Sunday Times 2
Protecting Galle’s natural beauty
On the road leading up to Galle Prison was an enthusiastic procession of schoolchildren and police personnel handing out leaflets and waving banners as they made their way to the unveiling of the vibrant mural that stretches across the main wall of the entrance to the Prison on Tuesday.
Bec Lyon. Pix by Athula Dewapriya
Organised by Serendipity Trust (Guarantee) Ltd, Department of Prisons (Galle) and Rose Robin (Painting Pirates Club), the Oceanic Conservation Mural (OCM) Project took place over the course of three weeks, before culminating on December 1.
Speaking at the opening programme, Minister of Home Affairs Vajira Abeywardane emphasised the need to protect Galle’s natural beauty. “Even though Galle is considered a wonder of the world there are many unwanted things happening here.” November 28 and 29 found the inmates from the Galle and Boosa Prisons along with Prison staff and representatives from the Serendipity Trust participating in beach cleanups from Unawatuna to Dadalla. The effort has inspired regular beach cleanup events that allow the community to participate in as well.
Since late October Rose Abeywickrama, known as ‘the Painting Pirate’ found herself spending her mornings and afternoons decked in a sunhat, painstakingly painting her way across the Prison walls.
The Welsh-born mural artist now calls Sri Lanka her home. Her murals too have found permanent dwellings at the Jaffna Railway Station, Karapitiya Hospital Children’sWard and Lyceum International School. Her love for marine life and the sea are splashed across the Prison walls which also tie with the objective of the Oceanic Conservation Awareness Mural Project. Funded by the Serendipity Trust, it reflects the NGO’s activities which include organising community development projects in the Southern Province and regular events and participation opportunities for children, such as the Galle Children’s Festival.
Students unveiling the vibrant mural
