Commonwealth Essay Competition

Regardless of your age, education, social class, school or gender, writing has and hopefully always will be a powerful mode of expression to everyone all over the world. Whether you type it out on a computer or prefer to use the more traditional means of pen and paper, words have the capacity to change lives and transform people.

The Commonwealth Essay Competition is one of the world's oldest global writing competitions for young people and is open to young writers below the age of 18. The competition provides an excellent opportunity for students around the world to showcase their creativity and make their voices heard. A felicitation ceremony to recognize the young students who received commendations and special commendations for their work was organized by the British Council in Colombo recently.

Shenuka Corea (Above) & Acushla Wijesinha (Below) Receives awards from Gill Westaway, Country Derector of British Council

While over 100 young Sri Lankan writers were commended on their work; two young Sri Lankan writers were placed internationally in their respective age categories – a notable feat as this competition is one of the most highly regarded and popular youth writing competitions around the world.

Shenuka Corea (14), who was placed second in Class C, chose to weave a story about the butterfly migration to Adam's Peak. The story which is deftly told through the viewpoints of numerous spectators, describes the butterflies pilgrimage from the coast to the mountains, in vivid detail.

Acushla Wijesinha (12) who was placed third in Class D, wrote about the most exciting day of her life.

Her essay revolved around an experience at the Uda Walawe Wildlife Sanctuary and an encounter with an elephant. "I was very surprised when I heard I had won," smiles Acushla who is a firm book lover.

The Commonwealth Essay Competition aims to promote the use of English in a fun way, enable people from all walks of life to compete internationally, highlight global and local issues as well as encourage young children to aspire to high standards of writing.

Shenali de Silva of Bishop's College, Hifza Buhari of Colombo International School and Dimitra Perera of Gateway College, Negombo were specially commended for their entries at the Essay Competition. Past winners of the competition include Lee Hsien Loong Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore and Elspeth Huxley, prominent writer and journalist.

The Butterflies' Pilgrimage

By Shenuka Corea (14 years), Second Prize, Class C

The tourist balanced carefully on her surfboard, moving gracefully along the wave and enjoying every minute. The wind in her hair, the sun on her face! What more could she ask for? The waves crashing on the beach made a glorious sound.

Sunlight sparkled on the tops of the palms that shaded the snowy, white sand. Then she saw an unbelievable sight. First one, then two, then a thousand tiny yellow dots were fluttering above the beach. The board wobbled. She tried hastily to gain control, but slipped and fell into the water. She swam ashore to watch the butterflies.

Where were they going?

The fisherman was mending his net on the doorstep of his hut. Carefully he wove the thread under one, then over another, his fingers moving fast. Then he heard the sound of a thousand tiny wings, beating rapidly.

Turning around, he saw the butterflies. He frowned as they went past. He did not like when things weren't as they should be. There weren't any strange happenings like this in the village of his childhood.

Where were they going?

The child was on her way to school, absent-mindedly swinging her bag, her head filled with sums. She heard a sound like rustling paper. A butterfly flitted past her ear followed by a million, no a trillion more. The butterflies had come!

Laughing she tried to catch one, but they were always too quick. She ran with them, all thoughts of equations blown away by the beating of tiny wings.

Where were they going?

It was the harvesting season. The farmer was hard at work cutting paddy and piling it into bundles. The cloth tied around his head was damp with sweat. The sun scorched his back and the backs of his companions. Sunlight reflected off almost everything, dazzling his eyes. He heard a noise. He looked up.

There was yellow everywhere. The butterflies cast shadows on the upraised faces of the tired workers.
Where were they going?

Two leaves and a bud, two leaves and a bud……. The tea plucker was plucking tea. She wore a brightly coloured sari and a bright red pottu between her eyebrows.

Her fingers worked skillfully to find just the right leaves to pluck and she paused only to throw the leaves into the basket that hung on her back.

Plucking tea had put bread on the table all her life. Suddenly a shadow was cast on the waist-deep bushes she was standing in. The butterflies had arrived. She had no time to watch them.

With a sigh she continued her work. She had to pluck eighteen kilograms of tea before the day was out if she hoped to earn anything.

Where were they going?

The gem miner had found something. He climbed out of the pit coated in dirt but he didn't care. Clutched in one grimy fist was what looked like an ordinary, worthless stone, but he was sure this stone held a great secret.

His hand trembled with excitement as he immersed it in clean water. He brought it close to his eye and examined it carefully. He cried out in delight at the sight of a flash of blue.

A blue sapphire! This was his lucky day! Then, with a flash of yellow, the butterflies arrived. He raised his hands to the heavens and laughed out loud, happy to share his joy with them.

In the dying light he watched them head towards the mountain. He knew where they were going! The old pilgrim stood at the peak. She watched as the host of beautiful yellow

butterflies made their way up the holy mountain. She had made the pilgrimage to the mountain several times in her life and worshiped the holy footprint of the Lord Buddha. This, she thought, would be the last time she would climb the four-thousand steps to the peak. She was as old and weary as the butterflies were now.

The butterflies, now weary and weak, flew across the glowing, pink sky and, as the great yellow sun rose above the hills, they fluttered gracefully down to earth and died. The mountain had many names: Adam's Peak, Sri Pada and Samanala Kanda Butterfly Mountain!

The most exciting day of my life

By Acushla Wijesinha (12 years), Third Prize, Class D

We had been travelling for over two hours in the park. By the word "Park" I don't mean a children's park or
playground, I mean the Uda Walawe Wildlife Sanctuary. I had been in such parks with my dad, an
environmentalist, from the time I was in my mum's stomach so this was not so much my second home but more my first home!

I loved the parks and every encounter with the wild elephants there but I never realised that this would be my luckiest day ever. Later, I thought it might have been so special because it was the last day of the old year, the thirty first of December, 2008.

From the moment we entered, it had felt like animals galore were coming out to see us. I had recorded over a hundred elephants in my log and a host of beautiful peacocks proudly holding their heads up high. Pond herons fished and cormorants swam suddenly diving when they spotted another fish for dinner.

The first animals we had seen were three lone male elephants meandering around (amongst Asian elephants, adult males do not travel with the herds). A few minutes later we had sighted a herd of twenty
elephants including three babies, amongst them was a rather naughty two-year old that kept jabbing his trunk at the older elephants and then running off.

He reminded me of my baby brother. The herd had obviously just finished its evening bath and was eating the short, sweet "mana" grass around.

All this had been exciting enough when we saw a herd of seventeen, walking along a bund. Amongst them was a baby tusker. In Asian elephants a tusker is extra special because to be a tusker it must be fathered by a tusker and its mother must also be the daughter of a tusker. How exciting it seemed. I was looking at new hope for the elephants. A baby tusker! I was so excited.

On the other side of the bund was a clear, sparkling, blue tank where kingfishers of all kinds and colours searched the water for their prey. If they noticed even a tiny movement of a fish it was "Hello!" to the next meal.

We turned to head home as dusk fell, when we were stopped suddenly by a herd of eight elephants. An
elephant came rushing at us to chase us away. She obviously wanted to protect the young of her herd from what she considered was a threat.

Then it happened, my single most exciting moment.She prepared to charge us, to chase us and I stretched out my hand. Perched in the back of our open vehicle, I could almost touch her. I was trying to ask her not to worry, not to charge and my out-stretched hand seemed to be enough.

She stopped. She looked at me and it seemed like her head moved. I think she understood me because she backed off. Had I really, made contact with a wild elephant? She kept her eye on us but she didn't try to charge us again. I was thrilled.

My dad is well known for his relationship with wild elephants and I have always wanted to be like him. Now I felt proud that I was starting this magical journey. I know we'll share many more exciting times in the park but secretly I think this will always be the most exciting day of my life – the first day a wild elephant and I actually communicated.