"When we give alms with our hearts, we give well" Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners, We wish you a Prosperous and Joyous New Year 2021 and plenty of Success, Good health, Well-being and Fruitful years ahead Additional Specialist Teaching Staff for our VACD Centres We recognised the pressing need for us to boost the number of our teaching staff at our centres during the tour of Sri Lanka by Yasmin and myself in February 2020. Consequently, our VACD Sri Lanka...

"When we give alms with our hearts, we give well" Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners, Trust this newsletter finds you and your loved ones safe and well. United Nations Children’s Day celebrations at VACD Our Sir Robert Clark Centre in Bandarawela and Dora Jeanne Centre in Badulla commemorated the United Nations Children’s day on Thursday, 1st October with our children, their families, staff, and friends in attendance and participating in the celebrations. In...

"When we give alms with our hearts, we give well" Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners, Trust this newsletter finds you and your loved ones safe and well. VACD News Flash!!! – Take One!!! We are delighted to inform you that Teardrop Hotels in Sri Lanka https://www.teardrop-hotels.com/hotels/ are sponsors of our proposed Welimada centre scheduled to be opened in February 2021.The centre will be named "The Teardrop CARE Centre for Children with Disabilities" in...

"When we give alms with our hearts, we give well" Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners, We trust and pray that this newsletter finds you and your loved ones safe and well. News Flash!!! – We are to open our 3rd VACD Centre in the Uva Province in Sri Lanka and need your support The VACD Australia board approved the establishment of a new centre by early 2021 in the township of Welimada in the Uva province that will be administered similar to the existing Bandarawela...

Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners, We fervently hope, trust, and pray that this newsletter finds you and your loved ones safe and well. "When we give our hearts with our alms, we give well" As we enter the final month of the financial year 2019/20 in Australia, we are conscious of the difficulties confronting many of you during these extraordinary times. We deeply value the support you have given us and appeal for your continued sponsorship that will enable us to...

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Supporters and Collaborative Partners, Trust this finds all of you and your loved ones safe and well. We thoughtfully delayed publishing our regular monthly newsletter post the self-funded tour by Yasmin and myself in February to Sri Lanka, conscious of the challenges and difficulties faced by many and the need for those working from home to have one less email in their inbox to browse. VACD Sri Lanka tour highlights in brief: Visit to Chitra Lane school for special...

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...

A big “Thank you” to the Private Wealth Network (PWN), Australia: Mr. Alan Duncan, Mr. Richard Milroy, Ms. Sita Bala, Mr. Leon Kantor and team at PWN https://www.pwnetwork.com.au/ offered VACD a stall free of charge at their annual Private Wealth Congress held at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney on 30th and 31st October to help VACD generate support for our mission, in appreciation of the pro bono work I do for them. This event showcases prominent speakers and presenters and attracts a range of...

Sri Lanka Auditor General’s Report The Sri Lanka’s Auditor General’s report presented recently to the Committee of Public Accounts highlights that needs of children with disabilities have not been satisfactorily addressed by government programs to deliver education, medical and vocational training. Another report states that according to national census only 62% of special needs children receive education, while 34% receive no education whatsoever and only 1% receive vocational training....

VACD September 2019 News Flash!!! The VACD Australia Annual General Meeting held yesterday (Thursday, 12th) reviewed all ongoing projects and programs and unanimously decided that our immediate attention should be focused on our Family Assistance Program (FAP). The Sri Lanka leadership team have also communicated to us the urgent need for this program to be enhanced due to accelerating requests for assistance from parents of children with disabilities from rural, impoverished, low skilled...