Asha Centre, Badowita
Supporting the most vulnerable in the community
We’ve had some great sessions for
those with disabilities. The teachers at
the RCCI come up with new ideas each week on how to teach and support the
children and young people who attend. From making kites to playing hopscotch, each activity is a
tool for learning. For example, by
playing hopscotch, the children can improve their physical mobility and
coordination and also revise counting not to mention the all important element
of team work!
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| Hopscotch |
We also have parallel bars at the
centre so that those with physical disabilities can practise learning to
support themselves in order to promote walking in the future. Kumar, our physiotherapist, has also recently
referred some children and adults to hospitals and Social Services so that
medical treatment can be given or essential equipment provided to those who
need it.
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| Rupawatti with some of the young people with disabilities who come to the centre |
Those involved with the project feel that we are really at the stage where we can begin to give support during the week. Discussion with the RCCI and other partners are taking place as to how this support can be provided and when it can start – watch this space!
Empowering women
The sewing group is doing well. Upaseeli, the teacher has built a good
relationship with those who attend. We
have about 10 women attending regularly and the group is slowly growing as word
gets around what it is all about. The
group has also bonded well and bring each other treats to share each time like
‘kiribath’ (milk rice – a popular dish in Sri Lanka made from rice and coconut
milk) and biscuits. It’s great that the
group are getting on so well and could be a good ‘vehicle for change’ in the
community!
Some women attending the group
have some knowledge of sewing whilst others are beginners. Upaseeli’s aim is to bring them all up to a
certain level so that they can all participate in the making of a product that
can be sold in Sri Lanka and the UK.
On Saturday, 2 of the group were
able to attend a 1 day workshop in Colombo where 2 talented seamstresses living
in Singapore came over to teach some women to make a beautiful patchwork
purse. This was possible through the
link with Seema, the kind and generous lady who put us in touch with Upaseeli
and who runs sewing groups with other women living in difficult
circumstances. The two women, Isuri and
Ruwaida, who attended the workshop came back singing its praises pleased with
what they had learnt. They had been
given material and equipment to practise and it will be great to see their
finished products. Upaseeli was also at
the workshop so she can teach the women who were not able to attend at the
centre in Badowita.
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| From this... |
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| ...to this, in a matter of weeks! |
Supporting young people find stable work
The team and I are also in the process of
looking at whether there is demand for further employment training in the
area. We have been putting up flyers in
the area in English and Sinahala and this week, I went with Maleena, one of the trainers at the hair
and beauty training academy to visit some of those who had previously taken
part in the course to get their ideas and feedback.
We were thrilled to hear that
Nishanthi, who was in the first group of students doing the hair and beauty
course is nearly
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| Nishanthi outside her 'soon to be finished' salon. |
ready to open her own purpose built salon in the area. We eagerly went to see it and although the
salon is small it is very well built and will be a nice place to work in. Nishanthi has been earning a good income from
‘bridal dressing’ and with this income and a bank loan of Rs 50,000 she has
been able to build and decorate a small building. Nishanthi has been well-supported by her
husband. He has done a lot of the
building work and has given what he can from his salary as a tuk tuk
driver. Now I don’t want to sound sexist
or
generalising about the men in Badowita but it is wonderful that he has been
so supportive. So often we hear stories
about husbands not allowing certain things or causing problems in the home due
to drug and alcohol abuse. What a
refreshing change!
Nishanthi now only needs to save
a little more money so that she can purchase a chair, sink and carpet and then
she is ready to open! Maleena from the
training academy has offered to give advice and support when she first opens.
Nishanthi is also in touch with all those who trained with her and has become a
bit of a ‘mother’ figure for the group.
They call her up if they need advice on the work they are doing from
home and she hopes to employ a couple of them once her business is doing well!
News from Sioll Centre, Bataramulla
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| Some of the team at Sioll |
The team in Bataramulla have shown a keen interest in the development of the sewing project in Badowita and are now
sending 2 women to one of Seema’s sewing classes that she runs on a
Thursday. Their aim is to develop a
project that could bring in extra income for the centre there.
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| After school homework club |
Beulah who oversees the centre in
Bataramulla is also looking at extending the services that their centre
provides. They have space in the centre
during the day and she has decided that she wants to support isolated older
people in the area. With the help of a
friend of hers, she is planning on setting up an ‘elders group’ that will meet
up weekly from January in the centre. She
has decided that she wishes the group who meet to decide what they want from
their weekly meet-ups and she will try to provide any resources they need. It is great that she is looking to support
more members of the community at the centre!
When I went to see her last week,
she was able to give me an encouraging update regarding 2 young boys who had
recently started coming to the centre and where she had big concerns about
them. Aged 4 and 5, when they first came
to the centre, the boys had appeared traumatised and frightened. Beulah thinks this was because of the family
situation which was chaotic and violent.
According to the grandmother who loves with the boys and their parents,
her son is a drug addict and this has caused many problems in the home with
violence and arguments between the parents frequently being witnessed by their 2 young sons. Due to the father’s addiction he found it impossible
to earn an income for his family and the boys’ mother was working in 2 jobs to
try and provide for her sons. With
grandmother looking after the boys in the day, she was desperate to earn as
well so that she could change their housing situation which she believed was
making the family situation worse as they were all living in one partitioned
small room.
Beulah agreed to look after the
boys in the centre’s day care facility.
Last time when I met with her Beulah spoke of the boys’ unwillingness to
interact with anyone and the fact they clung to each other throughout the
day. They hardly spoke and needed much
encouragement to engage in simple play activities. Through the care of the pre-school teacher at
Bataramulla, the boys are finally learning to trust staff at the centre. From not being even able to hold a pencil,
they are now happily tracing letters.
They now seem much happier and settled and are engaging with staff and
other children alike.
Of course, the support that
Beulah and her team provide is not the magic solution to the family’s
problems. The boys still have to go home
at the end of the day to their chaotic family life. However, at least the centre is providing
them with some much needed stability, love and attention. The team at the centre will also support with
ensuring the boys go to school when they are able.
The boys’ grandmother has now
told Beulah that their father has now sought help for his drug addiction and is
in rehab. I can only hope that the
family situation improves as a result of this.
On that hopeful note I will finish for today, more soon!
Katherine
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| Disability art project - a team effort learning about and celebrating National Children's Day |
