CMC to open Child Resource Centre

Less-fortunate children hopeful of a brighter future :

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Children are the future of a country. Investing on their health, education, welfare and other activities seems worthwhile as children are the future of a country.

Though Colombo is equipped with all the facilities for a modern day child to enjoy, there are children of low and middle income families who do not have access to these facilities. What they can do is only to sigh looking at the children from the middle and upper class, enjoying all these facilities thus pushing them into corners of the society who look at the society with hatred.

Therefore, programmes and projects to provide the children who has no accessibility to the modern day facilities have become an essential factor to put all the children in equal footing in the society.

In this endeavour, the Colombo Municipal Council, has come out with a novel concept of providing all facilities required for the children from the kindergarten to their teenage, under one shelter with the helping extended to them by the Leeds City Council in UK.

According to Gamini Chandrasena, Deputy Commissioner Institutional Development of the CMC, the project was originally started to serve the children affected by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami catastrophe as representatives of the Leeds City Council in UK who arrived in Sri Lanka wanted to have a centre for children who have been affected by the Tsunami.

"The Leeds City Council were ready to bear the cost of the project and the CMC had to provide the land required for this project.Then we identified the land at Nagaswatta, Kirulapone for that project," he added.

But the project got delayed as the estimated cost of the project exceeded the amount the Leeds City Council was prepared to offer for the CMC. There was a cost difference about Rs.10 million for the construction of the centre. But the issue was later settled after CMC representatives visited Leeds City council in 2008 and had negotiations with them, Chandrasena added.

"We made representation to the Council and they agreed to give us the full construction cost of 190,000 Sterling Pounds which they have collected to extended assistance for the tsunami affected people and kept in a separate fund," he added.

The design of the building which was with the CMC representatives was also approved by the Leeds City Council as they were quite happy with the design of the building.

"Thereafter we called for tenders and evaluation was done with the participation of one of the Leeds City Council members. Then we started to construct the building in 2009 but it got delayed due to various reasons. Then some representatives for the Leeds City Council also visited here and we showed the progress of the project. Now the construction is almost completed and a few more things such as landscaping, tarring of the road have yet to be completed," he added.

The Chief Medical Officer of the CMC Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam who is tipped to be in charge of the building said that though originally it was meant for the Tsunami affected children the concept has now been changed and the age limit raised to 18 or 21.

"We changed the concept after they asked us to take over. This is not going to be a place for under-five-years although the childcare part is also there. We will make it a resource centre for the girls and boys upto age 18 to 21. We are going to have a library, computer facilities, classes for art, training for mothers about cooking nutrition meals," Dr. Kariyawasam added.

"We have facilities there and any other thing they want to learn. Mothers also can learn anything keeping their children at the day care centre. The children can participate in English classes and maths classes," he added.

To improve the sports activities among children the resource centre will also have a basketball court and netball court for the children of the area.

"We have a playground there and it is mostly used for football. So we want the girls to play netball since there is no place for them to play netball and basket ball," Dr. Kariyawasam added.

According to Senior Architecture S.U.B. Dolapihilla they have specified some material for the building since there was no financial constraints from the CMC for the building.

"Originally what we wanted was to cater for very small children. Later on they decided to change from kindergarten level to teenage level almost for the ages up to 21 years. There will be different types of training programS. There will be training for parents also. Sometimes there may be a place for a small day care centre. Then it will gradually cater up to a level of a children who get their freedom in their life," Dolapihilla added. "Through this resource centre what we need is to send these children to the society as a confident group," he added.

The building for this resource centre is not a typical square type building. Even from the shape it is different and have separate buildings for administration, training for the parents and children.

"What we are trying is to change their life pattern because this is not for very high class children. It is for the lower and middle level income groups. So we have to change their values and attitudes. If we are going to change the values and attitudes of the children, we have to change the values and attitudes of the parents also. Then children will follow parents," he added.

"When changing the values and attitudes of the children parents will also develop to a certain extent and when we complete the entire project it will be a marvellous project for the children from kindergarten level to their teenage," he added.

According to Director Engineering (Development) Thamara Mallawarachchi, the cost of the building is about Rs.39 million and the Leeds Council is offering to sponsor the total cost of the project. Further they are going to provide furniture and other equipment worth Rs.3 million.

"The Municipal Engineers Department is supervising the construction of the building. We supervise it and send the progress report to the Leeds City Council. Then they re-imburs the cost. Public Health Department will be the client department for the project, she added.

The Special Commissioner of the CMC Omar Kamil said various Municipal Departments such as Institutional Development Division, Municipal Projects Division, Public Health Department and Municipal Drainage Department are involved in this project.

"We are aiming to provide opportunities particularly for the less fortunate or the low income children particularly in the Kirulapone area and in Colombo to improve their skills. So CMC must place on record its appreciation and acknowledgement to the Leeds City Council for coming forward to assist the children particularly after the tsunami. This is a noble project by making available a centre to improve their knowledge their skills," Kamil added.

This is a combination of a number of services that can be provided to children under one shelter as it also includes a day care centre, enabling mothers to keep their children until they finish off their day's work.

"Our aim is to provide all these services to the children free of charge and we are planning to get the help of the NGOs too for this project and there are people who are willing to extend their hand to us. They will give classes, they will conduct training programs. Therefore this child resource centre will be a fine example for the other local councils in the country to provide equal opportunities for the underprivileged children," Kamil added.

"We are going to open this child resources centre very soon with the participation of the Governor of the Leeds City Council for the benefit of thousands of underprivileged children in the Colombo city," he added.