Sri Lanka

   OISCA Sri Lanka, in order to help children who are unable to carry out their study as they wish due to the prolonged Corona pandemic, is making and providing teaching materials for home study targeting 18 schools participating the Children’s Forest Program (CFP).

   In the country, schools closure and reduction of face-to-face lessons due to the spread of Corona virus infection have had a major impact on projects such as the inability to carry out CFP activities such as tree planting and environment seminars as planned. So they decided to support vegetable cultivation that children can do at home and also to provide assistance in solving the problems facing schools. When conducted a survey on needs at school, it was found out that there is an increasing number of children and students who are worried about delay in learning because they are forced to self-study at home due to frequent school closure and shortened classes and that teachers also have difficulty in teaching and responding. 

In March and April, they distributed to 1,425 students from 16 schools teaching materials for home study compiled in cooperation with the teachers. It is scheduled to deliver after June to 2 schools where the distribution was postponed due to tightening of movement restrictions. They donated the teaching materials and also alcohol for hand disinfection so that the children can learn with peace of mind.

While a large-scale event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the OISCA’s founding is not possible, OISCA Sri Lanka is planning to conduct as an alternative initiative commemorative tree planting in each area. On April 1, they held tree planting in Kurnegala District as a start of the event. Even under the Corona pandemic, tree planting activities are continuously carried out with enlightenment of local residents,

 From January 23 to 26, OISCA held in Sri Lanka workshops at schools participating in the Children’s Forest Program (CFP) and seminars for leaders by dispatching Ms. Mayumi Sakamoto, a Japanese expert in environmental education. In Sri Lanka where there have been increasing natural disasters and loss of biodiversity, although public awareness of problems is rising, there is a lack of opportunities for environmental education and teaching materials, and CFP schools consulted OISCA on how to teach children.

 Therefore, OISCA organized workshops at two schools to start with SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) for encouraging children’s proactive learning. On January 25, a seminar was conducted with the participation of 40 teachers and CFP coordinators such as school principals, teachers in charge and relevant town hall officials for identifying community issues and sharing required activities and points to be overcome. The participants exchanged opinions on methods in which children can practice with fun focusing on garbage management and sustainable agriculture. They will gather again in a near future to discuss specific ways of cooperation. Thus, there was marked improvement of their motivation, and it is expected to level up activities through further strengthening horizontal connections. 

The Green Wave is a global diversity campaign to educate children and youth about the diversity which OISCA has participated since 2008.

The Green Wave campaign carried out worldwide on and around May 22th which is designated as the International day for Biological diversity. OISCA also carried out various activities not only domestic but also international, mainly with CFP participating schools.

In Hong Kong, the OISCA Hong Kong Chapter held “building squares of TSUMIKI: Wood blocks”※ on March 21st 2019.

A total of 55 kinder garden children and teachers took part in building squares of TSUMIKI. They made artworks by using 3 kinds of wood blocks. 

At the end, they made a big town by gathering their respective artworks. After that, they watched the Kamishibai (story telling with pictures) which tells the importance of forest. They intently listened to the story narrated by the speaker and learned about the importance of appropriate forest management.

In Hong Kong’s urban area where the population is concentrated, children have no opportunity to spending time with natural environment. Therefore, through this experience, they have been able to know the importance and blessing of forest.

In Japan, we carried out tree planting and silvicultural activity in various places.

In Yamanashi Prefecture, OISCA held a planting event on June 5 which was designated as the “Environment Day” by the United Nations.

Employees of OISCA supporting companies and staff of the Indian Embassy and local elementary school children planted trees on Environment Day in Mt. Fuji. Mt. Fuji was added to the World Cultural Heritage list in 2013 but a part of forest had lost ecosystem due to insect damage. They mended some nets which protect seedlings from the damage by deer and carried out supplementary planting of broadleaf seedlings in the damage area. These seedlings planted on this day were donated by the Embassy of India to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth. We hope that these seedlings will grow well and Mt. Fuji will show a beautiful appearance to make people delighted.

2020 will marks the end of the UN Decade on Biological Diversity.

OISCA has been tackling the conservation of biodiversity on the whole earth through various projects. As one of the Green Wave Official Partners, OISCA intends to strengthen cooperation with Japanese government agencies and make further contribution in Japan and other countries.

※“Building squares of TSUMIKI: Wood blocks” :  It is a program that communicates clearly the importance of forest to children by using wood blocks made from thinned wood.

Learning the wisdom of living with nature

The Sri Lankan agriculture has problems that crops yields have not been stable due to the unusual climate and heavy use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are causing health damage. Many areas participating in the Children’s Forest Program (CFP) are located in the rural areas, and we think it important to teach the wisdom and skills of the sustainable livelihood to live with nature. 

The local residents have a keen interest in dissemination activities of the environment friendly home gardens such as making compost utilizing raw garbage and insect repellent that utilizes herbs, and they are learning together with the children. We are selling harvested vegetables in bazaar to make up for activity cost, and that leads to PR activities in the community. Based on schools, we would like to further promote activities leading to the changes in the awareness of the surroundings. 

OISCA members, CFP school's students and many friends participated actively in the Green Wave 2018!

The Green Wave is a global biodiversity campaign to educate children and youth about biodiversity. Towards 2020, last year of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (2011-2020), the United Nations has been appealing more vigorously for its promotion worldwide. 

On March 13, 2018, OISCA, together with 7 other Japanese organizations, was appointed as Green Wave Official Partner by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Japan Committee for the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB-J) in Tokyo. The appointment is thanks to OISCA’s contribution and international collaboration for implementing the Green Wave activities.

   In Japan, “Green Wave Asakura Water Source Forest Development” in Fukuoka Prefecture held on March 11 spearheaded OISCA’s Green Wave activities of the year. A total of 140 participants including trainees at the OISCA Nishi Nippon Training Center planted wild cherry trees, Forsythia and other species.

 Moreover, at the site of the Coastal Forest Restoration Project in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, this year’s volunteer activities started on April 21. The participants numbering 124 persons carried out such field work as making drainage. At the planting site, it has become possible to observe various animals and plants. According to a survey conducted by the Forestry Agency last year, it has been confirmed that 337 plant species, 278 insect species and 43 bird species are inhabiting in the area. Thus, the project has been proven to be contributing to the recovery of biodiversity. 

 Tree planting and silvicultural activities were also carried out mainly by CFP participating schools in various foreign countries. In Mongolia, the children who visited Japan as CFP Children’s Goodwill Ambassadors are leading the activities and at a school in Bulgan Province, they planted on May 7 Mongolian cherry, acacia and other tree species. They visited other schools in Ulaanbaatar, the Capital City and Erdent City and carried out planting activities with school children. 

Want to restore the previous nature!

This school is located on the highest point of the village, Kurunegala District of the Northwestern Province. It is surrounded by rice paddies and crops land. Parents of students are mostly farmers. Since there is no water service in the village, children bring water by buckets from the well. This area has undergone rapid environmental changes n the past 20 years. Due to the deforestation, the beautiful nature has been lost.

   In order to appeal the importance of protecting the greenery FURUSATO, the school held “Peace Walk” inviting the villagers to participate in the environmental conservation. 

Moreover, they conducted seminars on 3R (Reduction of garbage, Reuse and Refusing unnecessary things especially the use of polythene. After the seminars, there were changes in the behavior of the students. They practiced what they had learnt by reusing plastic bottles and polythene bags.

   Ms. MMS Sanjeewani, teacher of the school, participated in a seminar for teachers and learnt teaching method of environmental education in CFP. She said: “I am happy to say that I got refreshment from OISCA. I am thankful for informing us on the value of protecting the environment and the advantage of APARADE (MOTTAINAI) spirit. I understand our responsibility to direct children as well as their parents about environmental conservation.”

Just joined CFP!

   This school is located at Ganthiriyawa Village near the central part of Sri Lanka. The school joined CFP in 2016 with a view to restoring the previous rich forest and revitalizing environmental conservation activities at the school and in the community. OISCA coordinators held a series of pre-briefing sessions on the significance of the activities first to the principal and teachers, then to the local residents and children. After getting their understanding, full-fledged activities started. 

   DM. Duwini Rasanjalee, 11-years old pupil who won the first place in environmental art competition, commented: “CFP is a very effective program. We can change the world through CFP activities.”

Mr. TMA Thennakoon, school teacher, said: “I really appreciate the generous support of the Japanese people. The CFP activities serve, not only to promote environmental conservation, but also as an opportunity to deepen mutual understanding between Sri Lanka and Japan.”

In 2017, the school plans to organize, in addition to three planting, seminars on organic farming method to be taught to children. 

OISCA LANKA CFP 25th anniversary activities in April, 2016.

Before the tree planting children had explanation on how to plant saplings and the importance of the Tree planting by CFP Coordinator Mr. Jayamanna. During tree planting, they met very dangerous snake in planting site but they had really interesting, funny and unforgetable time. 

With the financial support from the Global Industrial & Social Progress Research Institute (GISPRI), OISCA carried out the CFP Children’s Goodwill Ambassadors program two times in September and October 2014. From October 1 to 10, Indonesian and Myanmar children came over to Japan for presentation meetings and exchange programs in Tokyo, Kagawa and Ehime. On October 4, they participated in the “Global Festa 2014” held at Hibiya Park in Tokyo, and socializing with Japanese children coming from different parts of the country,  taught each other cultures of their respective countries and communities, and together made a “Promise for the Earth 10 years later”

   Mr. Htet Phyo Lwin from Myanmar told that in his village, it rains in only about 40 days a year and so, only those crops such as peas resistant to dry can grow; in the dry season, there is no water even in rivers, and they get a small amount of water digging the sand, but it is very hard to carry water. He added that although it is tough to raise trees under this environment, the shade provided by the grown forest is cool and pleasant.

　At an event commemorating Japan’s International Cooperation Day held on October 6, 2014, Indonesian and Myanmar children who were visiting Japan as Children’s Forest Program (CFP) Goodwill Ambassadors presented a theme song for CFP entitled  “Mori no Ibuki” together with Ms. Kazuyo Kuriya, a flutist and the theme song lyric writer and composer.

Ms. Putri Oktaviani Rachman and Ms. Maharani Dean Pramudita from Indonesia received intensive Japanese language lessons before coming over to Japan.  They made all presentations in Japanese and surprised the Japanese participants. The Japanese supporters who participated in the presentation meeting in Tokyo commented: “looking at the children speaking with lively facial expressions, we could feel that the CFP activities are really enjoyable and that forests are developed with the hands of these children”.

On the other hand, children from Sri Lanka and Thailand visited Japan from September 4 to 15 and conducted programs in Aichi, Gifu, Chiba and Tokyo. In the exchange meeting held at Aichi Prefectural Toyota Higashi Senior High School which is expected to take part as the representative of the Chubu region in the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development being held in Japan this November, the Sri Lankan and Thai children reported that the forests in their communities have been lost due to the rapid developments and wildfire causing serious problems such as landslides and water shortage and that they are carrying out tree-planting activities so as to lessen these problems. The students of Toyota Higashi Senior High School made a presentation about their studies and research on living creatures in Yahagi River and forests and also activities to protect the environment.

   This year falls on the 60^th anniversary of Japan’s international cooperation and also the last year of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) which was proposed by Japan and has been promoted by the international community.

In the future, we intend to improve through this sort of projects mutual understanding of respective environments and cultures beyond the country and also foster children who can act together.

OISCA LANKA held the 50th Anniversary Celebration of OISCA and the 20th Anniversary of CFP (Children's Forest Program) in Kandy City on 24th September, 2011. The Ceremony begun with the Environment Educational Parade, and 700 participants, including 460 school children, marched from the Central Market Kandy to the Hindu Cultural Center where the 50th Anniversary Ceremony was held. During the parade, participants held up colorful banners and placards calling for environmental protections and some marching bands were also featured.

After the 2 km of Environment Educational parade, the 50th Anniversary Ceremony started with the Welcome speech from Mr. R.M.P.B. Rajapaksha, who is a board member behalf of OISCA Lanka. During the ceremony which was full of cerebrating speeches, traditional dance and music, a CFP School student made a speech on advantage of CFP and what they gain from the program, and certificates were given to the winners of the competition on essay writing, drawing and making poem. The ceremony closed with the thank-you speech made by Mr. Shirantha Indrajith, District Coordinator.

“We need to build a net house for making a nursery!”

The students at Gonadika Elementary and Junior High School thought of the idea.

However, no budget is found. Then the children suggested picking and selling bananas which they planted two years ago to raise the needed budget. They sold bananas for 8 months at the plaza near the school and they afford to buy nets. For making net house they needed steel pipes, but supplemented with plastic pipes and finally managed to complete a small net house. Now, seedlings named Ericanut grow in the net house.

In this school, children from the two opposing races,Tamils and Sinhalese, are learning. It is said that there is less discrimination than before. The school principal said that by working for a greater common goal through the Children’s Forest Program, the children might have changed. On the wall of the school, a picture with the theme of “All brothers” is painted, and is watching the children.

(Gonadika Sinhala & Tamil School)

Program starting year: 2008 Number of student: 295