VACD Australia November 2022 Newsletter
November 28, 2022

Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners,

Greetings to you, your families, loved ones, and colleagues from all of us at VACD.

Delightful News!!!:

A leadership succession plan spanning over the next two to three years was initiated by us following a VACD Australia Board decision. We are delighted to share with you that the following have since joined our mission: 

Ms. Adrika Sri Bavan – Head of Marketing

Adrika is a lawyer and banker who graduated from the University of Sydney with a Juris Doctor. She is passionate and committed to uplifting and empowering marginalized people from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Ms. Farrah Carim – Head of Finance

Farrah is a diploma holder in accounting, has worked in accounting and customer care roles in commercial organisations in Australia, has been an active committee member in local community organisations in Sydney and Melbourne and a long-term supporter of VACD.

Ms. Netaisha Harvey – Head of Inclusive Education & Partnerships

Netaisha is graduate from the University of Ballarat and a special needs teacher attached to  the Department of Education at Endeavor Hills (Melbourne) Specialist school. She has a deep understanding of diverse learning requirements for children with intellectual disabilities and is a passionate and dedicated teacher.

Our VACD Director, Ms. Gabriela Anne Vascotto (Gabi) – Visiting Consultant to VACD schools in Sri Lanka, Learning Consultant Autism/Behaviour and Supported Playgroup Project Consultant for Catholic Education Melbourne has volunteered to coach and mentor these young ladies as we groom and equip them to eventually assume key leadership roles in our mission. 

VACD’s Projects & Programs successfully implemented in 2022

  1. Purchase of custom designed furniture for all our VACD centres
  2. Education Assistance Program
  3. Financial Assistance Program
  4. Nutrition program.
  5. Dry Food distribution Program
  6. Recruitment and training of specialist assistant teachers

VACD Projects & Programs to be implemented in 2023:

  1. Opening our new Welimada/Uva Paranagama VACD Center sponsored by Teardrop Hotels, Sri Lanka. 
  2. Continuation and extension of our Education Assistance Program  
  3. Continuation and extension of our Financial Assistance Program. 
  4. Continuation and enhancements to our VACD children’s nutrition program.
  5. Provide travel and medical assistance to children from impoverished regions and  financially stressed households.
  6. Reinstate quarterly visits by health specialists to our VACD centres. 
  7. Conduct quarterly health camps/clinics. 
  8. Conduct quarterly leadership, vocational, computer, Excel/Word, motivational & other skills training etc. for VACD children, their parents, siblings and young VACD club members. 
  9. Revive our Sri Lanka Young VACD Members Club, motivate, coach, and train young supporters of our mission to be potential future leaders and implement a medium-term leadership succession plan at VACD Sri Lanka. 
  10. Implement our household income generation program by providing resources, training in home gardening, animal husbandry, bee keeping and other income generating prospects for VACD parents in collaboration with Teardrop Hotels and other local & provincial government agencies/specialists.
  11. Provide sewing machines, overlockers, sewing material etc. at our centres to help parents learn to sew and earn additional household income.
  12. Provide additional hands-on specialist  training for our newly recruited  assistant teachers at the MJF Charitable Foundation, Ayati Centre and Chitra Lane school in Colombo. 
  13. Implement our food distribution program in impoverished rural areas of the Uva province.
  14. Provide equipment for physical training, sports, exercise, recreation, art, craft, painting, music, dance, singing, vocational and life skills training, audio-visual equipment, computers, printers/scanners for rehabilitation, workshops & seminars for computer literacy training and additional office furniture to facilitate our capacity enhancement program.

VACD Projects & Programs to be implemented in 2023/24:

  1. The implementation of our  “Early Childhood Supported Playgroup Program” for young children with developmental concerns by VACD Australia Director Ms Gabriella Vascotto – Visiting Consultant to VACD schools in Sri Lanka, Learning Consultant Autism/Behaviour and Supported Playgroup Project Consultant for Catholic Education Melbourne.
  2. Implement our “Rural Outreach Program” that includes community awareness camps, seminars, and workshops organized and conducted across 24 divisional secretariats in the Uva Province in collaboration with the Uva Health, Education, Social, Probation, Child welfare, other relevant Provincial Ministries, local agencies, and communities.
  3. Continue with our 2023 programs 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 8 listed above in 2024

VACD Sri Lanka Children’s Day program- October 2022:

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/ 

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