10 – 12 years
Celebrating Ramazan
Eid-ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival) is the Festival of Breaking the Fast. It marks the end of the fasting month of Ramazan. Eid-ul-Fitr begins with the first sighting of the new moon.
Ramazan Festival starts with prayers followed by a short sermon. After completing the prayers, Muslims wish everyone a Happy Eid and step outside the mosque. During Ramazan festival’s eve, Muslims decorate their homes and surrounding with fancy lights. Muslims follow Eid customs and traditions like bathing before going to prayers, wearing new clothes, providing kids with gifts or money, donating things to charity, exchanging hugs and engaging in other meritorious deeds. Muslim men usually go and buy large quantities of rice and other staples and then leave them anonymously at the doors of the less fortunate.
During the Eid Festival, shopkeepers show their generosity by providing free EId gifts with each purchase. Women (especially young girls) often apply the traditional mehndi/henna on their hands and feet. The Ramazan Festival (Eid) is well known for sweets. Sevaiyan kheer, Mamounia (Semolina pudding) Watalappan, Date cakes etc., are great examples for Eid dishes.
During Eid, Muslims leave all their grievances behind and unite with all the others in a festive mood – and that’s the significance of celebrating Eid.
Fathima Nufla (10 years)
Thihariya Islamic Int. School
13 – 15 years
Tackling the issue of Child Labour
Child labour means children being employed in a way that they lose their ability to attend school regularly. It is also mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Some children are employed because their families are so poverty-stricken that everybody must work to keep themselves alive. For some, because of the lack of schools, there is nothing better than working.
Many children work in factories and mines for a low pay. In 2013, there were 163 million children aged five to 17 employed worldwide. Less than 10% of the children in Sri Lanka are labored.
Childhood is very important. It has a very large impact in one’s adulthood. It’s the only time a person can learn at school, play, enjoy and have fun. Child labour deprives children of their childhood.
But how can we stop child labour? Improving the standards of schools would encourage parents to send their children there to learn. School life should be made more enjoyable to encourage students to study well. Teacher should assign less homework and projects. Learning should be more fun and less stressful.
Governments and police should be more concerned about child labour. Instant action should follow. More schools should be built in rural areas to increase the availability. These schools must provide a good education. Poverty-stricken families should have a share of the government’s income. Wealthy organizations should provide for the poor.
Every human being should contribute to stopping child labour. It will indirectly help develop society.
Ifadha Deen (13 years)
Leeds Int. School, Galle
