Alliance News : Oct - Dec 2015

Protect Children Always:

The World Children’s Day Celebrations P. 4

OCT-DEC 2015 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE OF SRI LANKA This Publication Is for Private Circulation Only

What’s up @ the NCEASL Welcome to our final issue for 2015.

We hope you enjoy reading the highlights of our projects and activities during this quarter which features the story of the World Children’s Day celebration and the Touch Anti-Leprosy Campaign. The NCEASL entered a memorandum of understanding with the Divisional Secretary of Vavuniya in combating violence against women and girls. This was followed by a workshop that was aimed at equipping those gathered, with the knowledge and skill to combat violence. The Shalom Camp enabled a congregation in the Gampaha District to unite together in fellowship, worship and prayer.

In November, Missions and Evangelism conducted a seminar titled Leading in Love for women in church leadership from the Northern Province and the Gampaha District. The training was designed to focus on leading in love as Christ did and apply the principles taught to encourage mentoring and sharing with other women.

Leprosy: The Battle Continues Leprosy is a greatly neglected illness in Sri Lanka. Even though there are new cases reported annually especially from Colombo, the general public are under the misconception that leprosy is completely eliminated from Sri Lanka. The stigma associated with leprosy further discourages persons from testing for the illness. This also proves to be a challenge in reinstating persons affected by the illness back to society. Cont’d P. 2

We thank all our valuable partners and stakeholders for making 2015 a successful year for the NCEASL and wish all our readers a blessed 2016!

The Media and Communications Unit

Church Constructions

Fighting Violence against Women Coinciding with the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, the NCEASL entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Divisional Secretary of Vavuniya. This agreement which was signed on 10 December 2015, marked a partnership between the NCEASL and the District Secretariat in combating violence against women and girls and together redress such social issues in Vavuniya. Cont’d P. 2

Freedom to Worship without Fear The congregation of an Assemblies of God Church in the Gampaha District have longed for the opportunity to meet together in prayer and fellowship outside their immediate surroundings. This year, such an opportunity presented itself through Shalom Camp. Cont’d P. 7 Page 1 Alliance News Oct-Dec 2015

Leprosy: The Battle...Cont’d P.1 Since the launch of the Touch Anti-Leprosy Campaign in 2014, the Alliance Development Trust (ADT) has worked closely with community leaders in creating awareness on the spread of leprosy and in combating the stigma against persons affected with the illness. In 2015, the ADT worked towards further mentoring and equipping its network of community leaders as they in turn took to training others to further their message of awareness. In December, the ADT’s Leprosy Desk conducted several programmes for the benefit of the steering committee formed in this regard. Following the discussions of the progress of their training programmes, they also formulated an action plan for the projects that will be conducted in 2016. As World Leprosy Day is marked on the last Sunday of January, the community leaders also shared notes on how they would conduct awareness programmes to coincide with Leprosy Sunday.

In the same week, the ADT and several members of the steering committee of its Touch Anti-Leprosy Campaign also spent time in networking with government and other civil society groups working with leprosy affected persons and persons affected with related diseases and illnesses. The ADT’s Leprosy Desk was also represented at a panel discussion conducted by the Leprosy Mission of England and Wales on 3 December. The Touch Anti-Leprosy Campaign was greatly commended at this conference and the ADT’s strategy of working with community leaders was exemplified.

This programme proved to be a great opportunity for the ADT to create new partnerships with like-minded groups and broaden its horizons.

For more on the Touch Anti-Leprosy Campaign visit www.adtlanka.org

Violence Against Women...Cont’d P.1 This MoU was signed in the presence of around 110 members of Women’s Rural Development Societies (WRDS) of Vavuniya and representatives of state institutions.

The participants also benefited by a workshop conducted on issues women face. The participants were educated on the various forms of violence and abuse which women and girls face and the measures they can take to report such incidents. They were also encouraged to discuss and voice their concerns in the presence of various government officials and civil society representatives.

This workshop further empowered the members of the WRDS groups of Vavuniya, equipping them with knowledge on steps to take in addressing their grievances. The workshop thereby called them to be stakeholders in this journey to combat violence against women and girls.

Sticker Campagin in Progress

Following the workshop, the participants and organisers donned orange tee-shirts with messages calling for the end of gender-based violence as they gathered at the District Secretariat to unveil a notice board on the forms of harassment women face and the ways to report an incident of abuse. Thereafter the participants took to the streets for a sticker campaign, braving the inclement weather conditions. The stickers which displayed the legal measures taken against perpetrators of abuse, were pasted in the Vavuniya bus stand and inside the buses. The commuters and passers-by showed much interest in the message carried on the stickers. Chandrawathi who lives in the outskirts of Vavuniya took much interest in a sticker pasted in the bus halt. “I know that there is violence against women but I didn’t know what to do about it” she expressed. “This sticker campaign is a good deed; I will note down the number of the women’s help line so that I can report such incidents.”

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FEATURE STORY

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anjutha left her home in Muttur, Trincomalee on the morning of 25 October. It was 5.30 p.m. in the evening when she reached Colombo. The tall buildings amazed her. The carpeted roads and the paved walkways were so different to the ones back at home. The 44 children in her bus were sometimes whispering in awe and sometimes screaming in delight as they pointed to the various landmarks in Colombo. It was a long journey for Sanjutha and her friends. Weariness soon overcame their excitement and they were glad when they reached their lodgings for the next 3 days.

Sanjutha is a student of Vibulantha Vidyalayam in Muttur. Her companions for the next 3 days were students from her school and two other schools in Seruvila and Aalimnagar also in Trincomalee.

They were all beneficiaries of the Conflict Transformation Programme conducted in these areas by the Alliance Development Trust (ADT). A total of 44 children from these three schools were selected to attend a World Children’s Day celebration which was held on 26 October at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI).

Protect Children Always: The World Children’s Day Celebration Page 4 Alliance News Oct-Dec 2015

This programme was organised by the ADT, Kindernothilfe (KNH) and several other partner organisations which work towards the welfare of children in collaboration with the Ministry of Child Affairs. Around 1,000 children from all parts of Sri Lanka attended this programme. It commenced with a variety entertainment programme for the children. The event was graced by Vijayakala Maheswaran – State Minister of Child Affairs and Dr. Michael Dohmen – Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy among other dignitaries.

Entertainment items of dance and drama were presented by children supported by various social services and non-profit organisations. It was heartening to see differently-abled children perform amidst cheers from the audience. All of the children’s items passed on a special message to the audience. They spoke against child abuse, the vices of alcoholism and inattentive use of mobile phones. Sanjutha’s friends from Trincomalee dressed up to represent all ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, as they danced to a song emphasising the importance of unity. These performances were followed by a magic show that both amazed and amused the audience. All the children received little gift packs before

they left the SLFI auditorium for a picnic-style lunch.

The second part of the day’s proceedings commenced at 4.00 p.m. at the Independence Square. Around 500 more children representing schools in Colombo, including the School for the Blind in Ratmalana, joined in a campaign for the rights of children and against child abuse. Approximately 1,500 children and adults marched around the vicinity, calling the attention of all passers-by to the placards they carried. This walk concluded with a petition of 200 children’s voices handed over to H.E. the President of Sri Lanka through Mano Ganesan – the Minister of National Dialogue. The petition highlighted several burning issues that concern children.

The plight of children who live in unsuitable and unsanitary houses and squats in urban slums, line houses and rural areas was raised. The petition also brought attention to alcohol and substance abuse among parents which increase the possibility of violent behaviour towards their children and their vulnerability to abuse. It called for strict action to be taken against pubs operating near schools. The undue pressure exerted on children preparing for competitive examinations such as the Grade 5 scholarship exam was another point emphasised in the petition. It discussed that children are subject to corporal punishment at the hands of their teachers. There were concerns also raised on the shortfall of teachers and equipment, the condition of the school buildings and the lack of resources to study Information Technology (IT) as a subject. The petition also included the inadequacy of public facilities such as transportation and the affect it has on students, highlighting how the unavailability of regular bus services disrupts children’s school attendance.

Further mentioned was the condition of dilapidated bridges which endanger children who use them on their way to and from school.

a ship for the very first time, especially the children who hailed from the hill country and from the North.

Fourteen year old Santhuja was thrilled that she was selected to attend this programme and is very grateful for the opportunity to celebrate World Children’s Day with other children like herself. She was also happy to take part in the campaign for child rights. Like most children, Santhuja also carried a placard during the walk drawing awareness to a cause that she felt was important. Santhuja is concerned that child labour robs many underprivileged children from rural areas of the chance to live a dignified life. Her handmade placard thereby spoke against child labour. Sanjutha immensely enjoyed this walk on her first

“Colombo is very beautiful.I would like it very much if I can visit Colombo again.”

At the conclusion of the walk and campaign, the children visited the book fair aboard Logos Hope – a ship operated by a Christian charitable organisation – which was harboured at the Colombo Port. For Sanjutha, this was the fourth time she climbed aboard a ship as she had received several opportunities back home in Trincomalee. However, there were many children who boarded

Sanjutha lights the traditional oil lamp with a director of the ADT

visit to Colombo. “Colombo is very beautiful” she said with eyes big with wonder. “The buildings here are very tall!” She does not even mind that she had to miss a day at school to attend this programme because she had a wonderful time. She is sad that her visit was so short. “I liked the magic show the most” she exclaimed as she described how much she enjoyed the day’s proceedings. “I would like it very much if I can visit Colombo again.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Human Rights Seminar in Kotmale The Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) conducted a Human Rights seminar in Kotmale on 27 December. The 45 participants who attended this seminar consisted community leaders who represented those who work in the tea plantations in the Kotmale area. The seminar followed a local forum held with this community earlier, during which the RLC identified several rights’ violations faced by the estate workers. Thereby this seminar was organised with the aim of redressing these issues. This seminar which was conducted in Tamil, was facilitated by Mr. R. Ramesh – a Political Science lecturer at the Peradeniya University. The community leaders who participated in this seminar were equipped with basic information which would help them ensure that the rights of the workers are not violated. The topics which were addressed at this seminar included workers’ rights, public health issues, economic rights and environmental issues. seminar included workers’ rights, public health issues, economic rights and environmental issues.

From Kindergarten to Masters in Experiential Training The Sanctuary House (SH) is now more than a venue with meals and accommodation for retreats, camps and workshops.

This year, the SH graduated to become a fully-fledged in-house experiential training facility. The SH now designs and facilitates Experiential Learning Programmes in the vernacular. These training programmes are designed for organisations working towards developing high performance teams.Using experiential training as an effective tool for learning and behavioural change, the SH ensures that everyone has a role to play in developing a mindset for a new learning experience. The fun and enjoyment associated with this form of practical learning help them grasp the lessons learnt in the session. Formerly, experiential training at the SH centred around team-building activities and exercises. The new programmes encompass indoor as well as outdoor activities that are aimed at basic team building, interdependence, cooperation, bonding, strategising, working together, interaction and taking ownership of organisational vision amongst others.

Year-End Get-Together for Kids The ADT supports the children of the Change Makers Clubs to organise a year-end get-together annually. This is an opportunity for the children to come together before the clubs’ activities for the year come to an end. The children also celebrate their achievements of the year and the camaraderie they share. The get-together of the children’s club of Suhadapura was held on 28 November, 2015 at the Kamkaru Sevana hall in Ratmalana.

A total of 67 Change Makers participated in this programme which started early in the evening. The get-together began with a presentation of photographs of programmes conducted since 2011 by the ADT and the club for the benefit of the community. The committee of the children’s club had organised several games for the children and also for the members of the Village Development Committee who were present. It was a momentous occasion when the children appreciated the ADT for the services rendered towards their community. The ADT also felicitated the Change Makers and the Village Development Committee for their assistance towards completing the various projects successfully.

The ADT presented souvenirs to the members of the Village Development Committee and the children’s club in appreciation of their support. Similar year-end get-togethers were also organised for the benefit of the Change Makers Clubs in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and Galle.

Read more on this story on www.adtlanka.org

Drainage System for an Urban Slum The community living in Vihara Lane, Wellawatte experience great difficulty during the rainy season. Due to the lack of a proper drainage system, 25 families face flooding and as a result cannot step out of their homes on such days. In inclement weather conditions, these families are forced to wade through knee-deep water. The children are the worst affected by this situation as they find it hard to brave the floods with their school uniforms and shoes. Following a request from the community, the ADT constructed a drainage system for the benefit of the affected families. The unlevel ground that was prone to flooding was also cemented by the ADT on 26 November. The ADT ensured that the families that benefited from this drainage system contributed their labour towards the construction work. This guarantees that the community will continue to maintain this newly constructed drainage system.

Three Seminars for Nothern Christian Leaders During the month of November, Missions and Evangelism conducted three seminars for christian leaders in the Northern districts. A total of 80 women from the Northern districts attended the seminar titled Leading in Love which was also replicated for 65 women from the Gampaha District.

The training was focused on leading in love as Christ did.

Further, a strategic meeting was held for 42 senior pastors from Jaffna to discuss the need to unite in a nation-building effort in partnership with each other. To further emphasise the learnings from the strategic meeting, a programme on partnership was organised for 65 pastors and church leaders from Jaffna. Those who attended this seminar learned biblical basics on partnership with God and with each other. The participants at these seminars were greatly benefited by this programme which was facilitated by Partners International.

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Freedom to Worship...Cont’d from P.1 The camp held from the 13-15 November, saw 80 persons from the very old to the very young, gathering together at the Sanctuary House in Pamunugama.

“We prayed together for an opportunity for a family camp like this” said Shanika, a vibrant young woman in her twenties, speaking to us about her experience at the camp. Shanika and her large family of seven have had a long and difficult journey to Christianity. “Members in my family would constantly fall sick and would be in and out of hospital. They were prone to constant accidents as well. Finally it came to a stage where we were losing everything we owned” she explained. As a new Christian, Shanika once found Christian prayer and praise disconcerting.

Now as a full-time ministry worker who has the support of her family, Shanika looks forward to times of worship which bring her solace. Shalom Camp which is designed to meet this need, proved a refreshing experience for Shanika and other members of the congregation.

Pastor Suresh Stephen, the chief resource person at the camp, has been a familiar face at the NCEASL’s events and retreats, since he was first invited as an interpreter several years back. A one-time successful businessperson in the Middle East, he now

pastors the growing congregation at El Bethel Power Ministries in Wattala. Multilingual, empathetic, open and with a sense of humour, Ps. Stephen does not take long to connect with his audience. “I was able to spend more time with the people.

It wasn’t really preaching”, said Ps.Stephen describing how he valued the interaction and rapport he built with the campers.

He went onto say how he appreciated this ministry, because he felt “the Church needs support and encouragement” and Shalom Camp did just that.

Thilakananthini Dissanayake, felt that the camp not only encouraged the congregation but also provided those who could ill afford it 3 days of rest, relaxation and fellowship.“The members of the congregation are poor, daily-wage earners, who don’t have the means to organise a camp of this nature” she said going on to describe how the church had prayed for such an opportunity and the NCEASL had come forward in answer to their prayer. “I thank God for the way in which He intervened to help poor and oppressed churches such as ours through organisations such as yours” she said, emphasising the pivotal role that the NCEASL has played in the life of such churches around Sri Lanka.

Support Continues for Volunteer Christian Teachers

A

Participants at the Teachers Training Conference

pproximately 7 years ago, the NCEASL initiated a support scheme for teachers who volunteer to teach Christianity in schools where there are no teachers for the subject.

In 2014, the NCEASL met with the teachers they were supporting and addressed some of the common problems they faced.

The success of that gathering and the enthusiasm of the teachers to make it an annual event, resulted in 34 teachers gathering for the Teachers Training Conference from 7 – 9 December 2015. The teachers had travelled from the Ampara, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, Mannar, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Badulla, Matale, Anuradhapura and Vavuniya Districts.

The conference held in December focused on the curriculum for Christianity taught from Grades 5-11.

The NCEASL arranged for Thevaseervatham Emmanuel Pushparaj and Glory Hepsiba who are invigilators affiliated to the Ministry of Education to facilitate this workshop. Emphasising the importance such programmes play, Pushparaj described how useful the sessions were to some of the participants saying “some of the teachers are very eager to learn new teaching methods that they too can implement.”

For more on similar stories www.nceasl.org

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PROJECTS AT A GLANCE MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION

National Prayer Day Attended by 40 Persons

A Legal Documentation Clinic Held in Vavuniya

A 2 Day Conference for 350 Pastors aboard MV Logos Hope Ship

3 Local Forums Held in Vavuniya, Matale and Kotmale

A Conference aboard MV Logos Hope Ship for 200 Youths

A Human Rights Seminar Held in Kotmale

Leading in Love Seminar Attended by 80 Women from the North and 65 Women from the Gampaha District

Legal Interventions on Behalf of 5 Persecuted Pastors

Partnership Training for 65 Pastors and Church Leaders from Jaffna

Monitoring and Documentation of 20 Incidents of Violence and Intimidation against Christians

Strategic Meeting Held for 42 Senior Pastors from Jaffna

A Teachers Training Conference was Held for 34 Teachers Supported through the Teachers Sponsorship Programme

Mathetes Discipleship Programme Held for 15 Participants from Jaffna

A Shalom Camp held for 80 Persecuted Christians from the Gampaha District

33 Task Force Meetings Conducted in Colombo

Emergency Assistance for 7 Pastors from Balangoda, Aluthgama, Rambukana, Batticaloa, Makola, Meegoda and Vavuniya

Campaign against a Gender-Based Violence Benefiting the General Public in Vavuniya

Kids Ed Programme Supported 3 Students from Gampaha and Batticaloa

Construction of Church Buildings for 35 Pastors

Evangel Care Scholarship Programme Supported 220 Children

Publications - Story of Peradeniya Teaching College by Prof. G P V Somaratne, Commentary on the Book of Revelation by Dr. Lalith Mendis and 2 Editions of Pezaipura and Namaskara

Distribution of Over 500 Bibles in the Northern Province Legal Aid for 9 Pastors in Anuradhapura, Makola, Balangoda, Hambantota, Mannar, Gampaha, Neluwa and Kegalle

RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT Management Training Programme and an Educational Visit for 16 Persons in Galle Meetings with 37 Members of Development Committees in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Colombo and Galle Capacity Building Programme for 1,080 Members of 270 Community-Based Organisations and Sessions to Gather Feedback from 10 Rural Development Officers in Batticaloa Educational Visits for 45 Persons from Batticaloa 6 Community-Initiated Projects Benefiting 4,150 Persons in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Trincomalee Appreciation of 14 Volunteers in Colombo 6 Programmes to Mark World Children’s Day Benefiting 1,202 Children from Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Colombo and Galle Year-End Gatherings for 977 Persons in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Colombo and Galle

Address: P.O. Box 113, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka | Telephone: 00945511358 | Email: communications@nceasl.org Web: nceasl.org, adtlanka.org | Social Media: facebook.com/NCEASL, facebook.com/ADT.Sri.Lanka, twitter.com/nceasl Page 8 Alliance News Oct-Dec 2015