terre des hommes

South Asia

overview

Children and Youth with Special Needs and Intellectually Challenged Project

Project code : LK-014K
Project period: 01/03/2011 to 31/03/2013

Programme Health Funds needed €0.00
Country Sri Lanka People supported directly 520
Project location Batticaloa People supported indirectly 3120

Mencafep runs a project for mentally disabled children and their families in the Batticaloa district. A primary goal in the treatment and management of the mentally underdeveloped child is optimal development of the child's strengths, taking into account individual interests, personal experiences and available resources. It is particularly important that mentally less developed children receive special education and training, ideally beginning in infancy.

The project has a special education unit, a sheltered workshop/ vocational training unit, a profoundly disabled unit, an integrated pre/play school unit, a home visit and outreach unit and special education satellite centres.

In Sri Lanka, people with disabilities are among the poorest segment of the population. There are superstitious beliefs associating disability and individuals who have disability with misfortune and perceiving them as omens of bad luck. From all children with disabilities mentally disabled children face the most exclusion and discrimination. These children have very few options related to inclusive education and special education, which could make a huge difference to their development. There is a lack of special schools and facilities, as well as trained teachers.

Mencafep is one of the few NGOs working with disabled children in Sri Lanka through a community based approach.

Partners for this project

Mencafep

Terre des Hommes Netherlands

Regional Office South Asia 150/11 Kumbukgahaduwa, off Parliament Road
10100 Kotte, Sri Lanka
t: +94 (0)11 2864700
f: +94 (0)11 2888342
e: