The management at Laksala has taken a step to support differently able and slow learning children in Sri Lanka under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project following World Down Syndrome Day held on 21st this month. Accordingly, Laksala opened its doors for children at "Diri Daru Piyasa", fine art and vocational training centre, handled by Miranda Hemalatha Kala Ashramaya under the leadership of Dr. Miranda Hemalatha, an award-winning artist and the first Director of Aesthetic Education. “Diri Daru Piyasa” is a project started in 2003 as a result of a very successful experiment conducted during the previous four years from 2000 to 2003 to develop the down syndrome children.
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| A foreign couple looking at products of Diri Daru Piyasa |
A special rack in the Laksala flagship store at Thummulla, Colombo 07 was allocated to sell products made by these children. Dr, Hemalatha visited Laksala on World Down Syndrome Day with children of Diri Daru Piyasa.
In a special discussion with Laksala, Dr. Hemalatha said” At present we have 68 children learning carpentry, tailoring, making doormats, fabric painting, and many crafts through which these children could make money for their living. They learn languages, mathematics and develop other skills they need to lead a balanced life. They can communicate fairly well and use the calculator too. They are good in dancing and music, some of them are nearly normal.”
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Children of Diri Daru Piyasa
display their products at Laksala |
“We have been able to develop the skills of our children to a high level to participate in many dance music and art competitions at which they were able to receive many awards winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Also, they have done very well in sports winning awards. They too have been participating in international seminars held in Sri Lanka as dancers. Very often these children participate in many other programmes organized by the hospitals, universities, and other private organizations.”
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| Founder Dr. Miranda Hemalatha |
“We have already started job-oriented vocational training institute to develop the special children for some kind of a vocation so that they could also be independent as the other citizens. In this regard, we have been successful in our experiment and as a result, two girls are now teaching at Ladies College Colombo, Lyceum International School at Nugegoda where they get paid for their service. We are also able to develop the skills of a boy to be a tailor and quite a number for various jobs. We have presented children as solo dancers.”
“We provide all facilities free of charge to make our majority Downs and few Autism and also few CP children to make their lives as successful grown-up citizens. Our main effort is to serve the really needy children of mother Lanka though they are born to lower economic strata. We are also grateful to individuals and organization for their help to enhance our efforts in skill development of these children.”
