Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners,

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

Observing Thai Pongal 2025 at VACD

VACD Sri Lanka’s leadership team, staff, children, their families, and local supporters of our mission observed Thai Pongal, the Hindu/Tamil harvest festival on Thursday, 16th January 2025 as seen in the photographs below:

Thai Pongal is a multi-day Hindu Harvest festival celebrated by Tamils and observed in the month of Thai according to the Tamil solar calendar that usually falls on 14th or 15th January. According to tradition, this festival marks the end of winter solstice and the start of the sun’s six-month-long journey northwards. The festival is named after the ceremonial “Pongal”, which means “to boil, overflow” and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with jaggery. 

Our Mission: The policy of our mission is to serve children with disabilities and their families as equals irrespective of their caste, race, or creed, and to promote VACD’s ethos of love, care, unity and support for each other thereby fostering multi-layered and long-lasting foundations for community unity, harmony, prosperity and well-being.

Particular rehabilitation activities at our centres:

VACD’s Projects, Programs and Planned Activities in the Uva Province for 2025

1. Organizing health clinics for VACD children and assisting them to receive regular medical attention and treatment at local government hospital clinics with local paediatrician and medical authority support.
2. The Uva Provincial Ministry of Health in collaboration with VACD and our collaborative partners to introduce “Early identification and early intervention” programs across the province for children with developmental delays/disabilities.
3. VACD Australia Director Ms. Gabriella Vascotto (Autism/Behaviour Consultant– Greater Melbourne Area, Australia) to introduce a comprehensive “Early Childhood Supported Playgroup Program” across our VACD centres.
4. Our Education Assistance and Family Assistance Programs to be extended to cover more beneficiaries.
5. Nutrition Programs at our VACD centres to be enhanced and continued.
6. Provide travel and medical assistance to children from impoverished and financially stressed households.
7. Facilitate the purchase of prescribed medication for VACD children.
8. Conduct regular leadership, life skills, vocational, computer, Excel/Word, motivational & other skills training programs for VACD children, their parents and siblings.
9. Provide training, equipment and supplies to implement income generating activities and projects for older VACD children attending our centres.
10. Implement household income generating programs for VACD families.
11. Provide regular specialist training for all our teaching staff.
12. Provide training and counselling to parents on the care and support of their children on a 24/7 basis.
13. Provide equipment for physical training, sports, exercise, recreation, art, craft, painting, dance, music, etc. for VACD children at all our centres.

Supplementary Notes:

1. Children with congenital disabilities are gifted individuals with exceptional talents and skills. These special gifts need to be identified and cultivated so that they can live productive and fulfilling lives and be accepted as equals within their local communities.
2. The updated estimate of children registered with VACD in the infant to 18+ age group as at the end of 2024 is approximately 350+

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: https://www.facebook.com/vacdlk.

Australian Dollar Donations via Direct Bank Transfers:

Name of Account: Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities Limited

Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Liverpool & Castlereagh Streets Branch,

Cnr of Liverpool & Castlereagh Streets, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia

Account No: 1130 2156    BSB: 062-016    BIC/SWIFT Code: CTBAAU2S

Sri Lanka Rupee Donations via Direct Bank Transfers:

Name of Account: Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities Private Limited
Bank: Seylan Bank, 240, Badulla Road, Bandarawela, Sri Lanka
Account Number: 046035439722001

Note: Please send an email to: fstephen@bigpond.net.au ensuring that your name and email address are mentioned when making direct bank transfers. Thank you

International Multicurrency 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

The full list of all your donation options:

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/

A big “Thank You” to all of you from all of us at VACD and children with disabilities and their families in the region

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 your partnership with us in this most fulfilling and worthwhile 13+ 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 for your continued support, 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/