Probation and Child Care Services Department acts on LLRC recommendations:

Creating a happy, healthy family for ex-child combatants

By Ranil Wijayapala

Child Development and Women's Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda

With the ending of the war against terrorism, the country was left with the daunting task of returning to a safe and stable situation. Though it was a difficult task, the country has been able to face the challenging tasks effectively during the past five years after transforming the Northern and Eastern provinces through the reconstruction process by the Government.

Some 594 ex-child combatants were subjected to rehabilitation and out of them 272 ex-child combatants have undergone formal education and 322 have undergone vocational training during their rehabilitation.

Those who have undergone rehabilitation as ex-child combatants are no longer in their childhood as they have become adults and leading married lives after their reintegration into the society. But it seems they are now facing problems when caring for their children as adult parents.

Rehabilitated beneficiaries participating in the awareness program

The task of taking care of these rehabilitated and reintegrated ex-child combatants has been entrusted with the Department of Probation and Child Care Services under the Ministry of Child Development and Women Affairs. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission in its recommendations also has entrusted this task with the Probation and Child Care Services Commissioner to conduct programs for the better socialisation of these ex-child combatants who have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society.

Talking to the Sunday Observer about the problems faced by the ex-child combatants who return to the society after their reintegration, Yamuna Perera, Commissioner, Department of Probation and Child Care Services, said that through their officers scattered in the North and East they have observed that those ex-child combatants are facing difficulties when handling their normal life as young adults and fathers and mothers.

"They are a set of people who were deprived of their childhood. Instead of the toys and books they had to hold guns in their hands and kill the people whom they think were their enemies. So they have no experience about a pleasant childhood. Though we could adopt them to the normal society through the rehabilitation process they are facing difficulties when caring about their own children as young parents", she said.

Thushara Wickremasinghe, Child Rights Promotion Officer

Yamuna Perera, Commissioner, Department of Probation and Child Care Services.

"We have identified that many of these ex-child combatants are unaware of the child caring practices and how to speak to their children. They are trying to treat their children also in the same manner they were treated as child combatants. Since they have not undergone a proper education they also do not want to provide proper education for their children. So they are facing difficulties in running a happy and healthy life in normal society", she said.

Therefore, the Probation and Child Care Services Department which undertook the responsibility of following up their progress in the society along with the other Non Government Organisations is planning to address the issues faced by the ex-child combatants along with the communities who are facing similar problems in the society.

"Through these programs we intend to bring their mentality out from their earlier thinking pattern and make them aware how to lead happy and healthy family life without allowing them to treat their children in the similar way they were treated by their adults", she said.

"These ex-combatants are also facing difficulties when dealing with the other people due to the different attitude people are having towards them. Therefore we are programming for the better socialisation of ex-combatants, provide guidance to minimise the mental disorders and complex problems, make them aware of the childcare and also to protect and strengthen the family economy", she said.

To implement this program the Probation and Child Care Services Department through their Child Rights Promoting Officers with the assistance of the Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation identified persons in need of such awareness, and are planning to conduct programs to update their knowledge.

"Through these programs we are trying to create an environment for identified ex-combatants and rehabilitated beneficiaries to work with happiness and satisfaction after releasing their mental stress.

Thus this program will create a child friendly environment for the children of these ex-combatants to lead a happy life", the Commissioner said.

Child Rights Promotion Officer Thushara Wickremasinghe who coordinates the program targeting the ex-child combatants said that through their awareness programs they expect to discuss the way how they are identifying family well-being and well-being of the children.

Through these awareness programs professionals will discuss how to identify the factors which will affect the well-being of both families and children through interactive sessions with the participation of the ex-combatants mixing with the other civilians facing similar problems.

"Our Child Rights Promotion Officers scattered around the North and East are trying to address their issues using case management tools, arranging family group conferences and counselling sessions", she said.

"As the first step towards addressing their problems we are conducting common awareness programs in all the districts in the North and East with the financial assistance of UNICEF", she said.

The first such program was conducted on August 26 in Vavuniya with the participation of Child Development and Women's Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda. Vavuniya District Secretary Bandula Harishchandra, UNICEF Program Coordinator Mohamed Irham also participated in this program.

Dr. Manoj Fernando from University of Rajarata and Dr. Menaka Sivakaran from the University of Jaffna also addressed the rehabilitated beneficiaries.

"After conducting initial awareness programs we are planning to conduct the follow up programs to provide financial assistance to start self-employment projects based on the vocational training programs they have undergone during their rehabilitation programs", Thushara said.

"Many of these ex-combatants have undergone vocational training programs during their rehabilitation process.

We are trying to help them financially after refreshing their skills through one day two days programs conducted through the Industrial Development Board or "Vidatha Centres", she said.

Apart from these programs the Child Rights Promotion Officers scattered in the North and East also can provide assistance for these families to improve their socio economic level and also provide required support for the children to continue their education by supplying them with books and other requirements to pursue their education.

"Through all these programs we are trying for the successful socialisation of these ex-child combatants enabling them to lead happy and healthy family lives", she said.