Business
‘Chronicles of Melancholy’ – sneak preview launched
Stop Child Cruelty Trust (SCC) with Child Protection Alliance (CPA) launched another historical event to protect and promote the rights of children across Sri Lanka. From 2020 to 2022, seventeen children were physically/sexually abused and murdered, and no person of authority has done anything meaningful to resolve the child protection crisis on the island. ‘Chronicles of Melancholy’ (නොරිදවිය යුත රිදෙන කතන්දර) is a collection of true-life stories of victims/survivors of various forms of child abuse to be published in Sinhala, Tamil and English to create awareness of the escalating crisis. The first heartbreaking story, ‘Stilled Tears – Faded White Garb’ (‘නිසල වී ඉකිබිඳුම – මිලින විය සුදු පියුම), was released as an introduction to this masterpiece.
‘Stilled Tears – Faded White Garb’ is the tragic story of a sixteen-year-old Varuni who was subjected to unimaginable mental and verbal abuse by the Principal which, made her end her own life. Speaking about the story, Dr Tush Wickramanayaka, Chairperson of SSC, Co-convener of Child Protection Alliance and Global End Violence Champion, said, “The most unique thing about this book is that it’s authored by young Dinithi Gunathilaka, the winner of the Best Speaker award at the National Inter-school Debate Competition ‘A Generation’s Appeal 2021’. Dinithi was the Captain of the debate team of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo 7.”
Dr Wickramanaya added, “Children are the most vulnerable members of a community who require protection from adults. It’s incredibly gut-wrenching to see the trauma children go through because they are easy targets of abuse. We hope the launch of Varuni’s story will start a movement encouraging many voiceless victims to share their stories. Our final objective is to empower children, raise public awareness and educate.”
“The final publication of ‘Chronicles of Melancholy’ will have experts giving valuable and practical advice on child psychology, parenting, legal, etc. We hope that by sharing these stories victims and survivors can use the book as a tool for healing and education. The book will be initially published in Sinhala, Tamil and English. We aim to have it published in other languages as well and are currently negotiating to get the book published in two UN-recognized regional languages. This would be the first time such a book will be published,” Dr Wickramanayaka further added.
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, The Former President of Sri Lanka, speaking at the event, said, “It’s appalling to hear the number of deaths and cases of abused children in Sri Lanka in the past year. Authorities should resolve the child protection crisis without politicizing matters by working cohesively with NGOs and other such organizations. I would say that creating awareness via books such as ‘Chronicles of Melancholy’ is essential. There is a need to educate people about the dangers and horrors of child abuse. Not just sexual abuse, but other acts of violence against children, I applaud the efforts of Stop Child Cruelty Trust and the Child Protection Alliance in trying to find solutions to the current child protection crisis in Sri Lanka”.
Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya, Author, Senior Lecturer at the University of Colombo, speaking on the impact of child abuse, stated, ” Children are the future of our country there is a need to educate and create awareness on what child abuse is, that it can be prevented and addressed before children fall prey to social predators. Child abuse can be defined as the physical, sexual or emotional ill-treatment or neglect of children. Sometimes a lack of understanding could be the contributor to this rapidly growing social phenomenon. We must educate the general public on this as knowledge can be a powerful tool to overcome child abuse. The more aware people become of its occurrence, the more society can do to prevent such abuse. I believe a book such as Chronicles of Melancholy in all languages with details on how to mitigate abuse is vital for our society.”
The event had excerpts from Varuni’s story read by Child Protection Ambassadors Saranga Disasekara, Abisheka Fernando, Dinakshie Priyasad, Niranjani Shanmugarajah and Harith Wijeratne with a visual dance performance by Stagecraft, School of Performance Art. At the event, they launched the art competition, ‘Me Unhurt – Stop Child Abuse’, which will be open to children between the ages of 16 and 18 years. The winning artwork from the entries will adorn the book cover to be launched in October to signify International Children’s Day.
To enter the competition, please send your entry on an A4 size Kent paper or Watercolor paper, before July 7th, 2023 to Stop Child Cruelty Trust, 115 Kynsey Road, Colombo 8. Please include the following information at the back of the entry: your name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and grade in school. Please get your artwork certified by either a parent/guardian or school teacher with the following text: I certify this is a creation of (name of the child, date and the full name and signature of the adult). For further information, please contact Stop Child Cruelty Trust at 0771656867 or www.stopchildcruelty.com
Stop Child Cruelty Trust was established in 2018 to end violence against children and end corporal punishment. In 2021 SCC spearheaded the formation of the Child Protection Alliance, a coalition of credible civil society organizations working to protect and promote the rights of children. In 2022 SCC pioneered the establishment of UNICEF-style celebrity Child Protection Ambassadors. Their most commended achievement was in 2022 when SCC was the sole representative defending 5.2 million children of Sri Lanka at the 42nd session of the Universal Periodic Review of UNHRC in Geneva. On 1st February 2023, at the Sri Lanka sessions, SCC convinced a record number of countries to make recommendations on child rights, including prohibiting corporal punishment unequivocally.
Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, joins the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) to launch the IESL National Startup Challenge, creating a national pathway for aspiring entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into commercially viable, investment-ready startups. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurship ecosystem through structured development, expert mentorship and practical support that enables promising ideas to progress towards market readiness and scale.
Launched through the IESL Entrepreneurship Forum at the Dialog Auditorium on 5 October 2026, the competition invites Engineering Undergraduates, Engineering Practitioners and participants in an Open Category for Non-Engineers to submit ideas across 12 innovation verticals aligned with national priorities, emerging technology and market trends, and inclusive innovation. Participants will progress through idea development, pitching, incubation, prototyping, validation, minimum viable product development and business scaling, supported by industry experts, mentors and ecosystem partners. The programme will culminate in a Top 10 selection, with the first-place winner receiving an award of LKR 1 million.
As title sponsor and a key ecosystem enabler, Dialog is contributing practical expertise and resources beyond sponsorship, providing technical expertise, mentors and digital resources to help participating teams develop, validate and scale their solutions. Each of the Top 10 teams will also receive a Dialog Digital Startup Support Package valued at LKR 250,000, comprising selected Dialog digital products and services.
“Dialog is committed to enabling Sri Lanka’s next generation of innovators by connecting entrepreneurial ambition with the technology, expertise and practical resources needed to turn ideas into scalable ventures. Through the IESL National Startup Challenge, Dialog is extending its digital capabilities, mentorship and ecosystem support to help promising teams progress from concept to validation and investment readiness,” said a representative of Dialog Axiata PLC.
Eng. Jasmine Nanayakkara, Chairperson of the Entrepreneurship Forum at the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, added, “The IESL National Startup Challenge is designed to turn innovative ideas into viable businesses by connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with industry expertise, mentorship and continuous practical support. More importantly, it is about creating an ‘Engineer to Entrepreneur’ transformation and nurturing a stronger entrepreneurial culture within the IESL community. By encouraging our engineers and aspiring founders to create, commercialise and scale solutions, we aim to contribute to new ventures, new opportunities and meaningful job creation for Sri Lanka’s skilled and educated next generation. We are grateful to Dialog for partnering with IESL to create this pathway for innovation, entrepreneurship and national economic growth.”
Driving innovation across Sri Lanka, the National Startup Challenge also brings together a strong network of partners, including The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce as Ecosystem and Mentoring Partner, Helago as Official Mobility Partner, Helakuru as Official Digital News Partner, and Real Life as Official Climate Action Partner.
The IESL National Startup Challenge represents a collaborative effort to strengthen Sri Lanka’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem by creating a structured pathway from promising ideas to market-ready businesses. Applications are now open via www.iesl.lk/announcements, giving aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to access the resources and funding they need to succeed. Applications close on 16th November 2026. For more information, contact mgr.pub@iesl.lk / 071 109 4393.
Keeping a home clean involves more than dealing with one kind of mess. Kitchens face grease and cooking splashes, bathrooms develop soap scum and limescale, while frequently used areas around the home collect marks, fingerprints and everyday dirt.
For households looking to simplify this routine, multi-surface cleaners offer a practical solution by allowing one product to tackle multiple cleaning needs across suitable surfaces.
One home, many everyday messes
In the kitchen, grease, splashes and burnt-on food can build up around hobs and hotplates. Cupboard doors and appliance exteriors can also collect smudges and marks through daily use.
Bathrooms present different challenges, including limescale, soap scum, toothpaste residue and water marks around sinks, washbasins and shower doors.
Even outside these rooms, surfaces such as door handles, baseboards, table mats and PVC areas can require regular attention.
Making everyday cleaning simpler
This is where the versatility of products such as CIF Cream becomes useful.
CIF Cream can help tackle a range of common household cleaning challenges across suitable surfaces, from grease and burnt-on food in the kitchen to limescale and soap scum in the bathroom.
Its uses can also extend to other suitable areas and items around the home, including cupboard doors, appliance exteriors, PVC surfaces and more, when used according to product directions.
For busy households, the benefit is straightforward: a versatile cleaner can help reduce the complexity of everyday cleaning by addressing several common cleaning needs with one product.
Consumers should always follow product instructions and check suitability before using any cleaner on a particular surface.
CIF products are now available at Cargills, Keells, Glomark and Celeste, as well as online through Daraz and uStore, at a retail price of Rs. 900 for 500ml. Shop CIF online at https://ustore.lk/collections/cif or https://www.daraz.lk/cif/
As household routines continue to evolve, multi-surface cleaning provides a simple approach to keeping different areas of the home clean — one versatile solution for many of the everyday messes that come with daily life.
SriLankan Airlines set dreams in motion for 24 young students selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 2026 International Mathematics and Science Olympiad, held in Indonesia from 2 to 7 October 2026, helping make their journey to Indonesia and back an extra special one.
The students were selected through a four-stage national selection process covering school, zonal, provincial and national levels, with the highest-performing students progressing at each stage.
As a special initiative for Children’s Day, the Ministry of Education sponsored the air travel of all 24 students for the first time. Returning to Sri Lanka with an impressive haul of three Silver Medals and 10 Bronze Medals, the young contestants competed alongside students from 23 countries.
SriLankan Airlines was privileged to be part of their special journey, helping make their experience even more memorable as they represented Sri Lanka on the international stage.
Sri Lanka ITEC Alumni Association formally launched
Measures underway to protect Diyagama Forest as a Reserve — Deputy Minister of Environment
Showers or thundershowers will occur in most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m.
NPP govt. reminded of its responsibilities as US warship leaves Colombo
CERT: Beware of foreign Uni. scams on social media
Shiranthi receives treatment at National Eye Hospital
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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