Community Projects

Aquaponics is a form of agriculture that combines raising fish in tanks (recirculating aquaculture) with soilless plant culture (hydroponics). It uses both aquaculture and hydroponics in a symbiotic combination in which plants are fed the waste of aquatic animals.  The plants and vegetables in exchange purify the water that goes back to the fish. Microbes play an essential role in plant nutrition along with the fish and their wastes. These beneficial bacteria gather in the spaces between the plant’s roots and transform the fish waste and solids into substances that can be used by plants to grow. The outcome is great aquaculture-gardening collaboration. This is great hope for sustainable organic crop production, aquaculture, and water usage. Sri Lanka is facing several serious problems, among which population growth, climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, and food security are among the most important. Aquaponics, as a closed-loop system consisting of hydroponics and aquaculture elements, could contribute to addressing these problems.

The objectives of the project are :

• To successfully innovate a model of a fully automated aquaponics system for the institute pond to expand the research into a greater area that being the Agricultural sector.
• Integrate optimized components into an existing design that is suited for Sri Lankan environmental conditions.
• To provide a system to cultivate fish and vegetables through one system through recycling of resources.
• To provide chemical-free, organic vegetables.
• To conduct programs to promote the benefits of aquaponics to other student and health sectors

Supervisor In-charge: Ms. Nayani

In 2007, the Central Environmental Authority has presented composting bins and launched a pilot project in selected Local Authorities. The undertaking, which is based within Gampaha city limits, began on July 14th, 2007 and the projects are being dealt with and planned by the Gampaha Municipal Council. Home composting is anything but another innovation, and it has been done for a long time all over the world as a straightforward technique to oversee family organic waste. It is presently being supported as a method for reducing the volume of organic waste being disposed of and sent to landfills. In Sri Lanka, distinctive set-ups of family composting units can be found, and it has been more advanced in certain regions. The organic portion of municipal solid waste (MSW) contributes 70%-90% of all the out-waste streams in numerous regions (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, 2005). These organic substances are massive to deal with and contribute to various fluid and vaporous discharges that weaken dumpsite situations. A decent home composting project can fundamentally reduce the amount of organic waste added to the standard and consequent outflows upon definite transfer. Important items such as organic fertilizer are created through this procedure while reducing the expenses caused by gathering, transportation, and last transfer at the dumpsite.

The objectives of the project are:

• Work on bins to check if paper waste could help to compost with the kitchen and food waste.

• To develop a modified compost bin that can help generate organic fertile soil.
• Bring the composting equipment. Bring practice to households.
• To test the chemical preposition and composition of the resultant product.

Supervisor in-charge: Ms. Nayani

Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior have vastly affected public health and are the greatest challenges to overcome. It is determined that increased sedentary time is associated with negative health outcomes among young adults. The reason behind it is a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food habits, lack of physical exercise, lack of water consumption, and improper sleeping behaviors. Many researchers have shown that a sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for the incidence and development of coronary heart disease. Promoting physical activity and avoiding inactive behavior, particularly by reducing the feeding of media is mandatory. Apart from these, there are many issues in the community, such as childhood obesity, inequalities for disabled people, nutrition deficiency, communicable and non-communicable diseases, pollution, etc.

The objectives of the project are –

• To address community-level issues and build up concepts to solve and uplift them
• To identify the causes of low cardiovascular fitness levels among physiotherapy students, apart from students with cardiovascular diseases, respiratory and musculoskeletal injuries
• To examine sedentary behaviors among physiotherapy students.
• To determine cardiovascular fitness in the general public and create awareness among the general public regarding healthy habits.
• To evaluate whether proper ergonomic practices are being used in workplaces.

Supervisor in-charge: Ms. Keerthana

Railways are one of the major transport methods that have been used for several decades. However, it is not evident that how far disabled people can use railway transport as their main transport mode. It is identified that disabled people use railway transport minimally when compared to other modes. Therefore, it is important to identify the reasons behind that and implement strategies to overcome them there are barriers to using the railway as a mode of transport.

The objectives of the project are –

• To find out the accessibility gaps for disabled people in railway transport
• To find solutions for the accessibility gaps
• To improve the quality of life of disabled passengers in terms of transport accessibility

Supervisor in-charge: Mr. Amila

In Sri Lanka, road traffic accidents are being recognized as the biggest disaster in terms of mortality, loss of public and private properties resulting in diminished social harmony. Often, a victim’s condition is said to be aggravated due to unskilled attempts made by the responders to transfer and transport victims to healthcare facilities. It is important to acknowledge the three-wheel drivers, policemen, and pedestrians as the first encounters; IIHS has done a series of research projects to analyze different aspects in their first aid knowledge and practices. This project has been developed based on the recommendations of the above-mentioned research regarding Road Traffic Accidents to increase the awareness of school children, and three-wheel drivers on suitable first aid to be given after RTA.

The objectives of the project are:

To provide participants with the necessary knowledge, understanding, and proficiency to attend to first aid when required in an emergency.

• To assess the ability of the “Basic first aid for Road Accidents” course to be implemented as an island-wide teaching tool.
• To build up a network that can provide first aid for the RTA.

Supervisor In-charge: Mr. Nuwan

Stress is the body’s response to environmental constraints. It can also be defined as a syndrome for coping with several emotional, physiological, psychological, or social disturbances. Intense and prolonged stress reduces performance and can have serious repercussions on one’s health. Furthermore, reactions can vary, making them even more difficult to detect. Understanding the root cause of our stress allows us to know what we can act on and how to approach it. In some situations, changing the way we perceive things or how we react to them can make a difference. Stress is any situation that evokes negative thoughts and feelings in a person. The same situation is not evocative or stressful for all people, and all people do not experience the same negative thoughts and feelings when stressed.

The objectives of the project are:

Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person’s level of stress for everyday functioning. Through this project, we tend to spread awareness, knowledge and guide an individual who requires help in such situations.

Supervisor in-charge: Ms. Lakmali

This project role is to organize quality sports events and make them ensure with serving excitement and good sportsmanship to both students and the staff of IIHS. This project aims to organize quality events that promote sports and develop one’s skills by coordinating opportunities for sport and refreshment in the community. Moreover, this project also focuses on carrying out research based on sports and physical activity related topics. Thus, this project is currently carrying out a research on the impact of COVID-19 on the levels of physical activity among school children.

OBJECTIVES

•  To create a formal platform for the students to be involved in sports events and sports-related activities at IIHS.
• To provide formal recognition for student members; allowing them to communicate on behalf of IIHS for sports and research related to sports.
• To provide a formal avenue for the students to represent IIHS for physical activities and research related to sports.
• To potentiate the proliferation of sports and research related to sports via student involvement.
• To reduce the operational burden on IIHS administration when it comes to sports and research activities.
• To attract funding for sports and research related to sports at IIHS.
• To increase the number and quality of collaborations with professional bodies, journals, and other sports entities of repute.
• To promote interaction between staff and students for sports and research collaborations

Supervisors In-charge: Ms. Thushini

Asthma is a common lower respiratory tract condition, which makes it difficult for the individual to breathe and perform activities. Exposure to these air pollutants will lead to various types of health issues depending on the type, amount, frequency, and duration of exposure. Though these air pollutants can be indoors or outdoors, most respiratory conditions are caused by prolonged exposure to indoor air pollutants. As the current levels of air pollution are consistently linked to the development of asthma and morbidity among children, the global prevalence of pediatric asthma has been increasing. Therefore, identifying the most important asthma contaminants, susceptibility factors, exposure-reduction strategies, and maintenance of a healthy indoor environment can enhance children’s health.

The objectives of the project are:

• To study the relationship between poor indoor air quality and asthma exacerbation in children.
• To determine the correlation between air quality and particulate matter.
• To identify the factors that affect the indoor air quality in the household of children with asthma.

Supervisor In-charge: Dr. Mojitha

Dementia is a collective term that defines the symptoms of the loss of cognitive functioning, impairment in communication, thinking, and memory. It is known that dementia is not a diagnosable disease. Furthermore, it is identified that there is a noticeable deficit of knowledge and attitudes on dementia among caregivers and the public. Therefore, it is important to identify the caregiver’s degree of knowledge and their attitudes towards dementia patients to properly diagnose this condition.

The objectives of the project are:

• To find out how much knowledge they have consumed about dementia
• To find a solution for the lack of knowledge and their attitudes towards dementia patients
• To improve the quality of care given for the dementia patients

Supervisor in-charge: Mr. Sameera

The Drug Abuse Community Project is determined to bring awareness and spread light onto exactly how the abuse of drugs can bring forth detrimental results. The youth, especially in schools are being exposed and are subject to consumption of these substances for various reasons. Therefore, drugs/substance abuse among the youth in various settings has become of particular concern. Despite the overwhelming prevalence of substance abuse among students in schools and that drug use is a serious issue, most members of the community are not educated on the subject of providing alternate strategies for rehabilitation and prevention.

The objectives of the project are:

• Increase awareness of the prevalence of drug abuse within the schooling student community.
• Increase awareness of various stress factors and coping mechanisms related to drug abuse.
• Increase awareness of addiction and the effect of drug abuse on an individual’s physiological, psychological, and social circles.

Supervisor in-charge: Dr. Sujan

Vegetables are a common diet taken by populations throughout the world. They are rich sources of essential nutrients, antioxidants, metabolites by acting as buffering agents for acidic substances produced during the digestion processes. However, toxic elements could be absorbed by vegetables from the soil. Accumulation of heavy metals in vegetable crops has become a highly concerning matter in Sri Lanka due to the possible health risks to human health, livestock, agriculture, and aquatic industries. Increased use of agrochemicals by farmers has been recognized as the main cause of the elevated heavy metals levels in crops in Sri Lanka. Excessive levels of heavy metal in human tissues would lead to disruption of vital organs, viz. the heart, brain, kidneys, bone, and liver in the human body.

The objectives of the project:

The usage of agrochemicals on Sri Lankan vegetables and the assessment of their heavy metal content.

Supervisor in-charge: Dr. Dinusha

This research aims to contribute to the process of accurately documenting what this particular ayurvedic oil contains to be in high levels of efficiency.

The objectives of the project are:

• To analyze ayurvedic oil in terms of physicochemical properties.
• To identify volatile and non-volatile compounds in addition to chemical parameters with the neurological effect of the oil as a pain reliever.
• To investigate the presence of microorganisms
• To identify a novel production method.
• To introduce a commercially viable product.

Supervisors In-charge: Ms. Nayani and Mr. Dilan

Ayurveda is one of the oldest comprehensive healthcare systems worldwide. Ayurveda treatment and physiotherapy are frequently used to treat patients with chronic pain syndromes and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Neck pain is considered a major health issue with high rates of recurrence. It presents with a variety of altered sensorimotor functions. Therefore, it is important to get treated in the right manner to prevent complications. Neck pain is common among adults in developed countries. Work-related neck disorders are common problems among office workers, especially among those who are intensive computer users. Neck pain can be treated using various kinds of treatment methods. Ayurveda and physiotherapy treatments are the most common treatment methods which we can use for these disorders.

The objectives of the project are:

• To find out the effectiveness of Ayurveda and physiotherapy treatments for work-related neck pain.
• To find out the most suitable treatment method which can be used to treat work-related neck pain.

Supervisor in-charge: Ms. Anuradha, Mr. Damith, and Mr. Nipun