CMC-run centre builds hope among children in despair
Tucked in the bosom of Kirulapone, amongst the paradoxically juxtaposed landscape of palatial houses and thatched huts, is the Building Hope Children's Resource Centre. Situated at the end of Nagaswatte Road, one of the city's poorest areas and home to some 5,000 residents, the centre caters to children and young adults aged 5-21.
One might not expect much as one drives up the road flanked on either side by the smallest of abodes, yet at the top of the drive looms a large, cheerfully colour washed building that fits right in, oddly enough. Children dart in and out of the main building into the large, landscaped garden-some playing basketball while others shriek away on a bouncy castle. Inside, we find a group of young girls and boys who spare us only a momentary glance, so absorbed are they in their computer lesson.
The Building Hope Children's Resource Centre is administered by the Colombo Municipal Council, under the guidance of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariywasam. It is the brainchild of a posttsunami initiative to help young children funded by the Leeds City Council in Britain. The CMC's task was to find and provide the land for the project, which it did by identifying Nagaswatte.
It was only a few years ago that the young children of Nagaswatte found themselves surrounded by poverty, crime and drug abuse. It was a vicious cycle that would have never been broken unless action was taken, says Dr. Kariyawasam. "I wanted these children to have an opportunity to get out and do something with themselves," he explains. "Otherwise they're just confined to their homes with nothing better to do." It's actually a major reason for drug abuse and teen marriages in these communities, he points out. "By providing them with a resource centre, we could give them an alternative to all that." Nagaswatte is also home to a vibrant mixed community, which the CMC felt would bene- fit from a common space for interaction.
While the initial plan was to build and administer a nursery and day-care facility for young children, the CMC advised the centre to expand the scope of the project to also include the other children in the area. The project was delayed for a few years but finally, early last year, the centre was fully functional with the assistance of several non-profit organisations and was opened to the public.
Today the building stands strong on what used to be waste land. The Building Hope facility is a comprehensive one, with tools necessary for a child's development under one roof. As you enter you are greeted by an open basketball court, where both young boys and girls train together under the guidance of a professional. This is perhaps their most popular programme, says the centre's administrator Pramila Gunawardhana. "We have about 50 kids coming in for practice every week," she says.
We're told that this is not merely a happy pastime for the youngsters; they also have three teams, with CRC Blue and CRC Yellow even beating other schools in contests. The spacious grounds also foster an herbal garden, which they use for education and medicinal purposes.
Inside, the first thing the eye beholds is a 'Library' sign. We walk in to find three little tots engrossed in their books. The library already holds a fairly substantial collection of publications in Sinhala, Tamil and English but donations, as always, are encouraged. Walking in a little further you will come across the nursery section, which is fully operational every weekday morning, plus a counselling room for the children. Upstairs is the lecture room, where the centre conducts Math lessons in both Sinhala and Tamil, along with spoken English classes. For recreation the children also have the opportunity to take part in music and dancing lessons.
Computer and art lessons are two other programmes that have proven to be hugely popular, says Ms. Gunawardhana. As evidenced by those in uniforms the children clearly run straight from school into their lessons! The well-equipped computer lab is fully occupied when we walk in; art lessons are conducted on the other side in a large, uncluttered space stocked with supplies. When the centre had a visit from the Duchess of Cornwall last week, she was delighted with the creations of their young charges, and spent a fair amount of time drawing with them. "The kids loved it," smiles Dr. Kariyawasam.
With a fairly massive garden at his disposal, Dr. Kariyawasam also plans to instal a badminton court and start table tennis mainly for the older girls who are occasionally reluctant to rough it out with the boys. For the same purpose he wants to get some sewing and cookery lessons up and running.
"I feel like we haven't engaged the older children as much as we are able to," he says.
The only hitch in the plan is a lack of volunteer staff to take on the task of coming in regularly to work with these children. The administrators are reluctant to let just anyone work with their precious charges because these children need stability in their lives, says the doctor. Volunteer staff must be willing to make a time commitment once every week and then keep to it.
We were curious as to the engagement of the community with the resource centre, and were told about 350 children were registered for their programmes. The centre is open every day from 8.30 a.m. to about 6 p.m. but the good doctor hopes that with more resources and support, he'll be able to build quarters for staff so the centre can be kept open for longer in the evenings. Ms. Gunawardhana smiles that they've received great support from their community. She only wishes that more parents were enthusiastic about their children having an opportunity many others must go without. "Occasionally, we have the stubborn parent who won't really bother bringing their child over," she says. That's what they're working on at the moment by introducing better, more engaging programmes to draw in participation. The centre also tries to engage with the parents by conducting programmes for them, such as education in nutrition for mothers.
For the CMC, this is the building block for hopefully bigger and even better things. "At the moment we're observing the success of this model," shares Dr. Kariyawasam. "If things continue to improve, we hope to replicate the same model in other areas and communities like this." From the looks of it, Building Hope is living up to expectations, and just might be the start of a larger network of resource centres for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
If you want to volunteer or assist the Building Hope Children's Resource Center, please contact Dr. Pradeep Kariywasam at the Colombo Municipal Council.