Kayts elders benefit from HelpAge candle making centre
HelpAge Sri Lanka (HASL) recently constructed a fullyfledged new candle manufacturing centre at Kayts Divisional Secretariat in Jaffna District for the benefit of needy citizens, to coincide with the ‘Healthy Aging Decade 2020-2023’ declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to Kayts DS officials and senior citizen committee members HelpAge was the first organisation that constructed a candle manufacturing centre in the district to improve the livelihood activities of senior citizens.
The centre was constructed under the guidance of Divisional Secretariat of Kayts and handed over to the ‘Udayan’ Senior Citizens Federation, Kayts recently.
HelpAge Executive Director Samantha Liyanawaduge said various sizes of candles are extensively used by citizens in Jaffna for religious ceremonies almost every day and the new centre would immensely benefit senior citizens.
The new candle manufacturing centre was ceremonially opened by HelpAge, Council Member Nishantha Gooneratne, Head of Programmes Chaminda De Silva, Kaytes Divisional Secretary Manjuladevi Satheeshan, HelpAge Nothern Province Coordinator Rubesh Rathnam and Assistant Divisional Secretary Sivakaran Piranavasoruby according to Hindu traditional customs and rituals.
HelpAge also distributed dry rations, spectacles, non-food items, hygiene kits, drinking water cans, water containers and water storage plastic tanks worth over Rs 10 million to senior citizens in the Kayts District.
HelpAge also conducted mobile medical camps for elders and distributed medicines. The recipients received spectacles from the mobile medical eye camp. HelpAge regularly provides free cataract surgeries to less-privileged senior citizens.