Art Exhibition to promote Child Rights
“Future generation must be cared for and protected” – Minister Karaliyadde matter how much development a country accomplishes in disturbed minds.” “That is why World Vision is a big blessing to the “N obuilding roads and infrastructure, it is of no use if the future work of our ministry. I see that you can accomplish much more through generation of that country is abused and destroyed and is not cared for,” said Tissa Karaliyadda, Minister for Child Development and Women’s Affairs, at the Children’s Art Exhibition organised by World Vision at the BMICH recently. The Art competition for children was conducted in 25 World Vision Programme locations, encouraging them to paint their thoughts and display their talents on ‘Child Rights and Responsibilities’. More than 5000 Children from 670 World Vision child societies participated in the competition which was conducted under four age categories. “We had focused so much on the war in the past that we thought very little of child protection. It is a shame,” the Minister said.“I too am a person from Kebithigollewa - a very rural area that bore the brunt of the war and I see drawings of children from there too displayed here,” he said.“Children from such areas used to draw only war tanks, soldiers and armed people, but I can see that it has changed now and I want to thank World Vision for the work they do in transforming their once
the child societies,” he added.“I was delighted to see the talents of the children on display today.The theme of this exhibition was Child Rights and Child participation and we want to ensure that all children have a voice in all things that affect their lives,” said Suresh Bartlett National Director,World Vision Lanka
“We used to tell children what was good for them and what they should be doing but now in all our programmes we intentionally engage with them and want them to tell us what is good for them” said Bartlett. In order to prepare the children, workshops on visual art were held at each Programme location with the support and collaboration of the Department of Fine Arts, University of Kelaniya. Children from Mannar, Ehetuwewa, Bibile,Vavuniya,Wilgamuwa, Navithanveli, Jaffna and Horowpothana Programmes bagged the awards.Among the distinguished gathering were M.L.A.M Hizbullah, Deputy Minister of Child Development and Women’s Affairs and Dr. Sarath Amunugama Vice Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya.
Our Goal - Fullness of Life for Every Child
Editorial Rebuilding work needs continuity As we begin another new year it is a good time to take stock of our work and our part in helping the country to rebuild and heal after war. Bringing fractured communities together after years of living in mistrust of each other is no easy task but every effort must be made to ensure that Sri Lanka never ever slips back into war again. As evidenced in the stories in this edition, World Vision is keenly involved in the rebuilding process for all those affected by the war. However, we believe that the rebuilding of the country is everybody’s business and there is an ideal opportunity for a much wider collaboration in the rebuilding process through public and private sector partnerships. On this page are details of a forum conducted by World Vision for corporate leaders to explore opportunities for partnering and the creation of new synergies. Many international funding agencies believe Sri Lanka’s problems are over with the end of the war and the country’s own rise to a ‘middle income level country’ and they have already focused their attention elsewhere. Elsewhere in this edition is the story of our work in Galenbindunuwewa where our programme reached closure after 15 years. Most families now have access to clean drinking water, children are now back in school and enjoying better health and nutrition. The story of Niroma who realized her dream of becoming a doctor thanks to World Vision who supported her education is a poignant example of the difference we can make to a child’s life.
World Vision hosts forum to discuss partnership opportunities Vision hosted a forum for over 100 corporate and other leaders W orld to explore opportunities on working towards a common objective of
transforming the lives of the poor and marginalized and ensuring a better future for the children. The main aim of the event was to explore opportunities for collaboration in order to reach out to a greater number of communities and bring about real impact and transformation in the shortest possible time. As Sri Lanka’s post war development gathers momentum it presents a challenge whereby all concerned need to play their part in ensuring no regions or people are left behind. Although the prime duty bearer for the rebuilding of the country is the Sri Lankan government it is time for everyone to rally round and contribute even in the smallest possible way to ensure the country never goes back to those dark days of war and mistrust. The event was welcomed by most participants who pledged to continue the dialogue and take the message of collaboration to their respective offices.
S. Varathaladsumy – a survivor of the war has now returned home and is slowly rebuilding her life thanks to World Vision’s livelihood recovery programme. As those who were displaced during the war continue to return to their villages, they have been returning to virtually nothing and desperately need support as they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives – there is still much work to be done.
Editorial Team Asanga Warnakulasuriya Dion Schoorman Hasanthi Jayamaha Jayaweera Kohombange Neomal Weerakoon Yoga Perera
Contents: Cover Page Editorial, ADP News, ADP News, ADP News, HEA News comments: editor_kathika@wvi.org
Help us to keep them At World Vision we are passionate about the well being of children and ensuring them life in all its fullness. If you are interested in learning more about our work or would like to join us in partnership in any of our programmes please email, dion_schoorman@wvi.org
adp news Updates from our development programmes
Chief Minister hails World Vision’s work in Galenbindunuwewa e will always cherish the commitment World Vision had in “W working shoulder to shoulder with this vulnerable community
enjoying better health and nutrition. Children have a space for their talents and voice and families have better housing and sustainable livelihoods.
The 15-year World Vision Area Development Programme reached its completion in August 2011.
In 1996, only 47% of the population had access to safe drinking water but today that figure has risen to an impressive 91.8%. Usage of water sealed toilet facilities has improved from just 29% to 96 %. The average family income levels have increased threefold and 64.6% of families now have accumulated savings.
in Galenbindunuwewa, sacrificing their time and energy,” said the North Central Province Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake at the closure ceremony of World Vision’s programme in Galenbinidunuwewa.
“We (the government) receive help from many organisations to develop the rural areas of our country, but they all come in the form of loans that the people of this country have to repay. But World Vision does not ask us to return a single cent they have invested in developing this area,” he said. “They (World Vision) had many challenges,” says the Minister, “but they proved that all the negative rumours about them were wrong and that their only motive was to help the poorest of the poor bringing them out of poverty.” “On behalf of all the people of North Central Sri Lanka I wish to thank WorldVision and assure them of our support in all their work – especially in Horowpathana and Kebithigollawa” said the Minister. Since 1996, in partnership with the community,World Vision has conducted a range of initiatives in the key sectors of Education, Health & Nutrition, Water & Sanitation, and Economic Development in Galenbindunuwewa – one of the poorest and under developed regions in the country. Most families now have access to clean drinking water, children are now back in school and
A major feature has been the increase in the land under cultivation with over 4200 acres of agricultural land being cultivated today as compared to only 900 acres in 1996. Malnutrition statistics of children under-five indicate a significant improvement with those underweight reducing from 62% in 2000 to 21.1%, stunting from 24% to 19.8% and wasting reducing from 57% to 37.7%. The progress in the education sector is also encouraging.The attendance of pre-school students has risen from 70% in 1996 to 92% today, whilst the attendance of primary school students is 100% indicating that the drop-out rate which was 16% in 1996 is now zero – a significant achievement indeed. After 15 years,WorldVision leaves behind an empowered community with enhanced capacities in Galenbindunuwewa who will now take ownership for their continued development.
adp news
Updates from our development programmes
NIROMA’S DREAM... in a white coat and with a stethoscope around her neck D ressed Niroma stands near a hospital bed in the Anuradhapura Base Hospital, listening, consoling and giving hope to a mother who is distressed about her little daughter’s condition. “Don’t worry, she will get well soon,” she assures in her caring voice as she explains the condition. “Sometimes patients or their loved ones won’t fully understand the condition even if we explain, but it is a must that we take time to listen and give hope,” she says, “It is difficult if you know that they have no chance of recovering but you can still take time to give them strength for that day.” Niroma is in her final year in Medical College and is now at the Anuradhapura Base Hospital practicing and gaining experience to be a doctor. She has assisted in the operating theatre, in different wards and cared for a number of patients. “One of my unforgettable experiences was when a young boy was brought to the hospital after an accident. He was unconscious and although the doctors gave him shock treatment for 40 minutes they were unsuccessful. If the patient doesn’t respond within 40 minutes, he is declared dead. We (medical students) began to take turns and give him shock treatment again. After an hour he came back to life,” she says, “I realised how much responsibility I have in my hands for another person’s life.” Coming from Thammannagama a rural village in Galenbindunuwewa, it was not an easy journey for Niroma to be where she is now. “I always wanted to be a doctor when I grew up, but I knew it was difficult for my parents to support all three of us (she and her two sisters) to get through school,” says Niroma,“But my parents always said that education is the only way to get out of poverty. So I wanted to study hard.” “Many children didn’t complete school in my village. Sometimes it was because parents didn’t know the value of education and some had no choice because of poverty,” she says, “But with World Vision coming to our village things changed. I remember I was in Grade four at that time.” “The sponsorship programme supported every child to be in school providing them with the necessary school stationery every year. It was a big relief to my parents too.We received study assistance classes and we even had an English class and a computer class. That is the only place where I learnt English
and computer and it helped me a lot.” Seeing Niroma’s persistence and hard work,World Vision offered her a scholarship for her higher education and followed it up scholarship to the university too. “My first stethoscope is a gift from World Vision,” smiles the medical student. Although she hasn’t decided on the field she wants to specialize in, she wants to serve the rural communities. “I come from a rural village and I can understand their hardships better,” she says.
adp news Updates from our development programmes
K
anthi’s two year old son was her first born and the most precious thing in her life. However, from birth he was underweight and prone to illnesses all the time. No matter how hard she tried to feed him he never seemed to want to eat. He had other issues too; he did not speak and was afraid of people - if a visitor came home he cried until they left. Kanthi was worried and visited the village midwife frequently for advice but her only response was that he was underweight. “My husband didn’t like to move with others, so we lived in isolation in a small thatched house far away from the community, closer to the jungle. We had no neighbours. There were no other houses around ours.When my husband went for masonry work, I stayed alone. I was not allowed to associate with others and if I went out, he became very angry.” said Kanthi. “One day I was invited by World Vision to attend a meeting on nutrition. The World Vision Mobiliser (Volunteer) explained that the programme would greatly benefit my son, so I convinced my husband to let me participate. As he was underweight, my son was selected for the nutrition programme. World Vision insisted that both parents of the child participate in the programme.” “The camp taught us many things on food and nutrition and different ways of preparing locally available food in a way that our children would like to eat. I was so amazed and thrilled to see my son’s weight increase during the nutrition camp (itself). He even took a lot of interest in eating the food I prepared too.” exclaimed Kanthi. There were many other positives for Kanthi. At the beginning of the camp her son had cried constantly because he was afraid of people. But soon overcame his fears and began to feel comfortable with other people and children. He seemed very happy and even began to speak a few words too. Kanthi also noted a change in her husband after his participation in the nutrition camp. He learnt to interact with others and also took part in the sessions on family life and well-being. He now helps his wife in some of the housework and spends more time with his son. “We moved to a new house in the community.World Vision not only gave my son the gift of good health but my whole family a new and a transformed life.” said Kanthi her face aglow with happiness. Positive Deviance (PD) Hearth is a community based nutrition programme for children who are at risk of malnutrition. It has enabled hundreds of communities to reduce their levels of childhood malnutrition and to prevent malnutrition of its future generations by changing norms in child care, feeding and health practices. The “positive deviance” approach is used to find uncommon beneficial practices by mothers or caretakers of well-nourished children from impoverished families. Once identified, the goal is to spread these practices and behaviours to others in the community with malnourished children.
PD HEARTH: MORE THAN A GIFT OF HEALTH FOR THE CHILD…
adp news Updates from our development programmes
Dreams realised: Teaching and serving the community dream was to be a teacher when she grew up. But she C hamila’s knew it was next to impossible. The village school she attended not only had minimum facilities, it hardly had any teachers to teach them. Apart from becoming a teacher one day, it was already difficult enough to become even an average student. “Our school was situated far away from the main road and there were no facilities for the teachers to travel or quarters for them to stay,” says Chamila. “The teachers came late to school and left early. Every teacher who was given an appointment at our school tried to get a transfer to a school in the town almost as soon as they arrived. The children in my village who couldn’t afford to go to a school in town had no access to proper education. Lack of teachers was the biggest setback to education here.” Seeing their plight, World Vision launched a special programme with the education department to recruit volunteer teachers for the school. Young people who had completed their schooling and had a desire to teach were interviewed and provided teacher training.
“This is my 12th year of service in the school in my village since then,” smiles Chamila. “I cannot describe in words the joy and the satisfaction I have in seeing these children from my village, learning and growing and getting through school with bigger dreams.” “I am honoured to be a teacher for the children of my own community. I want to thank World Vision for showing me the path to walk with love and care for the poor children in my village.” Chamila has now completed the teacher’s training programme and is in the process of completing an external degree from the University. When World Vision first came to Mahakumbukkadawela, the school dropout rate was very high. One of the main reasons for it was the lack of teachers.The Volunteer Teacher Scheme proved a success in filling the gaps of teacher scarcity since most of the recruits were from the village itself. The school drop out rate is now virtually zero.
HEA news Updates from our relief & rehabilitation programmes
Livelihood assistance for 3,000 returnee families Vision Lanka has assisted over 3,000 returnee families W orld across four war affected districts in the North through its livelihoods programme.
The Early Recovery Assistance programme focuses on securing the basic needs of the returnee family through three main initiatives mainly to assist the families to have access to skills and assets to recommence their livelihoods, access to shelter and meet the water and sanitation needs of the returnee families. Each family received a livelihood package valued at LKR 35,000 (USD 307) which was distributed according to the livelihood needs of each household. Livelihoods packaging and distribution was determined through a collaborative process with the beneficiaries of the target community and varied according to their individual requirements. The project was funded by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) of the US Government and was implemented by a consortium of three humanitarian agencies; World Vision Lanka (WVL), CARE
International (CARE) and Catholic Relief Service (CRS). S. Varathaladsumy, a mother of two in Killinochchi is among one of families helped by World Vision.“During war time, we left everything and fled in fear. My husband and I were wounded. After spending months in camps we resettled in Kilinochchi.Through World Vision I received a sewing machine and material to start my own business.” Gradually business picked up momentum after many families started resettling, said Varathaladsumy. “Later I started sewing clothes for neighboring families and with that income I have bought more material. Now I have expanded my business a little further and now I sew clothes and sell at the Kilinochchi fair”. With the income I received by selling finished garments, I was able to send my two children to school and also take care of the household needs. Im hoping to expand my business further, smiled Varathaladsumy.
The Art
of
Art
raising HIV/AIDSThe Awareness
of
raising HIV/AIDS Awareness
The Art
An innovative and unique approach was adopted by World Vision to raise HIV /AIDS awareness through the use of creative arts. Art competitions and sticker campaigns to engage children and young adults made the learning an absorbing ‘stigma-free’ experience. Teachers and volunteers were also trained on safe practices and healthy attitudes.
of
raising HIV/AIDS Awareness