Aisha - Roar Media Archive

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From Zero To A Thousand: How Jaffna Is Conquering The Digital Divide

Jaffna — The Yarl IT Hub was established in the northern peninsula eight years ago, an year after the end of the civil war. It started off as a non-profit social enterprise, with the aim to make Jaffna ‘the next Silicon Valley.’

The Parrot Haven In Slave Island

With towering new hotels and luxury apartments taking over the skyline, a bird sanctuary is the last thing you would expect in Slave Island. Yet, this part of town is precisely that. Whenever an injured bird is spotted in the vicinity, the residents rescue it and pass it on to Firi Rahman, a well-known resident of the area.

Finally Released: Wait For The Controversial MMDA Report Is Over

Muslim women have been campaigning for reforms within the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) for decades, citing human right violations. Given mounting pressure, former Justice Minister Milinda Moragoda appointed a committee in 2009, headed by Justice Saleem Marsoof, to look into the matter. The report took nearly a decade to emerge, and was presented to the Justice Ministry only towards the tail end of January 2018.

Losing A Landmark: William Grinding Mills Is Closed

With its neon red and green signage lighting up the night, William Grinding Mills in Dehiwala was a familiar landmark down the old Colombo-Galle road. It was one of those buildings that older people in the family would point out when passing by, sharing anecdotes of how their grandparents would get their spices ground from the mill. Going by its word-of-mouth fame, the mill was often considered the best of its kind in Colombo—or even in the country.

Sri Lanka’s Cobra Killers—The Ruddy Mongoose And More

With rodent-like faces and beady eyes, mongooses are carnivorous mammals which can live around seven to 12 years in the wild, and up to 20 years while in captivity. They predominantly eat small animals and birds, though they sometimes do nibble on greens.

Fitting In As A Transwoman In Sri Lanka

Mohini* is a 23 year old trans-woman from the North. She identified as a female when she was as young as 10 years old, and has gone through bureaucratic processes to legally change her name and gender. She is now married to a distant cousin from a neighbouring village, and wants to adopt a child.

The Digana Riots: Three Months Later

Last March, Sri Lanka was in a state of emergency. Racial tensions which had long been brewing online lead to rioting mobs, who subsequently damaged nearly 500 buildings; including homes, mosques, and businesses.

Menstrual Waste, Taxes, And Cups: The Impact Of Bleeding In Sri Lanka

A girl’s first period in Sri Lanka is celebrated. Her coming of age is marked by numerous rituals (often differing from one ethno-religious community to another), and ends with a ‘big girl party’ at the end of the seventh day. She is bathed, given a special diet predominantly consisting of eggs, and gifted with gold and new clothes. All this attention is a one-off event—because menstruation and all topics surrounding it are taboo.

Fasting, Feasting, And Snacking Inbetween

It is the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Most of your Muslim friends and colleagues are on an intense fast, getting slightly crankier throughout the day until iftar, the time to break fast with dates, water, and a steaming bowl of porridge. This is usually followed by multiple ‘short-eats’, deep fried snacks that is in no way healthy for an empty stomach by any stretch of imagination.

Thuryaa: Making History As Sri Lanka’s First Female Percussion Band

Once an art that was strictly limited to men in the country, traditional drumming was considered taboo for women. There was no way for a woman, or girl, to learn it, especially as boys were taken under the wings of a patron who would teach them rigorously for years. This left a void where female performers were concerned.

The Temple Of A Thousand Pillars And More: One Day In Trinco

While Colombo is in the midst of creating a new port city (under the auspices of the Sri Lankan Ports Authority and China), Trincomalee…

The World’s Largest Floating Hospital In Trincomalee

On 25 April, the US Navy hospital ship Mercy docked at the Trincomalee harbour. Reputed to be the largest in the world, the ship…

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