by Melani Manel Perera

The Nisansala Centre is home to about 150 kids and young adults living with mental and physical disabilities. It provides an answer to a problem that is widespread across the country, where most of the 87,000 young disabled people are cared for by their families alone and unable to attend regular schools.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – In Sri Lanka people with disabilities number 274,000 out of a population of almost 20 million. Most suffer from different kinds of physical disabilities but quite a few (14 per cent) suffer from mental problems as well. The number of young people tops 87,000 or 31.7 per cent, but their condition has deprived many of them of an education, forced as they are to rely exclusively on their families’ help.

As the world today celebrates the International Day of Disabled Persons many stories are being told about the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity helping people living with disabilities in the island nation.

Last 28 November the Nisansala Disability Centre in Negombo, which is run by the Brothers of Charity, organised an exhibit titled ‘Disability is not an inability.’ Hand-made items created by the kids enrolled in the Congregation’s own schools were on display; so were others by students attending ten other schools for the disabled.

The father of one of the children helped by the men religious talked to AsiaNews about his situation. He is Buddhist and his son is mentally disabled.

“We went from place to place in search of the right solution for our boy, but only in the Nisansala School for the disabled run by the Brothers of Charity did we find a happy and peaceful solution. They told us: ‘Yes! There is room for your child’.”

Malki Rudhari, a 13-year-old Catholic girl who attended the Nisansala Centre showed her own knit work, explaining that it took her two months to complete it with the help of her teacher.

“I am very happy about the exhibit because everyone can see our talents,” she told AsiaNews.

The Nisansala programme offers residential and daily services in four locations in Tudella Jaela and Kattuwa-Negombo for about 150 kids and young adults with mental or learning disabilities.

A staff of 36 employees, assisted by a number of volunteers, is in charge of everyday activities which include physiotherapy and speech therapy but also music, cooking, dance and handicrafts like those on display last 28 November.

“Following research findings and subsequent recommendations by the late Brother Peter Sheehy, Nisansala’s first Director, Brothers Michael O'Mally and Martin O'Neil, opened the facility 20 years ago with a residential and day care centre for children and young adults with learning and mental disabilities,” the current director, Brother Gregory Boyle, told AsiaNews, adding that the Brothers of Charity Mission is open to everyone and everyone’s heart.

“We are an organisation inspired by Christian values and our vision is to offer a service that helps everyone’s individuality, choice, rights and dreams.”

• sri
• lanka
• international
• day
• of
• disabled
• persons
• brothers
• of
• charity
• schools
• centre
• help