Dengue on the rise: Clean up your backyard!

These days, many HELP members and the two Sathkara children’s societies in Millaniya and Horana are actively involved in a ‘dengue raid’ to stop the spread of this mosquito-borne virus. The mosquito breeding period is highest in the rainy months from April to September. Dengue is on the rise, according to the health authorities in Sri Lanka. During the last five months, over 127 persons have died of dengue. Over 9,000 persons have been affected with dengue fever so far. (Source: Daily News.) Kandy, Colombo, Gampaha, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Kalutara, Matale, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Hambantota, Ratnapura and Matara have been identified as the highest-risk districts.

Dengue is transmitted by the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti, a daytime biter and the primary vector. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, can also infect humans. The surest preventive action is to eliminate all potential mosquito breeding sites. Water typically collects and stagnates in discarded rubber tyres, plastic containers, coconut shells, blocked gutters, bird baths, foliage, and flower pots. Mosquito bites can be avoided with the use of mosquite repellents, mosquito coils, nets, ointments and protective clothing.

In this waste collection campaign, HELP is cooperating with local Ministry of Health officers and local schools.

The Norwegian medical student Reve has studied the dengue epidemic in Sri Lanka. Her thesis (Norwegian) can be read here: http://www.ub.uit.no/munin/bitstream/10037/875/1/student.pdf.

World Environment Day: Your Planet Needs You!

On Friday 5 June, members of HELP planted Naa and Kohomba tree seedlings in Horana to commemorate the World Environment Day. This year’s theme is 'Your Planet Needs You - Unite To Combat Climate Change', which is the global theme chosen for 2009 World Environment Day by the UN Environment Program (UNEP). By planting trees, HELP also marked the onset of the Seven Billion Tree Campaign: - Together, let’s plant 7 billion trees by the end of 2009!

HELP encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment:
The Naa tree (Mesua nagasarium) is the national tree of Sri Lanka, commonly found in the 30 m high canopy of the lowland rain forest. The flowers with anthers are used internally in traditional medicine as an astringent and stomach. A paste made of the flowers is applied to bleeding piles, or burning of the feet; the same mixed with clarified butter washed a hundred times is said to be a most useful remedy for burning of the feet.

The Kohomba tree (Azadirachta indica) is indigenous to Sri Lanka and the dry forest areas of South East Asia including India, Pakistan, Thailand Malaysia and Indonesia. It grows almost anywhere in the lowland tropics up to an altitude of about 1500 meters. It can withstand severe droughts and has a strong root system that can extract nutrients and moisture from poor soils. The tree can grow up to 20 meters. It has been held in high esteem because of its medicinal and insecticide properties. It is a tree our ancestors planted near their houses. In India, rural people today call this tree their “village pharmacy”. It has been an indispensable part of our home remedies for ages:
- Chewing 8 – 10 leaves early in the morning for twenty-four days protects the body from diseases like diabetes and hypertension. The body is also said to become immune to skin problems by this medication.
- From time immemorial Kohomba twigs have been used as a toothbrush. One end of the twig is chewed so that the fibers of the twig can be used as a brush.
- A mixture of powdered seeds, rock salt and alum in equal quantities by weight is effective as a tooth powder.

Sri Lanka: Now, to win peace!

Vi er mange som har fulgt den siste fasen i krigen med fortvilelse og håp. Nå er krigen over, i alle fall den 25 år lange borgerkrigen slik vi har kjent den. Men mange problemer er uløste, og singalesere, tamiler og muslimer må sammen vinne freden med politiske midler. Behovet for dialog er stort.

2008 ble et ekstremt vanskelig år for øyfolket: Krigen raste i Øst og Nord. De tre store, globale krisene – også kalt for en stille tsunami – slo inn med full tyngde: Energikrisen, finanskrisen, og matkrisen. De høye drivstoffkostnadene tidlig i 2008 gjorde at mange skoler vurderte å stenge en dag i uka, for å spare utgiftene til busstransport. Teproduksjonen til en halv million småbønder falt med 50 % i 2008. Hovedårsaken var høyere produksjonskostnader, særlig utgiftene til handelsgjødsel. Myndighetene kuttet alle subsidier p.g.a. krigen. Også kanel- og gummidyrkerne ble rammet hardt, grunnet fallende etterspørsel i eksportmarkedene. Det samme gjaldt turismen. Og hvis dere fortsatt husker dét: De internasjonale matvareprisene steg meget kraftig, noe som både skyldtes høyere energikostnader (drivstoff og gjødsel), høyere etterspørsel etter kraftfôr og kjøtt i Kina og India, biobrensel-konkurranse om dyrkingsarealer, samt avlingssvikt i bl.a. Australia og det sørlige Afrika. Markedsprisen på ris ble doblet på ett år; brødprisene økte enda mer. (Noen som kanskje husker dagligvarekjeden Rema1000 som begynte å hamstre ris i april 2008?)

Kriseåret 2008 er historie, og krigen i Sri Lanka er slutt. Men de grunnleggende problemene består. En global økonomi får brutale konsekvenser lokalt i fattige land. Krisene påvirker hverandre. Og i bakgrunnen spøker den neste: Klimakrisen. Noen mener klima-endringene allerede er sosialøkonomiske realiteter i den forstand at de påvirker folks framtidstro og forventninger og dermed utviklingen i verdens finans-, energi- og matvaremarkeder.

For HELP har naturligvis de store vanskelighetene i 2008 preget aktiviteten. Organisasjonen har konsentrert seg om lokalsaker, som miljøvern og kulturskole. Folkehøgskole-tanken er fortsatt levende, men mangler en skandinavisk samarbeidspartner.
A.T.