Grace at the forefront of children's homes
As the island nation Sri Lanka enters a new chapter of peace after a quarter century of conflict, our friends at the Grace Care Center orphanage and elder care facility begin a new period as a home for children focusing on education and connecting with the surrounding community of Trincomalee.
During the past few months, Grace volunteers have identified weaknesses in the way Grace was administered. Several management changes were made to ensure that Grace provides an excellent home for its children and elders. The recent changes include appointment of Mrs. Angela Wigneswaran as warden of the children, a new bank account offering the VeAhavta oversight committee better monitoring of donations and expenses, and a more pro-active effort to engage the local community. A Leadership Class was held at the Center last month, conducted by the Trincomalee Rotary Club and welcoming honor students from the Methodist Girls College, the primary school attended by the children of Grace.
VeAhavta is committed to working in close coordination with the Sri Lanka child welfare authorities in the operation of the Grace Care Center. To that end, social services workers from the office of Probation Commissioner N.P.K. Nelumdeniya, head of Child Welfare for the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, have made repeated visits to Grace in recent weeks. The visits included a formal home inspection on Aug. 6 and several informal sessions facilitated by VeAhavta volunteer James Mitchell, who spent two months at Grace beginning in mid-June.
During his stay at Grace Mitchell met frequently with Carole Jones, a British volunteer serving with the Commission, as well as the Commissioner and Probation Officer Ms. Suthashini, who spent time with many of the children. Jones said that Grace was among the finest children's homes in the Eastern Province, an opinion shared by the Commissioner.
"I am pleased to report a significant improvement in the management of the homes," Jones said on behalf of the Home Monitoring Team. "Clearly these children are now experiencing a period of calm whereby their rights are being respected. The environment in the Home is now one of openness and honesty."
Since the end of the conflict in March, Social Services has imposed new guidelines on homes for children in Sri Lanka. According to their recent visits and reports, the social services office was pleased with improvements made to Grace, from management to scheduling to education. Given the turmoil in Sri Lanka of recent years, particularly in the northeast, Grace represented the best opportunity for its young residents who call it Home.
"It is good that this Department has the full support of VeAhavta and that the joint work being undertaken has resulted in a safer environment for the children of Grace," Jones said.
