Festival for children begins in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 July 2005, 16:45 GMT]
Two day "Sunshine Festival" for tsunami and war affected children and adults in Trincomalee district began Saturday morning in the McHeyzer Stadium in the east port town. The Community Empowerment Network of Trincomalee (CENT), which comprises more than thirty international and national aid agencies and civil groups, is organizing the festival to provide an opportunity for affected children of all three communities to come together and take part in social activities, sources said



Dr.T.Kadambanathan, President of the CENT presided over the event.

Dr.Kadambanathan who is also a psychiatrist in the Mental Health Unit of the Trincomalee General Hospital said that the festival is organized to promote greater healing for tsunami affected children and their parents and to create a space for children to express themselves in a fun, positive and creative manner.

About three thousand children between the age group 8-16 and two thousand adults from tsunami affected five divisional secretariat divisions; Kuchchaveli, Kinniya, Eachchilampathu, Muttur and Trincomalee Town and Gravets participated in the augural event held Saturday morning.

At the commencement, religious leaders of all faiths lit the traditional oil lamp. Later four children representing four different faiths lit the lamp. Thereafter children sang songs in Tamil and Sinhala languages praying for peace and harmony, sources said.

Children participated in sports, games, cultural dances, songs and dramas and story telling in the first day event. The festival will come to a close Sunday, CENT sources said.