{"id":4833,"date":"2022-09-02T04:10:50","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T20:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panap.net\/?p=4833"},"modified":"2022-09-02T04:10:50","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T20:10:50","slug":"art-and-awareness-protectourchildren-from-toxic-pesticides-2022","status":"publish","type":"panap_updates","link":"https:\/\/panap.net\/beta\/updates\/art-and-awareness-protectourchildren-from-toxic-pesticides-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Art and Awareness: #ProtectOurChildren from Toxic Pesticides 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u201cWhen I went to Punagala Village, I saw someone was poisoned by pesticide spraying and died.\u201d<\/em><\/h5>\n

These were the candid words of Kasun, a 7th<\/sup> grade student of Aliyawatta Secondary School in Monaragala district, Sri Lanka. For children like Kasun who pass sugarcane fields each day, pesticides spraying is a usual sight. They are also exposed to pesticides while playing at home or at school. Sometimes, they play with empty pesticides bottles without realising the dangers.<\/p>\n

It is among these children that Vikalpani Women\u2019s Federation conducted awareness-raising activities as part of PAN Asia Pacific (PANAP) and its partners\u2019 Protect Our Children (POC) from Toxic Pesticides Campaign. With this year\u2019s theme of \u201cChildren\u2019s Rights to a Pesticides-Free World,\u201d the campaign aims to raise awareness on the impacts of pesticides on children and to demand children\u2019s rights to a safe and healthy environment.<\/p>\n

The campaign is premised on the belief that a pesticides-free future begins with educating our children on present realities, and what a future without pesticides can look like. For instance, in Vikalpani\u2019s sessions with students, the origins of pesticide use and the companies which promote them were explained. Harmful impacts of pesticides on human health and the environment were discussed through picture presentations\u2014children were asked to draw a human body and identify the impacts of pesticides on different parts of the human body. Children were also encouraged to share their experiences and thoughts on pesticide exposure.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the grandfathers of our village was spraying pesticides and he was admitted to the hospital since he was poisoned,\u201d said K.M. Sanjala Kumara of Niyadalla School. “Even if we are treated in a hospital, we can see still pesticides being sprayed. Therefore, pesticides should be prohibited and every one should be fed with non-toxic food,” said N.A. Sachini Upeksha, a student from the same school.<\/p>\n