Sunday Nov 24, 2024
Sunday Nov 24, 2024
Wednesday, 5 June 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The ‘Life Healing Centre’, led by a team of certified professionals to provide psychosocial support to those affected by the tragic incidents of 21 April was set up in Katuwapitiya, Negombo on 18 May, by the ‘Rally to Care’ initiative, a charitable trust under the aegis of Dialog Axiata PLC, and ‘Seth Sarana’ the social action arm of the Archdiocese of Colombo.
The fund initiated with Rs. 15 m by Dialog, saw generous Dialog customers, individual donors, corporates, enterprises, and overseas donors coming together to raise an amount of Rs. 28.68 m, which was doubled by Dialog in matching funds. Axiata Group came forward to contribute an amount of 34.6 m towards the Rally to Care fund. The generosity of this community of supporters surmounted a mammoth fund amounting to Rs. 106.96 m.
The Life Healing Centre was inaugurated in the presence of Archdiocese of Colombo Auxiliary Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. J.D. Anthony Jayakody, Axiata Group Berhad Corporate Executive Vice President and CEO – South Asia Region Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya and Dialog Axiata PLC Group Chief Executive Supun Weerasinghe.
The ‘Life Healing Centre’ set up in collaboration with ‘Seth Sarana’, the social action arm of the Archdiocese of Colombo, will provide psychosocial rehabilitation for affected families through its team Catholic certified counsellors, led by Rev. Fr. Claude Nonis, Director – Archdiocesan Family Apostolate, Coordinator – National Family Apostolate.
The Life Healing Centre will provide psychosocial rehabilitation for those affected through a range of programs customised for children, adolescents, young adults and adults, by addressing a range of psychosocial issues including depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and other psychosocial issues resulting from traumatic events. The centre is in close proximity to the affected families and will be open every day from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
During the opening of the Life Healing Centre, complete eye check-ups by Vision Care, and hearing check-ups by the Ratmalana Audiology Centre were also conducted for those impacted. Required prescriptions for spectacles were provided on the day of the opening, following which the prescribed spectacles will be distributed free of charge by Vision Care. Hearing aid requirements will be provided by the Fund. Furthermore, a medical screening camp was conducted by MyDoctor team for those in need and vouchers to purchase prescribed medication were provided as required.
As an aid to the healing process radio units were provided to families at the Life Healing Centre, to listen to CDs containing counselling programmes and spiritual hymns. The initiative will also deliver ‘healing the wounds of trauma’ and spiritual programs on air, daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Seth FM 103.1, a popular regional radio station, in the residential areas of the affected families, covering Negombo, Wennappuwa, Marawila, Madampe, Chilaw, Minuwangoda, Diwulapitiya, Gampaha, Ja-Ela, Kadana, Wattala and Peliyagoda.
Furthermore, 100 out of the 250 school bags with stationery that were donated by the Executive Committee of Colombo Model United Nations 2019 were disbursed by the Life Healing Centre to affected children in Katuwapitiya. The rest of the school bags with stationery will be provided to affected students in Kochchikade and Batticaloa.
The Rally to Care initiative together with its partners World Vision Lanka, Sarvodaya, My Doctor, Vision Care and Ratmalana Audiology Centre, will continue its relief disbursement efforts and its mission of providing immediate term out-patient support for victims of physical disability and trauma, long-term educational support for 500+ children, and psychosocial rehabilitation for 250+ families that were affected by the tragic incidents of 21 April. Visit http://dialogfoundation.org/rallytocare for more information and further updates on the Rally to Care initiative.
