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Model to bridge the food gap with organic home gardens – A school in Godagama sets an example

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Organic Gardening has become a part of the school culture of the Godegama Subharathi Maha Vidyalaya. The School Home Garden Program has brought with it a contented mind and the produce contributes to a healthy diet.

The Students of the School do not take the food they eat for granted. They are not taken as a matter of course. Seeds have to be collected and tended in Nurseries. The small plants have to be cared for and protected from predators and weeds. The plants have to have organic nutrients and water. Transplanting has to be carefully done and the plants nurtured to grow up and blossom and be ready for Harvesting. Then the Home Science Teachers will work with students on preparing the nutritious meals.

As the project expands, the idea is to make the Home Garden advance to Market Gardening in the surrounding villages, which will involve training in marketing the produce. This will be looked at, by the students doing A Level Commerce.

Distributing plants to be grown in the homes of the students

Over time, home gardening will be incorporated into subjects like Biology so that those subjects will get a new dimension and acquire a new life. The Home Garden will be the Laboratory without any extra cost to the school.

The Subharathi Maha Vidyalaya Home Garden program has been working from its inception with Nest, a Community based organization in Mental Health. Home Gardens and Organic Agriculture are an integral part of School initiative.

This program started in November 2022. The aim of was to create an organic garden in the College premises and then to create 150 gardens in the homes of the students.The first phase was to conduct a training program on organic gardening for fifty students studying agriculture as a subject in the school.

The Home Garden at the school experimented with the “Isuru” variety of Kiri Ala developed by the Department of Agriculture. High quality seedlings from a nursery in Kandy approved by the Department of Agriculture was procured for this purpose. The special feature of this improved variety is that more yields can be obtained in less time and It is also easy to maintain.

Suitable soil for this purpose from the college garden was of great importance. For a start, enriched soil was brought from outside. Coir and Dahaiya were added to the soil making it suitable for yam cultivation. The environmentally friendly the grow bags were filled with soil and coconut husks. All these activities were done in a manner that students were drawn into preparing the bags, thereby gaining practical experience. The parents were involved in preparing the soil.

Food and nutrition crisis in the country has made planting yams vital to supplement the vegetables plots in the gardens. Yams acts as substitute for wheat flour and rice. A crop of 400 kg is expected from the first lot of 70 plants which are being grown.



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Camaraderie,reflection and achievements

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Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka

The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future

The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion

A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.

Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.

Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.

He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.

The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.

Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .

The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)

Pix by Thushara Attapathu

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He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.

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Sri Gurudev was in Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Prime Minister Dinesh Gunewardene

Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka

Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.

Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.

The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.

In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.

His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.

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Bridal shows with opulence and luxury at The Epitome hotel in Kurunegala

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by Zanita Careem

Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.

The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.

It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.

From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds

were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka

These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel

Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera

The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding

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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .

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