Sri Lankan Army provides opportunities for children of the Eastern Province

Sri Lankan Army provides opportunities for children of the Eastern Province

Despite the military operations underway in the North and the need to keep the hard won peace in the East, the Sri Lankan Army often finds time for other activities of benefit to the people. These include everything from sports festivals and cultural shows to trade fairs and industrial exhibitions. One regular programme includes the organisation of trips to Colombo for schoolchildren from the East.

More than 1,300 children from 26 schools participated during 2007 and 2008, and the Army hopes to continue its work in 2009 and beyond. They include Tamil, Sinhala and English medium students, providing an opportunity for all ethnicities to mingle together and learn from experience the lessons of harmonious coexistence.

The trips are educational as well as enjoyable, because for most of the children it is the first time they are embarking on such a long journey and the first time they are visiting the city. It is a new and well deserved experience after suffering from the impact of decades of war in the East.

Dehiwela Zoo, Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, State Museum, Lake House, Milco Institute, Planetarium, Government Department of Information and Leisure World are amongst the places generally visited. Groups of 60 students come with teachers and parents, and they stay in Colombo for three days. Even the adults enjoy themselves, with many of them also visiting the city for the first time.

Thanks to the Sri Lankan Army, the children have the opportunity to learn that there is a world beyond conflict and that people from all communities can live together in peace and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Courtesy: Policy Unit - Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP)