Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners,
Greetings to you, your families, loved ones, and colleagues from all of us at VACD.
Delightful News – VACD Ambagasdowa Centre relocated:
Our VACD Ambagasdowa centre sponsored by Teardrop Hotels – (https://www.teardrop-hotels.com/) was relocated to new premises on Thursday, 9th May.
The determination and efforts of Col. Kumarasinghe – Secretary VACD Sri Lanka, directors Mr. L.M.P. Lankadikara (Retired Deputy Chief Secretary and Provincial Secretary Uva Province) and Mr. J M Kapila Jayasekara ((Retired Secretary State Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs) ultimately delivered an outstanding result to us. This new centre has better surroundings, facilities, potential and adequate security for our VACD children, staff, and visitors.
Strengthening our VACD Sri Lanka Projects & Programs Team:
Mr. D.M.Ranathunge – VACD Sri Lanka Project Coordinator (left photo) was appointed Director of VACD Projects and programs and Mr. Chintha Sallay (right photo) was recruited and appointed as Manager – VACD Projects and Programs in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Ranathunge (retired Principal Central College Bandarawela) has been an ardent supporter of our mission since we were established in December 2011. Mr. Sallay is an old boy of St Joseph’s college Bandarawela and was an outstanding sportsman representing college in many sporting events. Together they bring a wealth of expertise and skills to our mission and in particular to our wide-ranging planned projects & programs initiatives.
VACD’s Projects, Programs, Planned Activities in the Uva Province & Cost estimates for FY 2024/25
- Continuation and extension of our Education Assistance Program and Family Assistance Program (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 20,000 P/A
- Continuation and enhancements to our Nutrition Program (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A
- Resumption of quarterly visits to VACD centres by Paediatricians and General Practitioners from local government hospitals to examine our VACD children, monitor and prescribe medications to them.
Estimate: Being Estimated
- Provide travel, medical assistance to children from impoverished regions and financially stressed households and free prescribed medication to all our VACD children.
Estimate: Being Estimated
- Conduct quarterly health clinics for VACD children. Implement an “outreach” program via this initiative into remote rural areas of the Uva province where parents having children with disabilities need to be made aware of the reasons for their child’s health condition and how to obtain medical guidance and expert advice, in collaboration with the local Ministry of Health (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 50,000 P/A
- Conduct regular leadership, vocational, computer, Excel/Word, motivational & other skills training etc. for VACD children, their parents, siblings (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A
- Provide training, equipment and supplies to implement income generating activities and projects for older VACD children attending our centres (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A
- Implement household income generating programs for VACD parents and families by providing resources such as sewing machines, overlockers, fabric etc., training in home gardening, animal husbandry, bee keeping and other income generating activities in collaboration with Teardrop Hotels and other local & provincial government agencies/specialists (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 50,000 P/A
- Provide regular hands-on specialist training for all our assistant teachers at our VACD centre in Bandarawela on a quarterly basis (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A
- 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 (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 30,000 P/A
- 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 centres in Sri Lanka, Learning Consultant Autism/Behaviour and Supported Playgroup Project Consultant for Catholic Education Melbourne, assisted by Mrs. Netaisha Harvey – VACD’s Head of Inclusive Education & Partnerships (based on available data and projections).
Estimate: A$ 20,000 P/A
June 2024 Australian Financial Year End donations:
Donations by Australian taxpayers are tax deductible. Australian donors/ taxpayers who wish to make regular annual tax efficient 2023/24 financial year donations, ad hoc tax efficient donations or to support any particular VACD project, program or planned activities detailed above can do so through multiple donation options found on our webpage: https://www.vacd.org.au/donate/
Multiple donation options to support our mission:
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
Regular updates on our VACD Facebook Page:
Ms Aloyna (Pinky) Taylor, VACD’s Head of Digital Communication, posts regular news and updates on a range of VACD activities on our Facebook page. I would encourage you to please follow us on https://www.facebook.com/vacdlk for timely news about our mission. Please also support us by following, liking, commenting, and sharing VACD posts with your family, friends, loved ones, colleagues etc. so that your help will enable us, via the algorithms built into this electronic social networking & communication platform, to extend our outreach to many more who, like you, share in our vision and mission for disabled children in Sri Lanka. Thank you.
Children with disabilities and their families in the region, 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 their families who need our love, support, compassion, and care are sizeable and increasing steadily. We look forward to your continued generosity, active support for our undertaking and you being partners with us in this most fulfilling and worthwhile 12+ 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 share this newsletter with your network so that 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/