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This special needs school and orphanage provides a home for disabled children and
adults. There are rooms for art and craft, computer studies, physiotherapy and ayurvedic treatment.
Volunteers teach English and arrange activities. Close to the beach.
Description of Project
Like many other developing countries Sri Lanka struggles to care for its physically and mentally
challenged citizens. As a result, many people with 'special needs' spend their lives unloved and uncared
for. The centre, though understaffed and underfunded works towards providing its residents with a
worthwhile place in society by providing an education and some 'hard' skills.
At the back of the main building is an open plan, spacious special needs school, that teaches 130
children. The school also houses its own autistic unit which currently teaches six children.
The project house is based on the edge of Galle, a world heritage site. It provides a residential
home for 68 people aged seven to fifty. The younger ones all attend the special needs school. The centre
is a large, crumbly, colonial house with masses of space, set about a courtyard. There are rooms for art
and craft, computer studies, physiotherapy and ayurvedic healing. Unfortunately there is a shortage of
staff to organise any of these activities. The building is cool but dark and in need of brightening up.
Volunteer Responsibilities / Activities
The children have learning and behavioural difficulties whilst some will also have physical disabilities.
There are 22 teachers all of whom have a good understanding of special needs pupils. The autistic unit is of
a very high standard and is run on similar lines to those in the UK. The children are often from backgrounds
of neglect and abuse. They need love and care and as much attention from adult volunteers as possible.
Volunteers are needed to assist the permanent members of staff and also to take responsibility for teaching
small groups of special needs children. Some of these are orphans and live in the main project house.
The 'house' volunteers are needed to put on activities, provide care and stimulating activities for the
residents. The staff are warm, welcoming, properly qualified and passionate about their work. They provide a
good service but do not have the time or knowledge to put on a number of stimulating activities. Activities in
the main house revolve around helping to equip the residents with skills that can make them feel that they are
of value to their communities. By helping to develop basic skills that can produce an income a feeling of self
worth can be restored. To develop those skills English is taught daily along with computer instruction, art,
handicraft and horticulture. Some of the residents are young children, others are more elderly so the variety
of work is enormous.
This is a well organised, well structured project and you would have plenty of opportunity to develop it
according to your own personal strengths and interests. For any volunteer who wishes to explore the opportunities
of working with special needs children, particularly Autism, this projects provides an ideal format for gaining
some very practical experience.
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