In 2019, the Youth Wing built on the enormous success of the programme in 2018, expanding its initiative to work with forty (40) schools in the Northern Province, Central Province and Western Province. The main project of the Youth Wing is the ‘Education for Conservation’ programme which consists of an awareness raising lecture that covers topical issues such as Climate Change, marine pollution, deforestation and Sri Lanka as a biodiversity hotspot. In areas prone to human wildlife incidents such as Hatton, the children were engaged on the need for human-leopard co-existence and similarly in the Wasgomuwa region human-elephant co-existence was discussed, to encourage the protection and conservation of these iconic species.

Following the lecture, participating students are placed in breakout groups to critically think of ways to integrate positive change within their schools and communities. During this group activity, students of the 2019 schools suggested a wide array of initiatives ranging from the segregation of waste at home and school to starting a large-scale petition to be given to the government to address the issues surrounding the unethical dumping of garbage.

Field trips to the Wilpattu, Horton Plains and Wasgomuwa National Parks were made, which gave the children an opportunity to experience Sri Lanka’s wildlife first hand, bringing to reality the life forms spoken and presented about at the seminars.

Following the completion of the field trips, the schools received special ‘elephant dung paper’ and were asked to nominate a team of five (5) students to create posters that told a story under the theme of ‘Conservation and Development’. The second edition of ‘Colouring Our Future’ concluded with four regional poster competitions held in the Jaffna, Gampaha, Hatton and Wasgomuwa – with 20 schools selected from these to participate at the All Island Poster Competition which was held in Colombo on the 3rd of November 2019.

YOUTH WING SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT COMMITTEEZaineb Akbarally – Chair from May 2019, Jehan CanagaRetna - Chair up to May 2019, Avijja Fonseka, Ranjan Josiah

Co-opted: Sangharshanaa Ainkaran, Nadiya Azmy, Darrel Bartholomeusz, Gajani Baskaran, Mishal Benjamin, Sarah Benjamin, Mandi Daluwatta, Mega Ganeshan, Shyan Gershon, Chethana Gomez, Buminda Jayasuriya, Karthika Jeganathan, Dhulanjalieeh Joseph, Daniella Kern, Shailajaha Kumaresan, Himayande Loganathan, Shontaal Manuelpillai, Upekshi Perera, Parami Peiris, Amaya Pieris, Lahiru Rajapakse, Piyumani Ranasinghe, Vinhara Randeny, Suren Thambirajah, Ananda Welikala, Ashan Wijetilleke, Rishan Yaheya, Ashinsa de Silva Wijeyeratne, Sayuri Yahampath

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At the regional and all island poster competitions, participating schools had to also verbally present their work – this activity allowed for the children to express the inspiration behind their artwork whilst also developing the important skill of presenting information to an audience.

Annaikoddai RCTMS from Jaffna were adjudged ‘Winners’ based on their excellent poster presentation which was on the thematic area of fostering human-elephant coexistence. First and second runners up were awarded to Chavakachcheri Ladies College, Jaffna and Puthukulam Maha Vidyalayam, Vavuniya respectively.

In addition, the Youth Wing reached out to schools that participated in the 2018 programme, requesting them to submit a report on an environmental project the school had implemented in the past year. The schools that participated are Dharmaloka Vidyala Monragala Udawalawe, Giribawa Maha Vidyalaya, Habaraluwewa Maha Vidaylaya, Vidyartha Maha Vidyalaya Tisssamaharama, and Vidyartha Maha Vidyalaya Pahala Maragaha wewa. Vidyartha Maha Vidyalaya, from Tissamaharamaya, near Yala, was judged winners for having carried out a fantastic project to better manage solid waste within their school premises.

The schools that received places in all competitions were gifted a television for school use.

DISTRICTS COVERED IN 2019Gampaha, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Matale, Mullaitivu, Nuwera Eliya, Vavuniya

NATIONAL PARKS VISITED IN 2019Horton PlainsWasgomuwaWilpattu

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LIST OF SCHOOLS ENGAGED WITH BY YOUTH WING IN 2019

District Name of School

Gampaha Thakshila College, Bandawatta Parackrama College, Holy Cross College

Hatton Kuilwatte TMV - Rozella, Kadawala Vigneswara College - Ginigathhena, Shannon TMV - Hatton, Fruithill TV - Hatton, Ganesha TMV - Rozella, Watawala TMV - Watawala, Ganesha TMV – Rozella, Dickoya Fine Arts College - Dickoya, Abbotsleigh TV – Hatton

Jaffna J/Yarlton College, T/Karanaigar Hindu College, Jaffna Central College, J/Kokuvil Hindu College, Chundikuli Girls School, J/Hartley College, J/Navatkuli Maha Vidyalayam, J/Puttur Sri Somaskantha College, J/Kaithady Nuffield Deaf and Blind School, J/Anaikottai RCTMS, J/Chavakachcheri Ladies College, Madduvil Kamalasany Vidyalayam, J/Methodist Girls High School, Angel International School

Killinochchi Kn/Veravil Hindu College, Kn/Vivekananda Vidyalayam, Kn/Murugananda College

Mullaitivu Mu/Visvamadu MV, Mu/Puthukkudiyiruppu Central College, Mu/Mullaitivu MV

Vavuniya V/Omanthai Central College, V/Puthukulam MV, V/Vavuniya Tamil MV, V/Nelukkulam Kalaimagal MV, V/Saivapragasa Ladies College

Wasgomuwa Maraka Maha Vidyalaya, Naminioya Central College, Handunugama Maha Vidyalaya, Weheragalayaya Primary School

The programme during the year was conducted in the three languages of English, Sinhala and Tamil depending on the region and demographic participating in the programme. In total, 2034 children were engaged through the lectures and 441 children participated in field trips to national parks in the year 2019. The Youth Wing has grown into a dynamic, youthful and vibrant arm of the society that is successfully engaging with youth from all across the island to inspire a new generation of environmentally conscious leadership in Sri Lanka.

We are incredibly grateful to NDB bank, our exclusive financial partner for this ‘Education for Conservation’ project of the Youth Wing. With the support of NDB Bank, in the past two years, the Youth Wing has now engaged with 58 schools from all across the island.

A special thanks also to Elephant Maximus and Mr. Thusitha Ranasinghe (Chairperson) for donating the elephant dung paper yet again in 2019 for the final poster competition.

We have also further joined hands with NDB bank to continue the programme in 2020, with a twofold vision of a.) Engaging and bringing into the fold of the Youth Wing thirty- five (35) new schools from the North-western, Northern, Eastern and Southern Provinces. b.) Initiating environmental projects within schools already engaged with in the Youth Wing programmes to ensure the ethos of sustainability is developed into action within school and community level environments. For this NDB has agreed to a sponsorship value of Rs. 4.5m in 2020.

44158CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN FIELD TRIPS

SCHOOLS ENGAGEDISLANDWIDE IN 2019

35 NEW SCHOOLS PLANNED IN 2020

2034CHILDREN REACHED VIA LECTURES

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