Happy New Year 2020!!!

A happy New Year 2020 and the very best in the coming years to all of you and your loved ones who continue to support our mission for children with disabilities and their families in Sri Lanka.

A big “Thank you” to the Young VACD Club members:

Young N G Gayathra Buddika Kumarawansa (the son of our dynamic and energetic member of the VACD Sri Lanka board and Director of our VACD Badulla centre Deshamanya Kumarawansa) and his fellow classmates from Badulla Central College while awaiting their university entrance exam results, paid the VACD “Dora Jeanne centre for children with disabilities” in Badulla a surprise visit and entertained the children to a Christmas party. These young lads are members of our Young VACD Members’ Club and potential future leaders of our mission.

“Thank you” dear Gayathra and friends for this loving and magnanimous gesture.

“Thank you” Dear Lisa Parrett & friends from Sydney Australia:

My former work colleague and supporter of our mission, Lisa Parrett and her friends Philip Engelberts, Kylie Smith and Kylie Callanan who were on a holiday tour of Sri Lanka, took time off their busy schedule to pay a flying visit to the “Sir Robert Clark Centre for Children with Disabilities” in Bandarawela, spent time with our staff and children and donated loads of useful items for our children at the Bandarawela and Badulla centres. “Thank you” for this loving and caring gesture dear Lisa and friends. Your gifts, benevolence and love for those for whom we are the only hope is very much appreciated by all of us and deeply valued by our VACD children, their families and centre staff.

“Thank you” and all the very best dear Daya and “Welcome” dear Abeysinghe Bandara:

Mr. Daya Kandambi, a former work colleague of mine at Bank of Ceylon in Sri Lanka and the Treasurer of VACD Sri Lanka has stepped down from his official responsibilities for personal reasons. We wish to place on record our deep appreciation for his commitment and service to our mission and wish him and his family the very best in the future. Mr. Abeysinghe Bandara, who is a current and very active director, steps into the role of Treasurer VACD Sri Lanka.

“Thank you” and all the very best dear James, Marrianne & Family:

Yasmin and I wish to place on record our personal heartfelt thanks, deep gratitude and profound appreciation for the time, commitment, efforts and personal resources deployed by our long time family friends Mr. James and Mrs. Marrianne Gruver to establish the VACD USA chapter as founder members and directors of our mission. These sentiments are extended to them by our VACD families from Australia, USA and Sri Lanka as well.

It was James who inspired and encouraged us to establish our VACD USA chapter so that we could generate the type of support we critically need to assist our children with disabilities and their families in rural and impoverished regions of Sri Lanka. James and Marrianne have decided to step down from the directorate of VACD USA for personal reasons but are likely to continue to be supporters of our humane mission. We wish them and their young family the very best in the future.

VACD USA has a new team:

The VACD USA team has been reconstituted to meet the challenges we face in the course of extending our services across rural and impoverished communities in Sri Lanka. The new board and directorate are: President & Director – Mr. Rasika Padmaperuma, Secretary & Director – Mrs. Ishani Padmaperuma, Treasurer & Director – Mr. Dilshad Ahmed, Mrs. Ellie Fendler – Director, Mr. Frank Fendler – Director, Mrs. Nelum Walpola – Director, Mrs. Shanti Willy – Director, Mr. Mikhail Sookoor – Director. Advisory Board: Mr. Daniel Farley, Prof. Benjamin Friedman. Mr. Dula Amarasinghe, Mr. Desmond MacIntyre, Mr. Giles Gunesekera, Mrs. Yasmin Stephen & Mr. Felix Stephen.

Off to Sri Lanka:

Yasmin and I will spend most of February 2020 in Sri Lanka working with our VACD Sri Lanka colleagues, visiting missions similar to ours, meeting with sponsors, supporters, paediatric consultants, government officials, parent and community groups etc., reviewing ongoing projects and planning and implementing new initiatives for our children and parents. A comprehensive report on this tour will be made available along with our March 2020 newsletter.

Please join us on this benevolent journey:

Please reach out to us at:fstephen@bigpond.net.au and support our initiatives and share this newsletter with your family, friends, loved ones and colleagues so that together we can make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities, one by one!!!

Our sincere thanks to all of you for your continued invaluable support, guidance, counselling and assistance and for being part of this incredible, challenging, immensely rewarding and fulfilling journey.

Many thanks, best wishes and warm regards…. Felix

Felix Stephen

Chairman of the Board of Directors – VACD Ltd. Sydney – Australia – http://www.vacd.org.au/

Member of the Advisory Board – VACD USA – http://www.vacdusa.org/

Member of the Advisory Board – VACD Sri Lanka

Senior Associate – Cognoscenti Group – Sydney – Australia- http://www.cognoscenti.global/

Consultant – Investment Committee – Lonsec – Sydney – Australia – https://www.lonsec.com.au/

Member of Investment Committee – Arrive Wealth Management – Brisbane – Australia – http://brisbane.arrivewealthmanagement.com.au/

Consultant – Global Financial Market Investment Research & Investment Strategy

E-mail: felixswstephen@gmail.com / fstephen@bigpond.net.au