{"id":101862,"date":"2022-10-14T16:30:43","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T16:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=101862"},"modified":"2022-10-14T16:31:20","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T16:31:20","slug":"introducing-ecsat-and-the-world-of-disabled-people-around-galle-by-michael-roberts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/introducing-ecsat-and-the-world-of-disabled-people-around-galle-by-michael-roberts\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing ECSAT and the World of Disabled People around Galle-by Michael Roberts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introducing ECSAT and the World of Disabled People around Galle-by Michael Roberts<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"ECSAT<\/p>\n

ECSAT staff in 2020<\/p>\n

Source:<\/span><\/strong><\/span>Thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

In late 2018 I met Roshan Samarawickrema at Flinders University via my daughter Maya who is a senior staff officer there. Roshan had arrived to further studies in Disability Teaching. Via the vagaries of the covid endemic both of us found ourselves in good old Lanka in the second quarter of the year. A visit to my home beat of Galle Fort[1] in July-August enabled me to explore and \u2018experience\u2019 the work of ECSAT at its HQ in the old \u201cSerasinghe Walauwwa\u201d building at Wackwella [albeit in covid circumstances whereby school attendance was drastically low]. My readings via picture and tale will follow. I begin here with Roshan\u2019s introduction to ECSAT with due emphasis on the initial impetus provided by Catherine Liyanage (nee Mole become Macleod).[2] \u2026. Michael Roberts<\/span><\/p>\n

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Equality-based Community Support and Training (ECSAT)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Equality-based Community Support and Training (ECSAT) is a registered NGO based in Galle, on the south coast of Sri Lanka set up initially to support victims of the 2004 tsunami. It was set up by\u00a0Catherine Liyanage<\/strong>\u00a0(now Catherine McLeod) who was awarded an MBE in 2011 [in recognition of her social service work]. ECSAT\u2019s mission has broadened to seek an inclusive society, especially for children and young people with disabilities, through the provision of education, vocational training, therapy services and outreach.\u00a0There is no Government or public funding for these services in Sri Lanka and little support for families.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

ECSAT\u2019s work is based on the principle of inclusion, and all projects are designed to ensure that disabled and non-disabled can live, study and work together in society. ECSAT believes in the rights based approach (RBA) to disability and is against institutionalisation and exclusion or discrimination of any kind. We have discovered that these people have no proper access to their rights and most of them have had their rights violated since they were born.\u00a0The lack of awareness and the negative attitudes towards disability has created an environment that compounds the difficulties these families face.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Over the years we have supported over 5,000 beneficiaries.\u00a0Currently we have 27 staff (2 men and 25 women) supporting 417 beneficiaries with disabilities ranging from Down\u2019s syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism to hearing and speech and language impairment<\/strong>. We have two Community Centres at Galle and Matara and a satellite Centre at Hikkaduwa. Our\u00a0education services<\/strong>\u00a0are Preschool (10 children), School Preparation for children who have never been to school (42 children), One-to-one support (51 children) and After School classes for children who are underachieving (72 children). Referrals are made to local government schools.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our\u00a0vocational unit<\/strong>\u00a0is for young adults aged 14-30 who receive training in life and social skills, gardening, cookery, handicrafts and basic business skills (83 young adults).<\/span><\/p>\n

Our\u00a0therapy services<\/strong>\u00a0include physiotherapy (89) and speech and language therapy (42). We support 28 children with severe disabilities through our Outreach service.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vocational Training for Institutionalised Women\u00a0<\/strong>with intellectual impairment in a local residential home. ECSAT visits two days a week for two hours providing social and life skill training and handicraft training to produce items which are sold locally to provide a small income.\u00a0 In addition the residents receive basic literacy skills and community visits.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2018, we launched an\u00a0Educational Framework<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Teacher Training Programme<\/strong>\u00a0which is in great demand from local schools. This supports underachievers from single parent families with a low income. We work with three schools and have trained 62 teachers to date.<\/span><\/p>\n

ECSAT is now an\u00a0influential trainer<\/strong>\u00a0of other organisations in supporting people with disabilities as part of mainstream activities and has delivered training sessions to organisations such as UNDP, Caritas, Sarvodaya, SEED, and a large number of individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

ECSAT`s staff have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities. Also we have been helping them to understand their rights and empower people with disabilities and their family members to advocate for those rights. In local Galle communities, ECSAT has a strong relationship with local government service providers and community based organisations. We network with disability organisations locally and nationally to share experience and advocate for better support for children with disabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

To make it possible to achieve all these objectives ECSAT has been implementing different projects with the support of different local and foreign donors.\u00a0 Although we work closely with the Government in Sri Lanka, there is no state funding for the type of work we do.\u00a0ECSAT is funded entirely through grants, donations and fundraising activities<\/strong>. Our work has been supported by a range of partners UK, Europe, Australia and America. We have a support group in the UK called\u00a0Friends of ECSAT<\/strong>. Our projects are delivered effectively and managed by a capable field team in Galle and Matara. All of our partners receive regular updates on delivery progress and fully audited annual accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Volunteers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We have hosted international volunteers from Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), Volunteer Sri Lanka (VSL), Travelteer and Australia Volunteer Programme.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our\u00a0Board<\/strong>\u00a0of eight directors oversees our work. Directors\u2019 interests and specialist knowledge include management, accounting, organisational development, psychosocial as well as disability.<\/span><\/p>\n

History of ECSAT<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2005-2007:\u00a0Initially, ECSAT focused on providing vocational training and marketing opportunities for people who had lost their livelihood.<\/strong>\u00a0This included training women to make high quality handicrafts to supply Odels, a top department store in Colombo, and woodworking and metalworking skills for men. We ran Peace Building programmes to resolve hostilities between \u00a0local people and resettled tsunami victims. Staff ran a Kids Club\u00a0 for children orphaned by the tsunami at the resettled village of Katupolwatta and their non-affected neighbours. We trained community members in the running of the club.<\/span><\/p>\n

2008-2009:<\/strong>\u00a0ECSAT launched their Outreach programme to provide education and sensory skills to children who are housebound with severe disabilities. Also we started teaching handicraft skills and life skills to women with intellectual impairment in a local residential home. In 2009, we brought the local community and people with disabilities together for the first time by organising a Shramadanna campaign for World Environment Day. Local businesses supported the day and joined in the litter clean-up and tree planting at the beauty spot of Rumasalla Peace Pagoda.\u00a0 ECSAT launched a new range of handicrafts at Dwellings department store in Colombo which was visited by the Swiss ambassador who placed a commission for serviettes featuring the Swiss flag.<\/span><\/p>\n

2010:<\/strong>\u00a0ECSAT completed a two year project sponsored by Deaf Child WorldWide to Build Inclusive Communities through Communication and Advocacy.\u00a0 Staff completed a 12 week training programme in Sinhala sign language and the Project Coordinator went on to complete a Diploma in Sign Language. Our \u2018Wheels of Fortune\u2019 event in Colombo, which challenged able bodied people to complete tasks in wheelchairs, raised \u00a34,500 (1 million LKR) and was supported by the British High Commissioner Dr. Peter Hayers. He then paid a visit to our Galle Community Centre.<\/span><\/p>\n

2011-2012:\u00a0ECSAT handed over the running of Katupowatta Kids Club to the local community after working and training there daily since 2005<\/strong>. Our handicrafts were launched online through Ebay selling from stock in Sri Lanka and an outlet in the UK. In 2012,we were part of the Fringe Programme of the Galle Literary Festival and ran workshops, a dancing programme and a handicraft bazaar. We started Speech and Language therapy for 12 beneficiaries.<\/span><\/p>\n

2013<\/strong>\u00a0ECSAT was registered with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities. Registration No. MSS\/NSPD\/R\/178. The Australian High Commissioner, Robyn Mudie, and Foreign Minister- Mr. Bob Car visited Galle Centre and decided to continue funding support for our Educational Project. Sri Lanka hosted the Commonwealth and Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and delegates and journalists visited Galle Community Centre. Project REACH sponsored our new satellite Community Centre at Hikkaduwa which opened three days a week.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 ECSAT staff in 2014<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2014-2015:\u00a0ECSAT held their first big fundraising event supported by the five star Jetwing Lighthouse hotel in Galle.<\/strong>\u00a0Beneficiaries put on a dance and drama programme for an audience of over 300 people, raising over 1,000,000 LKR. This money enabled us to open a physiotherapy unit for 42 beneficiaries in 2015. We raised another 1,000,000 LKR with a dance and drama programme in Colombo supported by Colombo Rotary Club. We were very proud to make a role model transfer of a wheelchair user from beneficiary to part-time employer as an administrative and handicraft assistant.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2016:<\/strong>\u00a0In response to requests from parents, we opened a preschool four mornings a week at Galle. Our beneficiaries put on a fashion show at Jetwing Hotel to an audience of over 300 people and became the first fashion models in Sri Lanka who had disabilities. Feminist Review Trust sponsored a year project called \u2018Disabled Women Unlock Doors\u2019 promoting life, social skills and handicraft skills to the women in the residential home. They visited local shops to buy materials, sold their items to visitors and went on an overnight stay to visit Kataragama Temple. In July, in response to requests from parents and local government officers, we opened a Community Centre at Matara on the southern coast thanks to funding from the Australia High Commission. ECSAT\u2019s Programme Director went to America in August having been awarded a four month Fellowship with the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) at the World Institute on Disability in California.<\/span><\/p>\n

2017:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0ECSAT showcased the abilities of the beneficiaries by staging an Arts & Crafts Exhibition at Galle International Cricket Pavilion.<\/strong>\u00a0It was visited by over 1,000 local people. To celebrate out 12th birthday, we held a Medical Camp taking blood donations from the community and holding clinics for advice and conduct Pap tests\u00a0 A new Speech and Language therapist joined our team. A new project, funded by Hilden Trust, was launched to \u2018De-institutionalise Women and Girls with Disabilities.\u2019 LemonAid and ChariTea funded a vocational skills project to \u2018Transform Livelihoods and Lives through Income Generation, Training and Support \u2013 for families affected by disability.\u2019 The skills offered were gardening, cookery, handicraft and basic business training.<\/span><\/p>\n

2018:\u00a0Two of our female staff are disabled. One is a wheelchair user and one has hearing impairment. We supported them to attend a week residential training programme in Colombo with the Women\u2019s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD)<\/strong>. As a follow up to the programme, they carry out training sessions for women with disabilities in the Galle and Matara area. On October 7th, the beneficiaries staged a Dance Event at Weligama Hotel Matara and raised Three Million LKR funds for a Therapy Unit at Matara, which opened on\u00a0 December 20th.<\/span><\/p>\n

2019:<\/strong>\u00a0A project called \u2018Teach Me\u2019 was started at Matara to reduce the waiting list of the education classes. This was funded by Souter Charitable Trust. After the Easter bombing tragedy in Colombo, ECSAT closed its services for two weeks while it reviewed its security procedures. In October the programme Director was awarded an MA scholarship in the field of Disability Studies at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. This is a two year course and, while he continued to support ECSAT by Skype and email, the day to day running of ECSAT continued under the leadership of Lakshika De Silva who was promoted to Operations Officer.<\/span><\/p>\n

2020\u00a0<\/strong>The vocational unit hosted twelve representatives from Lemonaid & ChariTea who visited the project they are funding. In March, ECSAT closed the Community Centres due to the curfew during the coronavirus pandemic. Staff continued to support beneficiaries and their families by phone and gave them therapy exercises and education and vocational skills homework. Due to the pandemic, the Programme Director returned to Sri Lanka and will resume his scholarship in January 20<\/span><\/p>\n

Future Plans<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n