ICCB’s generosity reaches far and wide
The annual International Christmas Charity Bazaar held last December at the Galle Face Hotel drew in the crowds who enjoyed products from all over the world from culinary delicacies, homeware to lucky dips and raffles. Due to the massive and generous response to ICCB, all the charities they support also benefited.
The Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation (LAF) – the country’s only organisation specializing in interventions with those who have dementia was supported by the ICCB by their funding of the LAF’s Activity Centre.
President of the Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation Lorraine Yu shared her thoughts with us on ICCB’s donation saying, “We are extremely grateful to ICCB for their annual donation which helps us in our efforts to enhance the quality of life of persons living with dementia and their carers. The donation is utilized towards the operational costs of the Activity Centre which provides therapeutic activities for persons with dementia with a person centred approach and respite for family carers.”
E.A.S.E. is a foundation that works to empower, educate, support and advocate for persons with disabilities. EASE helps many children every year to realize their full potential, by teaching those with autism to learn how to communicate and “ease” their lives.
The ICCB funds teachers’ salaries each year ensuring that EASE continues to grow and expand. Calling ICCB a life saver, Co-Founder and Co-President Anoja Rajapatirana noted that the ICCB is their only fundraising event in which they too sell products made by their students and teachers.
“Our wonderful staff are the heart of E. A. S. E. They help deliver the exceptional services we do to our students. ICCB recognizes the importance of this and has provided us with the funds to pay our staff salaries. Many donors prefer to fund specific projects and do not really like to fund what are considered admin. costs. But without staff salaries we would have to close. So ICCB has literally helped us to thrive,” Ms. Rajapatirana said.
Project Reach which is now known as ‘Sudhaar’, works with children from disadvantaged communities (primarily in Wanathamulla) who are attempting to learn English. They are also connected with children in England via Skype calls to build their interest and encourage cultural connectivity. ICCB supported Sudhaar this year by enabling them to buy chairs, pay salaries and consolidate their operations.
“The ICCB has been playing a major role in funding Sudhaar for around eight years now. Even though we are no longer one of the principal charities they support, they have always extended financial aid by helping us with our English classes, transport costs and even providing a platform for the mothers of the students to sell their handmade crafts,” explained Yasanthi Soysa, one of the trustees of Sudhaar.
Appe Lanka is a rural development project which works to empower six districts in Northern Sri Lanka. The main focus is an area called Poonakary, which has around 20,000 residents.
One of their main school projects ‘The Ride a Bike’ stops children from dropping out of school due to the long distances that they need to commute by providing them bicycles. ICCB funded 50 bicycles this year.
Through the Spa Ceylon sponsorship, Appe Lanka was also able to bring drinking water to the school children of Poonakary by installing water tanks in different schools.
Founder/CEO of Appe Lanka, Shaan Corea expressed her gratitude towards ICCB saying, “We at Appe Lanka are so grateful to ICCB for partnering with us to give safe drinking water to the children in Poonakary. The attendance is better, the children are involved in more sports activities, and they are healthier and happier simply because they have safe water every day all the time. In 14 months 20 schools have been given safe water.”
The ‘Little Hearts’ project which is run in collaboration with the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians and based at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital focuses on helping babies with cardiac issues. The ICCB’s donation ensured that three babies were given a new chance at life through their donation to this project.
The ICCB committee always designates a monetary amount each year in case of contingencies such as natural disasters. After the Easter Sunday bombings, ICCB aided Trail SL which launched a project to build and strengthen ethnic harmony.
The ICCB’s focus on uplifting as many lives as they can continues and once again this year they will have their sale on November 24 at the Galle Face Hotel. Await more details and follow their work on Facebook and Instagram with their handle @iccbsrilanka