Sponsor a Child today!
Did you know that 11 million children die each year before the age of five - that is about 30,000 every day - because they have not received the care they deserve as a right. This dreadful reality must change.
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CCF Sri Lanka began in 1985. Currently, 12,139 children in 44 projects are assisted with over 120 being sponsored through ChildFund Ireland. Fighting has taken thousands of lives on both sides of the conflict over historical divisions. The recent peace process has saved a large number of lives and lessened the burden of a war lasting two decades, but the Sri Lanka's future is still uncertain. The tsunami of December 2004 only added to the hardship experienced by the Sri Lankan people. Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of India. Most Sri Lankans live in poorly constructed houses, many of which are only temporary structures. The walls are often mud and stick, roofs are thatched with dried coconut leaves and floors of hard-packed earth. Not all households have proper sanitary facilities. There is no plumbing and no running water, obtaining safe drinking water is problematic. Most Sri Lankan families have only one meal a day, and caregivers are not always able to provide the nutrition necessary for healthy, growing children. The Hearth programme, which was first implemented in Sri Lanka but is now used in many ChildFund supported projects, uses mothers whose children have benefited from their micro-nutrition training as volunteers to influence the mothers and caregivers of malnourished children. The mothers who act as volunteers help to bring about positive change in the feeding and childcare practices of the mothers whose children do not yet benefit from the lessons learned by the volunteer mothers. In ChildFund assisted projects, parents design various programmes to move towards self-sufficiency. Growth monitoring and special feeding programmes have reduced malnutrition among children, and all children under the age of five are immunised against communicable diseases. Prenatal and postnatal clinics are available for mothers. Expectant mothers are provided vitamins to promote healthy pregnancies. Additionally, dental clinics and regular check-ups for children are conducted, and first aid groups are trained in case of an emergency. Children in ChildFund assisted projects receive school supplies, two sets of school uniforms and the required exercise books. For children who travel for more advanced studies than those provided in their area, bus fare is provided. Tutoring is offered for students who need extra help, in addition to project libraries that are housed in the pre-schools. For children who have to drop-out of school, vocational training in carpentry, masonry and motor mechanics is offered. With a specific grant from the Irish Government through ChildFund Ireland, over 1,000 people who were directly affected by the tsunami in Trincomalee district are participating in a programme to enable them to rebuild their livelihoods.
