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Finding their niche in society
The Colombo Centre for Special Education has changed the lives of many differently-abled men
By Frances Bulathsinghala
In the gamble of life, events sometimes catch us unawares. When Dirk Sathyamoorthy met with a motorcycle accident five years ago, it meant that he could no longer enjoy the carefree and comfortable lifestyle he had with his job as an executive in a leading private firm.

The accident cost more than just his job. It cost him his mind. Part of his brain was damaged as a result and he could no longer function fully. His speech was impaired. Despite leading doctors being consulted, the fact remained that he would be unable to fit into his earlier lifestyle.

Yet, a small school situated in the heart of Colombo changed this. Founded 25 years ago by an Anglican priest, Fr. Celestine Fernando, whose son was born handicapped, the Colombo Centre for Special Education, a charitable institution that houses only males has changed over 50 lives. No, it does not perform any miracle surgeries where its students recover overnight, but with consistent effort those enlisted in the school (their ages vary from 19 to 67) gain confidence that they can manage on their own.

The most notable success is 30-year-old Imtiaz who after nearly fifteen years at the centre is now one of its staffers and deals adroitly with the school’s accounts and administrative matters.

"The centre has persons who suffer from Down's Syndrome. The case of Dirk is an exception. Our aim is also to give emotional support to parents who are left helpless in countries such as ours when dealing with a situation like this. We start at 9.00 a.m. and the 'students' stay on till the school closes at 1.00 p.m. The staff including the principal totals five teachers. On and off we get professional assistance from instructors from abroad who teach in institutions which specialise in cases of Down's Syndrome," says principal Mrs. Charika Muthaiah.

She was speaking to The Sunday Times soon after a recent exhibition held by the school displaying the talents of its students. Pointing to the paintings, pottery, woodwork and handwork on display, she said the students mostly come up with their own ideas.

"Sometimes the instructors are inspired by them. It is only in the cases of those who find it difficult to function fully with their limbs and would find it difficult to grip the paint brush in their hands that the instructors assist but others are left to create on their own with only a bit of guidance," says Mrs. Muthaiah.

The school charges a minimum of Rs. 250 a month but considers any financial problem the family may have. "We have students who come from different social stratas. What kind of family they are born to makes no difference. We are aware that those with adequate finances are more in control of the situation. That is why we take into consideration those who might be financially handicapped as well by arranging for donations. Of late we also provide accomodation facilities for students at the school if the need arises," says Mrs. Muthaiah.

The school depends on the generosity of the general public but funds are also raised by the sale of the students' handwork. "Our income was mostly raised in the past two years by the cards produced totally by the students. Many mercantile firms place their orders for our Christmas cards. Last year we made 7,000 cards," she says.

"We can only hope for the day when Sri Lanka realizes the need for a social scheme as present in other countries, for those born with Down's Syndrome and other mental ailments. The importance is not to alienate them from society but to create a society which will accept them as differently- abled,"says Mrs. Muthaiah.

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