A sale of crafts by the Lanka Mahila Samithi will be held tomorrow at their new craft shop at 390, Thimbirigasyaya Road, Colombo 5. The craft shop at Liberty Plaza has now been amalgamated with the Thimbirigasyaya centre, which is also their head office.
An attractive display of crafts all turned out by the rural womenfolk in several districts of the island is seen at the craft shop. The items include wood products, clayware, Batiks, children's smocked dresses, Beeralu lace from Galle, lace tablecloths and basketware.
The Lanka Mahila Samithi was first established 79 years ago, by Dr. Mary Ratnam, for the purpose of empowering rural women to make a living in various fields. The Samithi now has a training centre at Malabe, where courses are conducted for the women in a variety of crafts.
They are also given a training in marketing and management of finances.
The products made by these rural women are marketed by the Mahila Samithi in their craft shop, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and up to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
ACWBC Avurudu Pola today
All Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress is organizing a New Year Pola to be held today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Congress premises at 400 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.
This is a fund-raiser for the several charity projects the ACWBC has been running for many years such as the Elders' Home, Hospice and special facilities for Differently Abled Children as well as for the planned construction of a special building to be named "2600 Sri Sambuddhattva Jayanthi Building".
Well-wishers are requested to donate goods of any kind to be sold at the Pola.
All are welcome.
At ninety she looks a sprightly seventy
Tribute to Somalene Maya Cooray (Dixie)
Dixie Cooray will reach the tender age of ninety years on April 5 (Tuesday). Amma was the fourth in a family of eight. The surviving family members are Pearly, Greta and Sanghamitta.
I met Amma first in Galle in 1962. She was at a poker table with her husband Dr. Vincent Cooray at the Galle Services Club. Apart from being a live wire at the Club, Amma was an energetic fund raiser for the Sacred Heart Convent, Galle. She excelled in conducting games of chance such as Crown & Anchor and Bingo.
In 1965, Amma moved into her own house in Hendala. This was the era of bans. Foreign liquor was hard to come by. To help her friends to quench their thirst, she ran a successful boot legging operation! I must hastily add that this was a non-profit making venture.
Amma brought up four children. The eldest happens to be my wife. The eldest son Jayantha is a family health practitioner in Tissamaharama. The second son Prasanna is an accountant in Canada. The third son, late Samitha too was an accountant.
Amma has
Cuddled,
Cosseted,
Fed,
Bathed, and
Potty trained all her children, grandchildren and great grand children.
While bottle feeding, Amma would croon over the baby and even squeeze the bottle. Recalcitrant sleepers were rocked sideways with a vertical vector motion, so that the poor blighter went to sleep to prevent damage to his/her vestibular apparatus. Being rocked to sleep by her was like being on a roller-coaster.
During the latter years Amma lost her husband, her favourite grand daughter Ruwani and her own youngest son Samitha. With courage she has overcome these setbacks.
Amma at ninety looks a sprightly seventy and has a razor sharp mind. In her hey-day she has brokered several marriages (again, a non profit making service)
Amma lives alone in Hendala, in her own home and has steadfastly refused to move into one of the children's homes.
We earnestly hope that God would bless Amma with a life free of pain and suffering in her autumn years.
Reggie
At a glance
Please help these poor patients
Kidney disease is spreading rapidly across the country, and indeed across the world. In Sri Lanka, 8 out of 10 patients with chronic kidney failure die for lack of resources or a related donor.
Currently there are five young patients in the ages of 5, 12, 16, 20 & 22 years in the hospitals of Maligawatte, Peradeniya, and Kandy who are desperately in need of Donors with the Blood groups of O, A & B +/-, to undergo a transplant.
The Kidney Transplant Support Foundation urgently appeals to the public to step forward and be part of the 'National Organ Donor Programme' established and run in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, and be a "live" Kidney Donor to save the lives of these poor patients.
Please note that these donations need to be meritorious deeds, sans any conditions.
Contact Tel. Nos: 011-2824373 or 011-5553890 (during office hours only).
A rocking Avurudu party
A 'Hot Hot Avurudu Party' on Saturday, April 9 from 7 p.m. onwards will be presented by the Grand Oriental Hotel at the Harbour Room in association with the Ballroom Dancers Federation.
There will be special dance acts by top Latin & Belly dancers from overseas at this dinner dance. For reservations please contact - 0777164049 or the Grand Oriental Hotel on 011 2320320.
Don’t miss Sargent’s Nandamma
The Sri Lanka Police Seva Vanitha Unit, presents Sandro Haris’s comedy “Sargent’s Nandamma” (Sargent’s Mother-in-Law) on April 10 at the Bishop’s College auditorium at 3.30 and 6.30 p.m. Proceeds will be in aid of the refurbisning of the Inspector’s wards at the Police Hospital.
Farewll to Lankan Ambassador in Italy
The Italian Foreign Ministry hosted Sri Lankan Ambassador Hemantha Warnakulasuriya to a farewell lunch on March 30 at the exclusive club of the Italian Foreign Ministry, hosted by Under Secretary to the Italian Foreign Minister Stefania Craxi. It was attended by the Director General of the Asia Desk, Ambassador Andrea Perugini, and other important diplomatic members of staff of the Asia Desk, together with the Ambassadors of the ESCAP Group.
At the farewell, Ms. Craxi said that 'despite the difficulties in the transition period and thanks to your personal efforts, the level of dialogue and friendship between Rome and Colombo has increased in intensity and depth.' She noted her "personal satisfaction for an important achievement which concludes this period of proficient collaboration with the Ambassador: it is thanks to his determination and efforts that we are finalizing a bilateral Agreement for the conversion of driving licences.”
Ambassador Warnakulasuriya in reply was appreciative of the Italian government's assistance during the tsunami and recent floods. "The labour agreement, with which Sri Lankan skilled workers could come to Italy, is also under consideration," he added.
Passion of Christ at Bethel Chapel
In His Footsteps – A Choral & Drama presentation by the Bethel Chapel Choir on the Passion of Christ, will be held on Friday April 8 at 6:30 pm.
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