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| Sunday, 7 August 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Little flowers, bloom again by Ranga Chandrarathne
HOPE, a British charity organisation dedicated to the welfare of children which has been working in Sri Lanka, to improve the quality of lives of children and advance their rights has come forward, in the wake of the worst ever natural catastrophe the country faced, in December 2004, to help protect children orphaned by the tsunami. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, a spokesman from the British Charity describes the welfare effort launched by the organisation to foster-parent the orphaned children under the administration of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services. Q: What is the contribution of your organisation the welfare of children orphaned by the tsunami? A: One of the major contributions of HOPE, with regard to tsunami-affected children, is the Foster Parents Scheme administered by the Department of Probation and Child Care Services. Somewhere in February, according to statistics provided by the Department, number of children orphaned, as a result of tsunami, stood at 1086. At that time, HOPE pledged a sum of Rs. 19.5 million for a Foster-Parent Scheme for a period of three years initially. The scheme is renewable on the completion of the third year. According to this scheme, an orphaned child will live with the extended family member or a near relative, covered by a court order known as a Fit Person Order and a supervision order by the Probation Officer. The supervision of the child is continued with the Probation Officer to ensure that the child is taken care of well and all needs are met. The Department of Probation and Child Care Services pays a monthly grant towards the Foster-Parents Scheme. In addition to this scheme, HOPE has started an income generation scheme for children who have lost one parent, or what we call "Unsupported families". This scheme is administered through our partner agencies. At the moment we have 159 one-parent or unsupported families on the Income Generation Scheme. This scheme is administered or managed in Akkaraipattu by Foraid N, Aero Lanka and Manaiyaveli Women's Rural Development Society in Trincomalee and Saviya Development Foundation in Galle. Q: What are the other welfare projects that HOPE conducts with regard to tsunami affected children? A: Another feature with regard to tsunami is the development of fostering early childhood development mainly through pre-schools. So far, we have helped 23 temporary structured house - like pre-schools. Some of them are near tsunami relief camps and will be re-designed when the welfare camps are re-located in housing settlements. These structures can be dismantled and re-sited in housing settlements. Some temporary structures are supported to be constructed in place of pre-schools destroyed by the tsunami. In the Ampara District alone, we have put up 23 such structures at a cost of Rs. 2.3 million and in the South, we have, so far, helped three pre-schools. One is the pre-school at the site of the train disaster in Peraliya. The building was completely destroyed but another organisation has constructed a building and we provided the children education, play materials, furniture, nursery school materials and children's requisites. Two other pre-schools have also been helped and three are lined up for assistance by way of montessori material and equipment. Q: What were the other instances where HOPE came forward to support the victims? A: In December 1990, when a cyclone hit, we supported the renovation to 39 housing units in Trincomalee through partner agencies, A-Head and the Methodist Church. In September 2001, there was an appeal for drought relief; we were able to give Rs. 100,000 for the purchase of 1145 packets of milk powder to ITN. In March 2003, We also helped the flood relief programme in Batticaloa. 547 children were helped with school supplies. In June, the same year, during the floods, 547 children at Molkawa Maha Vidyalaya were helped with school supplies. Again in 2004, on the request of the Lake House Group for drought relief in Anuradhapura, Puttalam and Mannar, we provided 775 packets of milk powder to Lake House. The spokesman also admired the manner in which people affected by the tsunami coped with the day-to-day life. |
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