Sri Lanka’s forest cover has largely disappeared in a very short time. In episode 7 of Strong Foundations, Sade Greenwood unravels the biggest threats to our forest habitats and a vital effort to conserve and repopulate them.
From child marriage under Muslim personal law to property rights challenges under Thesawalamai law, Sri Lankan women are caught in a battle for equal rights – and the need for reform is clear. We sat down with Shreen Saroor, founder of the Women’s Action Network, to discuss the hurdles and the hopes tied to the National Action Plan on Women, ...
In 2017, a mandatory quota was introduced to ensure that, by law, local governments must comprise at least 25% women. Seven years later, has this really changed power dynamics, women’s representation, and recognition in politics? We sat down with Jeevanee Kariyawasam and Bisliya Bhutto to answer two pressing questions: what’s holding back women in politics, and will the National Action ...
Without youth leaders who are empowered and educated, meaningful change in social cohesion, political representation, and development will remain a far off dream.Here’s how one transformative project is bridging the gap.
Are you familiar with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda? This year, Sri Lanka adopted its first ever National Action Plan (NAP), with a strong focus on Women, Peace and Security. This roadmap shows real promise in creating a conducive environment for gender equality, lasting peace, and the security of women. We sat down with Ramaaya Salgado and Esther Hoole, ...
In Sri Lanka’s tea industry, estate workers face significant housing struggles. This year’s ‘Co-Creating a Family-Friendly Tea Industry Conference’, hosted by @childrightsbiz and @savethechildren, sparked vital discussions on land rights and housing. Through collaborative efforts and diverse solutions, key industry stakeholders are aiming to create a better future for every worker. #SriLanka #LandRights #HousingRights #TeaEstateWorkers ...
In Sri Lanka’s tea industry, estate workers face significant housing struggles. This year’s ‘Co-Creating a Family-Friendly Tea Industry Conference’, hosted by @childrightsbiz and @savethechildren, sparked vital discussions on land rights and housing. Through collaborative efforts and diverse solutions, key industry stakeholders are aiming to create a better future for every worker. #SriLanka #LandRights #HousingRights #TeaEstateWorkers ...
Meet Kanthi, one of the few active fisherwomen working in one region of Sri Lanka’s biggest fishing districts. A widow, mother, and grandmother, Kanthi works two jobs to support her family. When the economic crisis hit the country, her livelihood nearly vanished. We visited her home in Palaviya, Puttalam, shadowing her as she set out on the lagoon to fish ...
Meet Kanthi, one of the few active fisherwomen working in one region of Sri Lanka’s biggest fishing districts. A widow, mother, and grandmother, Kanthi works two jobs to support her family. When the economic crisis hit the country, her livelihood nearly vanished. We visited her home in Palaviya, Puttalam, shadowing her as she set out on the lagoon to fish ...
These days, staying indoors sounds like a great idea, particularly when it’s a dizzying 32°C outside and, as always, the air is polluted with the greenhouse gas emissions of city traffic, buildings, and burning waste. But, as you beat the heat in the comfort of your living room or your air-conditioned workspace, do you have the consolation of knowing the ...
Does cooking for Ammi, right under her watchful eye, sound terrifying? We invited three brave people to take up the challenge. Here’s what happened. #MothersDay2023
Dr. Punyasiri Warusawithana’s fascination with Vesak pandols began when he was a child growing up in Ambalangoda. However, his dream of becoming a doctor outweighed the need to build pandols, leading him study medicine and completing his training abroad. On his return to Sri Lanka, he pursued a career as an anesthesiologist but still held a passion for Vesak pandol-making. ...
Prayers before iftar, the meal taken at sundown to break the daily fast during Ramadan. Seen at the Galle Face Green on 9 April. Breaking the fast. Seen at the Hussaini Masjid, the Dawoodi Bohra mosque in Bambalapitiya. Devotees praying at the mosque on the night of Laylat-al-Qadr. According to Islamic belief, this is the night when the Quran was ...
Khalid Oshman (38) lost his eyesight 12 years ago. “I had hit rock bottom and didn’t know what to do with my life. I had suicidal thoughts and almost attempted to end my life,” he said. However, it was his cousin, Siddiq Ahmed, who motivated him. “He told me that I could live a normal life despite my disability. He ...
From the icky kola kandha that our mothers painstakingly made for breakfast sometimes, to the bitter koththamalli or pas panguwa they made whenever we were sneezing or coughing, Sri Lankan households have hardly ever been short of a herbal remedy that could keep the common cold or cough — and sometimes even worse symptoms — at bay. Here is a ...
If there’s anything the recent heat has taught us, it’s that Sri Lanka has an abundance of sunshine. Climate change is upon us, but, for Sri Lanka, there could be an opportunity here. Can sunlight potentially help us say goodbye to power cuts and our energy insecurity, forever? Here’s what Solar Energy Specialist Kushan Jayasuriya has to say.
