Orphans face the future with courage

by P. Krishnaswamy

Beside the arduous task of resettling, providing infrastructure and livelihood facilities to over 300,000 IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) of the Northern Province, the Government is also faced with the responsibility of ensuring a better future to the over 700 destitute children who are housed in orphanages or children's homes as they have been abandoned or separated by their parents under unforseen circumstances. The orphanages should shoulder heavier responsibility with regard to these traumatised, parentless and homeless children.

Foster parents

Having been granted permission by Governor of the Northern Province Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri, we visited three of the five children's homes together with R. Goguladas, Probation Officer, attached to the Probation and Child Care Department of the Northern Provincial administration which monitors the functions of the homes and the welfare of the children. The Department pays the orphanages Rs. 600 per child, per month subject to the registration of the children with the Department.

Studying to better their lives

In happy mood

Happy at the orphanage

Singing a song

The Department has donated beds, TV sets, CD players and computers to the orphanages, Goguladas said. All these children were entrusted to the Department through the Courts and they, in turn entrusted their care and upkeep to the orphanages, he said. So far 86 children have been reunited with their parents/relatives while efforts are continuing to locate parents of the other children or to find them foster parents.

Adoption

The right for adoption of children below the age of 10 could be given to legally married couples under a legal procedure, Goguladas said. The children range from the infants to adolescents, both boys and girls and a majority of them have no father, mother, family members or relatives. A good number of them are unaware of their parents or relatives and did not know their names or dates of births when they were found abandoned. They were named by the orphanages and getting birth certificates for them is another difficult task, Goguladas said.

The homes are funded and managed by the Hindu, Catholic and Buddhist religious as well as Government institutions which mostly utilise services of volunteers to look after the children and other day to day work done for the maintenance of the homes. They also utilise the services of hired nannies to look after the infants. First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa is the patron of one of the homes, 'Siriliya Sevana' where 52 girls are being housed and managed by the Northern Provincial administration.

Having visited three of the five children's homes we observed that the management of the children's homes, the caretakers and the employees devotedly perform the onerous task of feeding, clothing, providing school uniforms and educating the children and ensuring their good health and safety and above all keeping them happy in spite of their homeless and destitute condition.

It was stifling hot evening when we entered the Vavuniya Kovilkulam Arulandeswari Arulagam, a two-storied, floor-tiled and well maintained orphanage for girls managed and funded by the trust of the Arulandeswari Hindu Temple. The Temple trust also runs an orphanage for boys in a building about 200 yards away.

Make- shift shelter

The orphanages were started in 2001 in a small make-shift structure and recently they have put up the new building to accommodate more orphaned children, we were informed. The two-storey building which houses the girls stands on a 12,000 sq. ft area with four halls and eight rooms. The building worth over Rs. 30 million was donated by the temple trust. Everything was orderly in that orphanage.

All children of school-going age attend school. Some were just returning after school at that time while others were attending tuition classes conducted by volunteers, including the Principal of Kilinochchi Central College N. Selvaratnam and about 10 school teachers.. The Principal and teachers devote five hours per day from Monday to Friday, Manager of the orphanages Arumugam Navaratnarajah (61) said.

Of the total 226 children (156 girls and 70 boys) and there are over five infants who are being looked after by hired young 'mothers' who have no family of their own. About 15 children are in the age group of two years to 10 years. A six month old infant girl was found tied to a ladder when she was found abandoned in Kilinochchi, Navaratnarajah who was fondling the child told us.

Of the children in the age group of 15 - 23 some have passed the G.C.E. (O/L) examination qualifying to continue in the GCE (A/L) class. Some children in the age group of 18 - 19 have passed the GCE (A/L) and are hoping to continue higher studies, Navaratnarajah said.

He said that he requested for scholarships to continue their higher studies. The children are also provided with facilities to engage themselves in extra-curricular activities including sports, arts, music and literary activities. Medical officers from Government hospitals visit the orphanages regularly to attend to sick children.

Krishnasamy Vadhani (15) with downcast eyes said that they were living in Nedunkerni, Vavuniya and her father, a farmer, used to consume alchol and died of cirrhosis. Her 40-year-old mother and two brothers were alive when she was found abandoned and separated from them and she does not know their present whereabouts or whether they are still alive.

T. Midhuna (13) said that she came to the orphanage in November 2009, now studying in Grade eight and two of her brothers are in the adjoining orphanage for boys. She does not remember her parents because she and her brothers were abandoned by their parents when they were very young, she said. T. Sobha (14) studying in Grade 8 said her father left the family 14 years ago, her mother died trapped in a cross fire and her elder brother is in the neighbouring home for boys. Each child uniformly said her ambition is to become a school teacher.

Our next visit was to the 'Siriliya Sevana' at Vairavapuliyankulam where 52 girls are housed. It is under the Northern Provincial administration under the overall direction and supervision and of the First Lady.

Probation Officer Goguladas said that arrangements are underway to absorb the Matron, Assistant Matron, Warden, Assistant Warden, Cook and Watcher who are now casual employees in the home into the services of the Northern provincial administration. An inmate Selvarajah Ginsy (19) said that she is studying at the Vavuniya Saivapragasa Ladies' College and she passed the GCE (A/L) examination in the arts stream. She has been orphan from the age of eight. She has no father. Her ailing mother and two brothers are in Jaffna. They are very poor and cannot support her, she said. They occasionally visit her. Her ambition is to become a government employee, she said.

Poverty

Neena Regina (16) is studying in Grade 09, she is in the orphanage from 2006. She hails from Mullaitivu. Her mother died and her father who is a fisherman re-married and she has no intention of going back to him, she said. Her younger brother and sister are housed in the SOS children's home she said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

S. Santhini (18) said she passed GCE (A/L) exam with 2C and 2S and wants to peruse higher studies. She is in the home since 1998. Her mother is in the 'Anbagam', the home for the mentally deranged people run by the Mother Theresa Society where there are about 90 people. Her father re-married. Her two sisters died in the 2004 tsunami, she said.

Another 16-year-old girl (name omitted) who was shy, spoke softly said that she could not attend school due to poverty of her family and she is attending a psychiatric clinic in the Vavuniya hospital every month. C. Thavamalar (14) said she hails from Pudukudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu district. Her parents died and two sisters also died. She has no relatives.

R. Maheswary (29), one of the wardens at the home, said that she is unmarried and is happy looking into the welfare of the destitute children. She has passed GCE (A/L) examination. Her family comprising her mother, father and brothers are in Jaffna in a poverty-stricken condition. She has no intention of going back to them but she will get married one day, she said.

Twenty-six children in the home are below the age of 10 years. Kuttithamby (52), another matron, said she has three children living in Jaffna, her husband died and she is happy looking after the destitute children. The matrons said that the children have no playground.

Our next visit was to the Don Bosco Home for Girls in the very heart of Vavuniya town maintained by and belonging to the Diocese of Mannar under the direct supervision of Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph who visits the home periodically. Three nuns from the Selesian Province of Chennai are serving in the home.

University

According to Sister Pettilda who is the most senior among the nuns, there are 120 girls in the home, in the age group of two years to 27 years.

About 90 of them are attending school, one of them attend university and eight girls are employed. two are undergoing training in tailoring and three girls are physically handicapped.

The physically handicapped girls are in the age group of 18 - 21 and both legs of one girl is completely paralysed. The girls going to work are facing problems on their way to work and back. Idling young men and thugs cast remarks and tease them and this matter has been reported to the authorities, she said.

S. Yogeswary (22) said that she has been in orphanage from the age of three. She was formerly in the 'Senthalir Illam' at Pudukudiyiruppu, maintained by the LTTE. About 80 of the other children who were in the LTTE orphanage are also there with her in the present orphanage, she said. She has no father, no mother and has never seen them, she said. She has studied upto GCE (O/L). She was able to get her birth certificate and has applied for the National ID, she said.

S. Selvamalar (24) said that she too was in the 'Senthalir Illam' from age 10. She has no parents and is studying music at the Jaffna university. R. Wigneswari (25) has no parents, and she has been in the LTTE orphanage from the age of five. She was trained as a nurse and was working as a nurse, she said.

V. Jency (19) is studying in the GCE (A/L) class at the Rambaikulam Ladies' College. She was also in the LTTE orphanage from age 12, her father died and her mother is presently in the Chettikulam welfare village for IDPs, she said. M. Sooriyakala (16) was a LTTE child combatant and poses a tragic sight with her right hand and right leg burnt in gun fire. She says she was in the LTTE orphanage from very young age and she was forced to become a combatant. She is studying in Grade 10 in the Rambaikulam Convent. Unable to use her right hand she has practised to write with her left hand and she is good in her studies. Her ambition is to become a school-teacher.