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Save the Children – Norway (SCN) and the Association of Disabled Ex-service Personnel (ADEP) have together launched a partnership project – ‘Care and Development of Children Affected by Armed Conflict’ – to help children traumatized by the civil war in the North and East. “The project would focus on two main categories of children – those who are directly affected by war in the North and East and the children of the disabled ex-servicemen and of those who have sacrificed their lives at war,” Assistant Secretary Defence Ministry, Senerath Leeniyagolla said. “We often forget about the welfare of the children of disabled servicemen. But children from these families are often the most vulnerable,” he said. The project would be implemented in the ‘Ranaviru Gammana’ (Ranaviru Villages) where a large community of disabled servicemen and their families live. Speaking of her experiences Nilani Weeragoda, a programme officer for SCN in Sri Lanka said, “Most of the children living in these villages have still not come to terms with losing a parent or having a disabled parent.” “We want to give them a chance through this project to build up their lives accepting reality and to help them live their childhood like children,” she said. The project has many activities such as ‘”Lama Samaja” (Children’s clubs) to help them open up and share with their peers. “However, the project will not be only for the children but also for the disabled ex-service personnel and their wives. The widows of dead servicemen will also be cared for ” Mrs. Weeragoda said. “Our aim is also to improve communication and understanding within these families and to improve parent- child and peer group relationships,” she added. In the first phase pre-schools are to be refurbished. Teacher training, provision of playgrounds for children under 10, children’s clubs, leadership training,creating parental awareness and vocational training programmes are also on the list of priorities. SCN launched this project under the invitation of ADEP – a member of the Rana Viru Seva Authority (RVSA) and the National Peace Council.
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