VACD Australia October 2022 Newsletter
“Their Future in Our Hands”
“When we give alms with our hearts, we give well”
Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners,
Greetings to you, your families, loved ones, and colleagues from all of us at VACD.
Delightful and Inspiring News!!!:
We are delighted that our children, their families, and our staff have been successful in launching a home gardening program at our VACD Bandarawela centre as seen in the photographs below:
VACD Sri Lanka Outreach Program:
The VACD Sri Lanka outreach program to expand our services to children with disabilities and their families across the Uva province of Sri Lanka (particularly in remote areas) was launched with the first meeting held at our Sir Robert Clark centre in Bandarawela with the Assistant Government Agent – Bandarawela Divisional Secretariat, his staff and the VACD Sri Lanka Executive team.
The Uva province has two administrative Districts – Badulla and Monaragala and 26 Divisional Secretariats. The Badulla district has 15 and Monaragala District has 11 Divisional Secretariats.
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The VACD Sri Lanka executive team and teams from various Divisional Secretariats in the Uva province will sketch out programs and strategies on how best to engage with families who have children with congenital impairments across the province. This collaborative project will be implemented with the active participation of Divisional Secretariat staff, department of Health Services, Education, Probation & Childcare, Social Services, Pediatricians, Hospitals, Midwives, and local community leaders in the Uva Province.
Most families conceal their disabled children from their neighbors and local communities for fear of discrimination, victimization, vilification, and abuse. They and their local communities need to be primed diligently and patiently so that these children, their parents, and their families can be integrated into their local communities and be treated as equals.
Seminars and workshops will be conducted by medical specialists, social workers, and experts in the field of congenital impairments across the province to encourage parents and family members to reach out to our team members with no fear or reservations in order to obtain proper counseling, medical attention & therapy, rehabilitation, and assistance.
This is a comprehensive long-term collaborative program designed to address and resolve community myths and superstitions, vilification, emotional and physical abuse, social isolation and other forms of overt and covert discrimination and victimization suffered by children with disabilities and their families from within their own households, neighboring families, and their local communities.
Food Distribution:
Our VACD Sri Lanka executive team are presently finalizing details to donate food packages to approximately 250+ families of children who are registered with VACD but who are unable to attend our centres because they live in remote areas or due to other special reasons. Parents of our children will be given travelling allowances to enable them to travel and collect these food packages from one of our centres nearest to them. Given the high cost of essential food items and travel, It is estimated the cost of this program to be approximately A$ 12,000.
VACD Children’s Nutrition program
This program not only provides our children with much needed nutrition on a daily basis given that their households feel the acute pressure of escalating costs and shortages of essential food, but also helps them to learn how to prepare meals and care for themselves in the future.
Staff Recruitment Drive & Training:
Our VACD Sri Lanka executive team have since finalised their recruitment drive to provide adequate staff to all our centres including the proposed new centre in Welimada/Uva Paranagama to comply with expert recommendations on the appropriate teacher/child ratio.
The Head Teachers of our centres will be sent to leading rehabilitation centres for children with disabilities in Colombo in early 2023 on a one-week familiarization tour to observe new strategies and techniques being used by specialists when treating children at these centres.
All our assistant teachers will also be sent in batches to these centres in Colombo on a two-week hands-on training program during the first quarter of 2023.
VACD’s Projects & Programs for 2022/23
Please visit our VACD Webpage to find details of our projects and programs for 2022/23 via the hyperlink: https://www.vacd.org.au/ongoing-projects/
This information is also available on the Good Company donation webpage via the hyperlink:
https://www.goodcompany.com.au/au/charities?i[0]=charitygifts-v2&q=vacd , (type VACD in the search bar) and the Benevity Causes Donation Portal: https://mygoodness.benevity.org/community/search?query=vacd&country=036
Multiple donation options to support our mission – Thank you:
The following hyperlink will enable you to find all donation options that are available to you on our webpage: https://www.vacd.org.au/donate/
Multicurrency Benevity Causes Portal for International Donations:
International donors who wish to support our mission can do so through the Benevity Causes portal via the hyperlink below for all your multi-currency donation options:
https://mygoodness.benevity.org/community/search?query=vacd&country=036
A big “Thank You” to all of you…
Our journey is bound to be long and challenging. The official and unofficial number of children and families who need our love, support, compassion, and care are sizeable. We look forward to your continued generosity, active support for our undertaking and you being partners with us in this most fulfilling and worthwhile 10+ year journey that we traverse together.
Please visit us at: https://www.vacd.org.au/ and reach out to us at: fstephen@bigpond.net.au should you choose to support our mission. Please also do share this newsletter with your family, friends, loved ones and work colleagues. Together, we certainly can make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities, one by one!!!
Many thanks, best wishes, and warmest regards…. Felix
Felix Stephen
Chairman of the Board of Directors – VACD Ltd. Sydney – Australia – https://www.vacd.org.au/
Member of the Advisory Board – VACD Sri Lanka
Member of the Advisory Board – Two leaves Foundation Sri Lanka
Senior Associate – Cognoscenti Group – Sydney – Australia- http://www.cognoscenti.global/
Member of Investment Committee – Arrive Wealth Management – Brisbane – Australia – https://www.arrivewealthmanagement.com.au/
