Educate 33 children with disabilities in Sri Lanka

Our proudest moment in 2020 was driving down to the grand opening of Student Harin’s shop.   He had come to E.A.S.E. as an extremely reluctant student.  According to his mother he was an isolated withdrawn figure at home with hardly a word to anyone.  Within a very short time with us he became an extrovert.  Coming to our classes was the highlight of his life.  He made friends in his neighbourhood and helped his mom with cooking. He occasionally visited an aunt who ran a small shop and began to help her too.  We began advising the family to establish a shop for him in their neighbourhood.  It took almost two years for this dream to be realized.  Hoping to help him become a shop keeper we added relevant skills to his school program.  We practiced conversations he might have with his customers.  We practiced “shopping” with the help of the other students and staff as customers. We concentrated on math skills too. Then on the 4^th of September of 2020 the staff and I went to the grand opening of Harin’s shop.

Happy shop owner Harin

We were honored to be the first customers.

When schools reopen in the country Harin hopes to come back to his once-a-week class to hone his skills, although he is reluctant to leave his shop in an assistant’s hands.

Whenever we were allowed to reopen school, we did so following all guidelines to maintain a safe environment.  The students and staff came back to work joyfully. Although many of the students had regressed a little, we were able to catch up quickly. 

Chandima Rajapatirana

Co-Founder/co-president

E.A.S.E. Foundation

Dec 28^th 2020

2020 has been a difficult year world wide.   While Sri Lanka did relatively well with the virus this was because we went into a very strict lockdown.  All schools were closed from early March.  Following governemnt guidelines we opened only on the 10th of August.  The country is still functioning on a very careful level.  Since many of our parents are day workers or in such vulnerable employment they were in difficult times.  We were glad that with special permission etc.so our students parents could come to the center we helped many families with a small allowance.  When they came to collect their allowance they were also given work/activity sheets developed by the staff sso they could keep their children occupied maningfully during the lockdown days.  The staff also kept in touch with the parents via phone calls.  Now that schools have reopened we are back to work - our children are showing the results of months of inactivity but are all so very glad to come back to school.

23 year old Harin came to us about six years ago. At the time he was a socially withdrawn, mostly silent child who had to be virtually  dragged into the school by his parents.  He settled down very well we joke that he could run for a seat in the parliament since he has befriended his entire neighbourhood back home.  No one can go past his house without a chat with him.  We are glad to say that the family has followed our suggestion  and opened a little neighbourhood shop for him. The shop carries school supplies, groceries, cold drinks etc.  With cheerful, friendly, chatty Harin there I am sure it will prosper.  He is determined to continue his classes with us too leaving the shop in the care of his mom.  

I am attaching a short video of an interview I did because it gives a nice profile of our program. I hope that is ok.

https://we.tl/t-NfnqKiXQN8