UK NGO helps Trincomalee disabled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 01:37 GMT]
Leonard Cheshire International (LCI) of United Kingdom (UK), an organization which assists people with special needs worldwide, handed over livelihood assistance to fifteen selected tsunami affected disabled beneficiaries to rebuild their lives and to parents to generate income to maintain their disabled children, at an event held Monday at the Trincomalee Rotary House. Mr.K.R.Rajendra, South Asian Representative of LCI attended the event.

The LC Disabled Resource Centre in Trincomalee organized the event, one of three such centers in Sri Lanka established by the LCI in Sri Lanka. The other two centers are located in Batticaloa and Galle.

Mr.P.Thirumugam, Project Manager of the Trincomalee LCI-DRC in his welcome address said that the event marks the World Disabled Day.

Mr.Rajendran said his organization has planned to identify about four thousand disabled in the Trincomalee district in the coming years. Children with special needs would be provided with training and other assistance to pursue their education in same classrooms as normal children. These disabled children will not be separated to attend special classes exclusively designed for them.

"LCI is working in Sri Lanka for the last forty years running two Cheshire Homes for disabled children in Negombo and Mount Lavinia in the western province. But soon after tsunami a team of UK doctors arrived in Sri Lanka to provide trauma counseling for victims. In a survey conducted revealed that no organization has taken concrete steps to provide such counseling for disabled victims. Hence LCI decided to start three Disabled Resource Centers in tsunami-affected areas," said Mr.Rajendran.

He said LCI is working in fifty-six countries providing assistance through 255 organizations with local volunteers.

Mr.Rajendran is in charge of LCI activities in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangaladesh with his headquarters in Bangalore in South India.

Mr.K.Ariyanayakam, Trincomalee Divisional Educational Officer was the special guest.

Mr.Jeevan Koddithuwakke, LC-DRC Programme Manager in Sri Lanka also participated in the event.

LCI's website said of its mission: "Leonard Cheshire International is working within economic, social and cultural contexts to break down these barriers faced by disabled people. The international work of Leonard Cheshire extends to 57 countries worldwide and includes projects in education, employment, economic empowerment, rehabilitation and day care services, short and longer term residential care, and community programmes."

External Links:

UK:

Leonard Cheshire International