HEMAS ASSISTS MENIK FARM CHILDREN WITH PRE-SCHOOLS AND PLAY AREAS

Hemas, one of the first private sector organisations to commence work at Menik Farm in Vavuniya, recently opened three more children’s play areas in Zone 1 in Menik Farm, in partnership with the Children’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment. The first pre-school and play area were set up in the Kadiragamer relief village in March 2009 in keeping with the company’s CSR project ‘Piyawara,’ which focuses on Early Childhood Development.

The Manager of CSR at Hemas, Shiromi Masakorala said, “Our first visit to Menik Farm was in March 2009 with personnel from the Children’s Secretariat to distribute urgently required items to the IDPs, especially little children. Subsequent to our visit in March, the first pre-school and play area were opened in the same month. In addition, all required items such as crutches, wheel chairs and toys were distributed amongst the IDPs. Our focus on pre-schools and play areas is driven by research which indicates that early childhood development in the first five years of life influences a child’s lifetime education and social achievement. By setting up these activity centres, we hope to foster a sense of normalcy in these young children, by creating environments that are physically attractive and mentally stimulating. In addition to helping these children overcome the trauma of war, the pre-schools also aim to develop the language, cognitive and social skills that will prepare them for Primary School. The temporary pre-schools are constructed by the Ministry while teachers are trained in Early Childhood Education and Trauma Counselling by the Children’s Secretariat”, she added. Read more ...