“When we give alms with our hearts, we give well”

Dear friends, colleagues, supporters, and collaborative partners,

Greetings to you, your families, loved ones and colleagues from all of us at VACD.

Fabulous News!!!:

The Chairman Uva Province Transport Service Authority, Mr. Susil Kumara (extreme right in photo) personally conveyed exciting news to us when he arrived at our Badulla centre with travel passes for our VACD children attending our Badulla centre.

Deshamanya Mr. N,G,R.D Kumarawansa (second from left) one of our most active, dedicated and dynamic VACD Sri Lanka Directors worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the above a reality. Mr. Kumarawansa has direct oversight for activities and programs at our Badulla centre. Mrs. Manjula Wijesinghe – Head Teacher VACD Sri Lanka who visits all three VACD centres and is dedicated to our Badulla centre (extreme left of this photo) is seen receiving these passes. Children attending our Bandarawela and Ambagasdowa centers will also be granted this facility in the very near future.

Teardrop Hotel’s Rainwater Tank & Home Gardening Project:

The rainwater harvesting tank and home gardening project sponsored by Teardrop Hotels, (https://www.treardrop-hotels.com), official sponsor of our VACD Ambagasdowa centre commenced with the installation of the rainwater tank as seen in the photographs below:

Observing World Children’s day at our VACD Centres:

VACD Ambagasdowa:

Staff and parents at our VACD Ambagasdowa centre decided to observe world children’s day by offering fresh fruit juice and biscuits to supporters, visitors, passersby and the local community. They received immense support from the local community for this event with over 500+ people being served with food and drinks.

VACD Bandarawela:

VACD Badulla:

The 3rd Quarterly 2024 VACD/ MJFCF Health Clinic in Bandarawela:

The 3rd quarterly 2024 VACD/MJFCF – Merrill J Fernando Charitable Foundation (mjffoundation.org) two-day health clinic was held at the Bandarawela Town Hall on Tuesday, 15th and Wednesday, 16th October for our VACD children across the Uva Province. This clinic was scheduled to be held in September but was re-scheduled due to the local Presidential election.

During previous health clinic visits, the MJFCF team had observed that some of our children were in desperate need of wheelchairs to assist them in their rehabilitation process. They donated 7 wheelchairs to VACD during this visit of which 5 were assembled and given to 5 disabled children of whom 2 are seen in the above photos. Our deep and sincere thanks and gratitude to you Dear MJFCF team for this great and magnanimous gesture and for your ongoing commitment and support for our mission and children.

Overseas tourists pay our VACD Bandarawela centre a visit:

Mrs. Haleen Sookoor (sister of Mrs. Yasmin Stephen – Administration & Communications Secretary VACD Australia), her immediate family from Dallas Texas and extended family from Mexico found the time to pay our VACD Bandarawela centre a visit and bring gifts for the children, while holidaying in Sri Lanka. The photos below show them with our VACD Bandarawela centre staff:

VACD’s Projects, Programs, Planned Activities in the Uva Province & Cost estimates for FY 2024/25

1. Continuation and extension of our Education Assistance Program and Family Assistance Program (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 20,000 P/A

1. Continuation and enhancements to our Nutrition Program (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A

1. Provide travel, medical assistance to children from impoverished regions and financially stressed households and free prescribed medication to all our VACD children.

Estimate: Being Discussed and evaluated on a case by case basis

1. Conduct quarterly health clinics for VACD children. Implement an “outreach” program via this initiative into remote rural areas of the Uva province where parents having children with disabilities need to be made aware of the reasons for their child’s health condition and how to obtain medical guidance and expert advice, in collaboration with the local Ministry of Health (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 50,000 P/A

1. Conduct regular leadership, vocational, computer, Excel/Word, motivational & other skills training etc. for VACD children, their parents, siblings (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A

1. Provide training, equipment and supplies to implement income generating activities and projects for older VACD children attending our centres (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A

1. Implement household income generating programs for VACD parents and families by providing resources such as sewing machines, overlockers, fabric etc., training in home gardening, animal husbandry, bee keeping and other income generating activities in collaboration with Teardrop Hotels and other local & provincial government agencies/specialists (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 50,000 P/A

1. Provide regular hands-on specialist training for all our assistant teachers at our VACD centre in Bandarawela on a quarterly basis (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 10,000 P/A

1. Provide equipment for physical training, sports, exercise, recreation, art, craft, painting, music, dance, singing, vocational and life skills training, audio-visual equipment, computers, printers/scanners for rehabilitation, workshops & seminars for computer literacy training and additional office furniture to facilitate our capacity enhancement program (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 30,000 P/A

1. Implement our “Early Childhood Supported Playgroup Program” for young children with developmental concerns by VACD Australia Director Ms Gabriella Vascotto – Visiting Consultant to VACD centres in Sri Lanka, Learning Consultant Autism/Behaviour and Supported Playgroup Project Consultant for Catholic Education Melbourne, assisted by Mrs. Netaisha Harvey – VACD’s Head of Inclusive Education & Partnerships (based on available data and projections).

Estimate: A$ 20,000 P/A

Australian Dollar Donations via Direct Bank Transfers:

Name of Account: Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities Limited

Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Liverpool & Castlereagh Streets Branch,

Cnr of Liverpool & Castlereagh Streets, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia

Account No: 1130 2156    BSB: 062-016    BIC/SWIFT Code: CTBAAU2S

Sri Lanka Rupee Donations via Direct Bank Transfers:

Name of Account: Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities Private Limited
Bank: Seylan Bank, 240, Badulla Road, Bandarawela, Sri Lanka
Account Number: 046035439722001

Note: Please send an email to: fstephen@bigpond.net.au ensuring that your name and email address are mentioned when making direct bank transfers. Thank you

International Multicurrency Donations:

International donors who wish to support our mission can do so through the Benevity Causes portal via the hyperlink below for all your multi-currency donation options:

https://mygoodness.benevity.org/community/search?query=vacd&country=036

The full list of all your donation options:

The following hyperlink will enable you to find all donation options that are available to you on our webpage: https://www.vacd.org.au/donate/

Regular updates on our VACD Facebook Page:

Ms Aloyna (Pinky) Taylor, VACD’s Head of Digital Communication, posts regular news and updates on a range of VACD activities on our Facebook page. I would encourage you to please follow us on https://www.facebook.com/vacdlk for timely news about our mission. Please also support us by following, liking, commenting, and sharing VACD posts with your family, friends, loved ones, colleagues etc. so that your help will enable us, via the algorithms built into this electronic social networking & communication platform, to reach out to many more who, like you, share in our vision and mission for disabled children in Sri Lanka. Thank you.

A big “Thank You” to all of you from all of us at VACD and children with disabilities and their families in the region

Our journey is bound to be long and challenging. The official and unofficial number of children and their families who need our love, support, compassion, and care are sizeable and increasing steadily. We look forward to your continued generosity, active support for our undertaking and you being partners with us in this most fulfilling and worthwhile 12+ year journey that we traverse together.

Please visit us at: https://www.vacd.org.au/ and reach out to us at: fstephen@bigpond.net.au should you choose to support our mission. Please share this newsletter with your network so that together we certainly can make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities, one by one!!!

Many thanks for your continued support, best wishes, and warmest regards…. Felix

Felix Stephen

Chairman of the Board of Directors – VACD Ltd. Sydney – Australia – https://www.vacd.org.au/

Member of the Advisory Board – VACD Sri Lanka

Member of the Advisory Board – Two Leaves Foundation Sri Lanka

Senior Associate – Cognoscenti Group – Sydney – Australia- http://www.cognoscenti.global/

Member of Investment Committee – Arrive Wealth Management – Brisbane – Australia – https://www.arrivewealthmanagement.com.au/