The morning we met him he had been to Udahamulla and Batapola and returned around 10.30 am to Lenat Perera Mawatha in Battaramulla where he lives, pushing his wheel barrow filled to the brim with Jak fruit.

By the main road in front of this lane, his wife Thamara Kusum awaits him and assists him in cutting and packing into sili bags about two kilos of Jak fruit each and placing them on array to lure Jak-loving customers. The moment the array is ready, customers begin trickling in. A bag of Jak fruit changes hands at Rs. 50.

"Some of my customers have Jak trees at home but they buy from me as they don't want to go through the hassle of cutting and cleaning Jak fruit," Ariyadasa smiled. "Some times they let me pick fruit from their gardens without even charging money."

"Jak fruit is rather scarce these days," he says with disappointment. "I have to go a longer distance in searching for it. By the month of May, the situation should


Thamara sells Jak fruit

"
Thamara sorting out Jak fruit

be better."

When there is a scarcity of Jak fruit in home gardens, Ariyadasa goes to Pettah and buys Jak at Rs.150 a fruit from lorries brining Jak to Colombo from distant areas such as Kandy. His is a life of constant effort and physical exhaustion, spurred on by having to support three sons and two daughters, four of whom are still school going.

Ariyadasa used to be a mason. When his work began to reduce, he changed from masonry to selling jak. Originating from Aparekka, Matara, where his father of 98 years and mother of 85 years are resident, he says, "It is my parents you should ask about Jak fruit. They know all about it. When there wasn't enough food to eat, they used to have Jak for all three meals."

Being a Samurdhi recipient, he obtained a loan from his allowance and for short while managed a vegetable cart.

That venture turned out to be not profitable and Ariyadasa gladly stuck to his business of selling Jak fruit in which he has been engaged for the last eight years.

The income of not less than Rs.650 a day he earns from selling Jak fruit goes to educating his children and covering household expenses.

Ariyadasa's eldest son (21) works as an accountant at a lottery agency, having passed his advanced levels with three credits in the commerce stream.

The other four attend school. Being a Christian, Ariyadasa says that his church helps him with class fees of one of his daughters. When he was a child, his foster parents gifted him the land where he now lives with his family.

Selling Jak fruit is Ariyadasa's trade now. This courageous man and his family so dependent on Jak fruit deserves help from any interested persons who can uplift them to a more comfortable living.
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Craftsmanship

Ariyadasa with his wood carving. Pictures by Saman Sri Wedage

Ariyadasa couldn’t continue to be trained in wood carving and furniture making at the National Youth Services Council because “I didn’t have money to buy wood”, he said. He showed us a sofa he had made from neem wood with decoratively carved arms. The Council asked him if he would prefer a training overseas or locally. He opted for local training and seemed interested in making use of this knowledge but financial difficulties keeps him occupied only in selling Jak (kos) fruit.

A warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations..!!!

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Subject: FW: STATIC ELECTRICITY --This could save a LIFE!!!
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:23:33 -0500
From: NagaRa@familyservicetoronto.org
To: lalitha.brodie7@hotmail.com

Subject: Fwd: STATIC ELECTRICITY --This could save a life!!!

STATIC ELECTRICITY

Shell Oil Comments - A MUST READ!


Safety Alert!

Here's some reasons why we don't allow cell phones in operating areas, propylene oxide handling and storage area, propane, gas and diesel refueling areas.




The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations


In the first case, the phone was placed on the car's trunk lid during fueling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline pump.


In the second, an individual suffered burns to their face when fumes ignited as they answered a call while refueling their car!


And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they were fueling their car.


You should know that:

Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes


Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition


Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat, Etc.


Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, (i.e., solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc.)


To sum it up, here are the: Four Rules for Safe Refueling


1) Turn off engine

2) Don't smoke

3) Don't use your cell phone - leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off

4) Don't re-enter your vehicle during fueling



Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of 'static electricity' at gas pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires.


His results were very surprising:

1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.

2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas. When finished, they went back to pull the nozzle out and the fire started, as a result of static.

3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes.

4) Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished. This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.

5) Don't ever use cell phones when pumping gas

6) It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when connected with static charges.

7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was re-entered and the nozzle was touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulted in extensive damage to the vehicle, to the station, and to the customer.

8) Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas cap was removed and before fueling began.


Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it with gas.


If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle.


As I mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware of this danger. You can find out more information by going to Once here, click in the center of the screen where it says 'Stop Static'.


I ask you to please send this information to ALL your family and friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time Thanks for passing this along.

AFTER YRS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVES..!

நல்லதையே நினைத்து என்றும் நல்லதையே செய்!

Bas Baskaran


AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY ...

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins



1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.



4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc., and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.



11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.


WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water--best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.


12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.



13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.


(PLEASE FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)

He struggled to release the car door & free the unconscious woman from seatbelt,but managed to pull her to the bank & put her in a recovery position!

France honours hero for saving pregnant woman Friday, 08 January 2010 18:26 1 2 3 4 5 ( 1 Vote )

A French man has earned a bravery medal for diving into an icy river and saving a pregnant woman who was trapped inside a crashed car in northeastern France.

The woman had been in a collision with another car which sent her car into a river in Amiens on Wednesday evening.

The woman - eight months pregnant - and her husband were submerged when the car flipped over.

The husband cried for help and Eddy Devauchelle, 42, dived in, pulling the unconscious woman to safety.

Police and fire crews soon arrived at the scene and the couple were rushed to a hospital in Amiens, where the pregnant woman is being kept under constant observation.

"A firefighter came to see me and said 'the baby and his mother are safe!'" Mr Devauchelle told a local paper, Le Courrier Picard.

Describing the rescue, he said he had first seen "a man in the river, with water up to his neck" and some people watching on the river bank.

"He cried 'Please save my wife!' I got out of my car, took off my jacket and got in, up to my neck - it was freezing," he said. "The husband was rooted to the spot - I told him, 'Let's get going!'"

Mr Devauchelle said he struggled to release the car door and free the unconscious woman from her seatbelt, but managed to pull her to the bank and put her in the recovery position.

Acknowledging the rescue, the prefect of the Picardy region and Somme, Michel Delpuech, "awarded this man the silver medal of bravery and dedication," the prefecture said in a statement.

The capital of the Somme department in Picardy, Amiens is 120km (75 miles) north of Paris.

dailymirror.lk

Severe winter weather continued to cause transport chaos across EU ,while days of heavy snow and plummeting temperatures plunged EU into deep freeze!

Arctic blast sends temperatures plunging across Europe Friday,
08 January 2010 18:12

London, England (CNN) -- Severe winter weather continued to cause transport chaos across much of the UK Thursday, while days of heavy snow and plummeting temperatures plunged Europe into a deep freeze.

More than 100 flights have been canceled at London's Gatwick airport and British Airways warned of lengthy delays at both Gatwick and Heathrow.

A Eurostar train from Brussels to London was delayed in the Channel Tunnel, but a spokesman could not confirm if it was because of the weather.

Last month, thousands of Eurostar passengers were left stranded on either side of the English Channel after services were suspended following a series of train breakdowns.

Meanwhile, motorists across Britain were also dealing with lengthy delays, closed motorways and hundreds of accidents because of heavy snow and icy conditions.

The Automobile Association reported a dramatic increase in the number of emergency calls because of the severe weather.

"Yesterday we had more than 16,000 breakdowns which was nearly double a normal Wednesday," AA spokesman Peter Barnao told CNN.

As parts of the UK were digging out from as much as 40cm of snow, much of the country shivered under a blast of arctic air that saw temperatures plunge to -18 degrees Celsius in some areas overnight.

The Met Office warned that icy conditions would continue over the next few days and that exceptionally low temperatures would cause widespread ice and transport disruptions.

The rest of northern Europe was also gripped by one of the coldest nights in decades as temperatures plummeted to below -40C in some places.

The central Norwegian town of Roeros recorded an overnight temperature of -41C -- one its coldest recorded temperatures.

In Poland, freezing conditions claimed more lives as the death toll climbed to more than 120 people, according to a spokesman for the Polish National Police. Overnight temperatures dropped as low as -20C.

Germany continued to deal with heavy snowfall and temperatures were as low as -20C in some areas.

The latest Arctic blast is set to continue over much of northern Europe over the next few days.

dailymirror.lk

One third of all pregnancies in Sri Lanka end in abortion, with an estimated 600 to 700 abortions carried throughout the country daily...!!!

A shocking 700 abortions a day in Lanka
Dulshani GUNAWARDENA

Approximately one third of all pregnancies in Sri Lanka end in abortion, with an estimated 600 to 700 abortions carried throughout the country daily.

Addressing the joint commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the 40th Anniversary of the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), UNPF Representative for Sri Lanka, Lene K. Christiansen, said while the population trends in Sri Lanka were mainly positive, abortion is an area holding major concerns.

Abortion being illegal in Sri Lanka, hard data is unavailable. However according to a report released at this occasion, studies reveal that the majority of abortions were among married semi-urban and urban women of the ages of 25 to 39, with two or more children.


dailynews.lk

VAW: all forms and acts( verbal, non verbal, physical, sexual, psychological, social, cultural and political) which violate the rights to life...!!!!

Break the silence...

Sumana (her name has been changed to maintain confidentiality) who had been married for the past eight years was facing severe marital problems due to her husband’s addiction to drugs. In addition to this he also suspected her of having an extra marital affair and she was mercilessly beaten up on several occasions.

One day while she was washing clothes he threw a white substance at her from a bottle. She felt a burning liquid running down her neck to her chest. Little did she realize that he had thrown acid at her. She was rushed to the hospital by her neighbors where she was warded for three months where the doctors performed several skin grafts. Meanwhile, her husband who was taken into custody was granted bail within two weeks. After returning from the hospital Sumana decided to stay with her mother in Dambulla. Her husband came to her mother’s home and forcibly brought Sumana to Colombo and started battering her again...

Sumana is not alone...this is not the story of one woman....but of many like her, who suffer in silence

What is violence against women?

The scope of violence against women (VAW) includes all forms and acts whether verbal, non verbal, physical, sexual, psychological, social, cultural and political, which violate the right to life, liberty, dignity, equality and bodily integrity of women and girls.

Most women have become used to tolerating violence due to the prevailing social system within our country. They prefer to endure the violence and do not come forward to find ways and means to minimize it, as they believe that taking action could destroy the family foundation and would be deemed as being disloyal towards the family. However, this behaviour ironically erodes the strong foundation of the family unit, as it negatively affects a woman’s mental, physical well being and affects her relationship with her children and everyone else around her. There are quite a few instances where the acceptance of this behaviour results in irreparable physical damage or even death.

While the term "gender-based violence" includes violence against women and men, most of the victims are women. This is a reality, not only in Sri Lanka, but in many parts of the world. In Sri Lanka the most prevalent types of violence against women are rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, forced prostitution and trafficking. These crimes are not particular to a certain region, but are widespread and cut across class, race, religion, ethnicity, etc. In many cases these violations are hidden, this is especially true of domestic violence, which according to the UN Rapporteur on Violence against Women is reported to have been experienced by 60% of the Sri Lankan women (Wijayatilake, K., 2004, Study on Sexual and Gender Based Violence in selected locations in Sri Lanka, Colombo: CENWOR and UNHCR).

Official records reflect that the levels of violence against women has consistently risen, particularly over the past two decades. Whether this is due to increased reporting or to an increase in the crimes themselves has not been established, but it is probably a combination of the two factors. Service providers to survivors of domestic violence have alarmingly observed that the types of violence are becoming more brutal.

16 days activism against gender-based violence

The efforts of several agencies working together to end violence against women has enabled women to break the silence and access services and resources that could enable them to live a life free from violence. One such national effort, "the Forum against Gender-based Violence", was set up in 2005 in order to facilitate greater coordination, understanding and sharing of information and resources and strengthen multi-sectoral responses to GBV and includes local NGOs, International NGOs, UN agencies, donor agencies and Government representation. The Forum seeks to create public awareness and advocate on the issue of GBV specifically during the 16 days of Activism against gender-based Violence which begins on 25th November, the UN designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and ends on 10th December which is International Human Rights Day. This year, the forum’s theme is : We CAN end violence against women: Commit – Act - Demand

The light at the end of the tunnel

An important step in the right direction was taken in 2005 when the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act was passed. The act provides victims with recourse to protection orders against those who mete out violence to them within the household. Recourse is also available to women within relationships to those who are married and to even children living at home. Other legislation such as the Penal code and the Torture Act also provide relief for women who face violence not only at home but within society including the workplace in the form of sexual harassment.

Women can seek free support and care from Women and Children’s desks that have been established at police stations across the island and from other service providers, such as Women in Need (WIN) and Women’s Development Centre (WDC). These organizations provide counselling, legal support and shelters for those experiencing domestic violence, or any form of violence. The bottom line however is that it is up to the individual to seek help for themselves.

Fortunately, Sumana’s story does end with hope. After deciding enough was enough, Sumana reached out to WIN to obtain relief for the constant abuse she was facing. She is at present living at the WIN shelter receiving counselling from the WIN counsellors. The WIN lawyers are also preparing papers under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act to obtain a protection order from Court. Sumana now has hope of living a life free of violence and humiliation.

Violence against women can be reduced significantly if victims and society take a strong stand against it.

We CAN end violence against women: Commit – Act - Demand

24 Hour Helpline : 011 4718585

Kamani Jinadasa,

Facilitator- Forum against gender-based violence,

UNFPA

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