Hope for Children Director visits Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 October 2002, 16:36 GMT]
"The peace process has started. It is not the end. It will take several years to achieve a solution to the conflict and to establish permanent peace. Our partner organizations in Trincomalee should not remain idle. They must continue to cater to the needs of the children affected by the war," said Dr.Robert Parsons, Founder Director of the Hope for Children addressing staffers of several Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) in Trincomalee Thursday evening.

Hope for Children is an international organization working on behalf of handicapped, orphaned, poor and exploited children.

Hope for Children Director Dr.Robert Parsons with his Sri Lanka Representative Mr.Tyrrell Cooray ( L ) and Dr.E.Gunalan, Chairman of Sri Lanka Red cross Society, Trincomalee branch.

The discussion held at Trincomalee Methodist Church was attended by representatives of the partner organizations of the Hope for the Children in Trincomalee district. Dr.Robert Parsons in his tour to Trincomalee district was accompanied by his Sri Lanka representative Mr.Tyrrell Cooray.

The group visited several pre-schools at Athimoddai, Poompuhar-Palaiyootu, Adampoddai, and Anpuvallipuram. Dr.Robert Parsons also visited Vanni returnees now temporarily resettled at Nilaveli and Kanniya. He surveyed the resettlement work done at Kappalthurai village.

Five children- 2 Muslims, 2 Hindus and 1 Christian -received him when he went to Palayootu-Poombuhar preschool which is run by Trincomalee District Young Men Hindu Association (YMHA).

Dr.Robert Parsons, Founder Director of the Hope for Children addressing staffers of several Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) in Trincomalee Thursday evening.

Sri Lanka representative for the Hope for Children Mr.Tyrrell Cooray at the discussion held later in the evening said programmes focusing on children should be formulated for implementation. "Children are our national asset. Without children there is no future. Imagine for a moment a world without children," said Mr.Tyrrell Cooray.

Mr.T.Thavasilingam, Chairman of the Trincomalee district NGOs consortium said that thousands of children are born and bred in the refugee camps in the northeast. They do not know the other side of the world. They are used to culture in the camps. It is big task to bring them back to normal life. Some concrete steps should be taken to rehabilitate these children. "In the areas held by the LTTE most of the children do not attend schools. This is due to poverty among parents and also most of the schools have been damaged due to war. 68.5 percent of children and pregnant mothers in northeast are suffering due to malnutrition," said Mr.Thavasilingam.

Dr.E.Gunalan, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Trincomalee district branch said that most children in northeast are psychologically affected due to the brutal war. "Even now if they hear the sound of a helicopter they immediately take cover under a table. The impact of war still lingering in their minds," he said.

Dr.Robert Parsons later addressed the weekly meeting of the Trincomalee Rotary Club. Dr.Robert Parsons is also Rotarian.