The Halcrow Foundation is funding education and development support for up to 250 children with a range of special needs and learning disabilities in Sri Lanka.
Social Economical and Environmental Developer (SEED) is a non-government organisation based in the Vavuniya District. The Halcrow Foundation is supporting SEED’s community-based rehabilitation programme, helping 40 children at a special needs school, 190 children in special education units (SEUs) across 32 mainstream schools, and 15 children on SEED’s vocational training programme.
Empowerment campus
The children have a range of needs and learning difficulties, including autism, Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, and hearing and speech impairments. They are taught at SEED’s Empowerment Campus in classes of between five and ten according to their abilities and development, by teachers trained in special needs education. Parents are also motivated to participate in their children’s schooling and receive support and counselling by SEED’s trained staff.
Depending on their abilities, some of these children graduate to the vocational training group where they can develop skills in a range of vocational activities, including leatherwork, carpentry and jewellery making. Some also move to the SEUs in the mainstream schools.
Special education units
The Halcrow Foundation is also helping fund SEED’s work in assisting the Ministry of Education to set up special education units in mainstream schools. Limited government support is available, so SEED offers workshops and training programmes for teachers and volunteers to help integrate students with hearing and speech impairments.
Baghi Banghirathan, says: “Having been associated with SEED for a long period, I am overwhelmed by the amazing work they undertake to support poor and marginalised communities and their children. SEED’s pioneering work on special needs education is transforming the education and development of children with special needs in the Vavuniya District.”
You can read more about this project here.
