Vavuniya Children with Special Needs excel in sports

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 November 2002, 18:57 GMT]
Kirupananthamoorthy Nitharshan and Raveendran Thanusha, students at the Empowerment Campus in Vavuniya district, obtained medals in a nationwide sports meet for children with special needs organized by the Colombo Metropolitan Rotary Club, held earlier this month.

Nitharshan obtained gold medals in the 100m and 200m sprints, and Thanusha obtained a bronze medal in the 200m sprint. The meet known as 'Sunshine' was held in the Reid Avenue sports ground in Colombo.

This is the first time in 20 years that 12 children from the NorthEast have participated in a nationwide competition for children with special needs.

Prize winners Thanusha (left) and Nitharshan.

Social Economical Environmental Developers (SEED) organization took responsibility to administer the The Empowerment Campus from the district Government Agent (GA) in the year 2000 and is running the campus with the assistance of the GA and the Social Service Commission.

The campus started as a private effort by Rajaratnam Vinithaseelan, a teacher, with seven students and has now expanded to accommodate 45 students taught by 11 teachers. Lip reading and sign language are used in the class room for teaching the children.

Norway's Save the Children organization has been giving financial assistance to run the Empowerment Campus from the beginning of the year 2001.

Well wishers are hosting a celebratory event to recognize the achievements of the children, the effort of SEED and the teachers who provided the sports training to the children on Friday 15, November at the Empowerment Campus, sources in Vavuniya said.