Cricket is everyone’s game, some new Cricketers at Sithijaya the Merrill J Fernando Center for the differently able……..

Cricket is very common in Sri Lanka and it is a game that is played by both young and old.

Sithijaya the Merrill J Fernando Center for the differently able in Ambalantota is engaged in many activities like Sewing, Handcraft, Painting, Dancing, Singing, Home Gardening, etc.

This Center is unique not only because it’s the only institution that is operated in Sri Lanka which is linked between the Divisional Secretariat (Government) and a Private Sector (MJF charitable Foundation) but because it accepts all the Children who are brought to the Center with any disability and starts working in them from the scratch.  It is mentionable that all the students who are at the center have improved significantly and we heard the parents testifying at the 3rd anniversary celebration of the improvements they are seeing in their children on a daily basis.  

Apart from the General Vocational training the teachers gets the Students involved in Exercising, Training them to start their day after prayers, Cleaning the surrounding, arranging their class rooms (a roster is made available), Toilet Training, Teaching them to read and write, Numbers, Letters, colours, and also since recently after the visit of some friends from Poland (a film Crew with Gosia Molska) who donated few sports equipment to the children they have aprox 40 minutes everyday before lunch to play Cricket and the Girls play Badminton.

It was mentioned to us by the teachers and the manager that they are noticing improvements in the Children’s activities (fighting and squabbling has reduced to a greater level) and also they have began to show more interests towards the lessons they are involved in after getting involved in activities like Sports.

It is so encouraging and an emotional experience to see that the Students who have never held a bat or a badminton racket in their hands trying to learn the sport and mingling with the other students, Smiling unconditionally, helping each other to lift them up when they fall, pushing the Children on the Wheel chairs to the area where they play and getting them also involved in paying, etc…

Given below are a few pictures for your eyes that was taken on the 17th while they were playing.

 

 

Sithijaya the Merrill J Fernando Center for the differently able caters to 60 Children for now at the Center and about 110 in its outreach programme.

Eight dedicated teachers and three voulnteers headed by a dedicated and well experienced and also qualified manager.  It has 24 hour security and a person to ensure maintenance/clenliness of the center always.

A bus is available to pick the children and drop them back at homes on a daily basis which has eased the burden off the parents of bringing then to School and waiting to take them back home.

A center for parents is in place for the parents who has to bring their children to the center and wait until the School is over to take them back, in which the parents are involved in manufacturing Ladies Shoes and Slippers.  This operation is an income generating method for the parents.

 

 

 

Community, Differently able, Education, Env. & wild Life, Kids

A Stepping Stone to IT – Commencement of the Microsoft Office Course – Curtiss Graphics Designing Vocational Training Institute, Moratuwa

Thirty students, a majority of them being siblings of the MJF Kids of Moratuwa have enrolled in MS Office course which will be conducted in 2 batches over a period of 3 months.

Twenty Eight of the students who attended the class have never had any form of exposure to a Computer. Hence using a keyboard and handling the mouse was a first time experience for most of them.

  

Moratuwa Centre, Uncategorized, Vocational Training

Just like the Lotus……

Lotuses grow out of the mud pure and clean.  Chinese poets use Lotus flowers to inspire people to continue striving through difficulties and to show their best part to the outside world, no matter how bad the circumstances may be.  This is understood as being just like the lotus flower, bringing beauty and light from the murky darkness at the bottom of the pond.

We were given the opportunity to visit one of the prisons and from the time we started working with the inmates at the prisons i always tend to compare the really talented ones with Lotus…..”from the murky darkness trying to bring out the best that they can.   The following at this prison captured my mind and im sharing it with you too.

1. Atmosphere created by the welfare unit of the prisons for the inmates and their rehabilitation process.  Clean surrounding, Pets like the Bunnies/Rabbits, Birds in the area, plenty of plants (flowers and vegitables), maximum usage of discarded things to decorate the enviornment, etc makes this place special. 

2. The theme “Prisoners too are Human” and the way it is Implemented and practiced by the prison officers.  – Ofcause the prisoners are imprisonment for crimes they have committed but the root cause for all these are different kinds of consequences….. hence when the prisoners are brought to the prisons they are not tortured and ill treated in return they are channeled through different kinds of Therapies and programmes that will revive them which will help them to stay away from mistakes they have done and not go back to prisons again.

3. Maximum utilization of the tallents and the capabilitis of the inmates towards their own benefit and also of the betterment of the prison and the other inmates.  Female inmates gets involved in sewing various items like Rugs, ladies cloths, etc whilst the male inmates gets involved in Wood working (MJFCF has provided the prison with a multi purpose wood working machine), Carpentry, painting, house wiring, Sewing, etc…  the inmates creations are used to beautify the prison and also helps them to earn some money to help their families who live outside the prisons, or even to collect money to pay their own fine.

   

   

 4. willingness and the interest to learn anything possible.  The MJFCF has provided 2 computers to the prisons and those two machines are made use by not only the prisoners but also the staff and the officers.  Almost all the staff in the Prison is involved in learning computer and classes are conducted daily.

The Prison department has appointed a dedicated officer who is well trained in IT to train the staff as well as the inmates.

 

Inmates who have sat for their Ordinary Level and/or Advanced Level attend computer classes whilst those who are about to sit for their exams and also any Children above the age of 13 can attend these classes.  

    

about 60 individual for now are benefiting from this facility that has been made available by the MJF Charitable Foundation.

5. Everyone is involved in keeping the surrounding clean and beautiful and they do it with utmost interest.

Community, event / images captured my mind

A Fruitful 2012 for Gemi Aruna Agri Farmer’s Society in Pahalalanda – Ampara

You probably whould have read articles about the MJFCF’s ORANGE & PINEAPPLE project in Pahalalanda, Ampara on this Blog page…….. well here’s an addition to same.

The Gemi Aruna Agri Products Society started a Fruits Collection Center in the area and collects fruits availalble in the village. 

The Collected fruits are sold to Fruits products (Juice, Pulp) Manufacturers, Traders, etc…..

It is observed that Lime, Soursop, Custed Apple or Sugar-apple, Cherimoya, Pine Apple, Green Oranges (Sweet and Sour - both with rich medicinal values in it), Banana, Phyllanthus emblica (Sri Lankans call it Nelli and the Inidian Call it Amla), Wood Apple, Papaya, Beal or Aegle-marmelos Fruit (we call it Beli in Sri Lanka) and many more fruits are freely available and are grown in their home gardens in Pahalalanda.

With the “bringing back the real Sri Lankan Sweet Oranges after 50 od years” the society has now began to collect fruits that is grown and not made use of by the community. 

Every fruit that is collected in the homes are brought to the Collection Center of the Society’s on a weekly basis and they are entered into a register.  These information are to be shared with the Department of Agriculture in Ampara in order to initiate and maintain a database of the Fruits availalbe in the area which will allow them to introduce the same method to other areas in the district too.

We wish Gemi Aruna all the best and a Fruitful 2012.

Please read more for medicinal information of these fruits foe your own benefit.  the following are for your thoughts and evaluations.

Just cut 2-3 thin slices of lemon in a cup/container and add drinking water will become “alkaline water”, drink for the whole day, just by adding drinking water. Take it as drinking water everyday is good for everybody.

The surprising benefits of lemon!

I remain perplexed!

Institute of Health Sciences, 819 N. L.L.C. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 1201.

This is the latest in medicine, effective for cancer!

Read carefully & you be the judge

Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.

Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits. You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease. Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial multimillionaires large corporations? As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes. You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc… It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer . It is considered also as an anti microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is too high and an antidepressant, combats s tress and nervous disorders.

The source of this inform ation is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than  20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that: It  destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers including colon, breast,  prostate, lung and pancreas … The compounds of this tree showed  10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells.  And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does no t affect healthy cells.

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Papaya

Dear everybody,
The gorgeous Fruit….Papaya…. Make sure that you have some as often as possible. Read all about it.
 
Papaya was the only studied food found to halt breast cancer. Scientists studied 14 plant foods commonly consumed in Mexico to determine their ability to halt breast cancer cell growth. These included avocado, black sapodilla, guava, mango, prickly pear cactus (nopal), pineapple, grapes, tomato, and papaya. They also evaluated beta-carotene, total plant phenolics, and gallic acid contents and antioxidant capacity. They found that only papaya had a significant effect on stopping breast cancer cell growth. (International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, May issue).
 
Papaya is a store-house of cancer-fighting lycopene. The intense orangey-pink colour of papaya means it is chock full of cancer fighting carotenoids. Not only beta carotene, but lycopene is found in abundance. The construction of lycopene makes it highly reactive towards oxygen and free radicals. Scientists at the University of Illinois think this anti-oxidant activity contributes to its effectiveness as a cancer fighting agent. Epidemiological studies have indicated an inverse relationship between lycopene intake and prostate cancer risk. They showed that oral lycopene is highly bio available, accumulates in prostate tissue, and is localised in the nucleus of prostate epithelial cells. In addition to antioxidant activity, other experiments have indicated that lycopene induces cancer cell death, anti-metastatic activity, and the up-regulation of protective enzymes. Phase I and II studies have established the safety of lycopene supplementation. (Cancer Letter, October 8, 2008).
 
Prostate cancer was the subject of a study in Australia that looked at 130 prostate cancer patients and 274 hospitalized controls. The scientists found that men who consumed the most lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables such as papaya were 82% less likely to have prostate cancer. In this study, green tea also exerted a powerful anti-cancer effect. When lycopene-rich foods were consumed with green tea, the combination was even more effective, an outcome the researchers credited to their synergy. ( Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007).
 
Isothiocyanates found in papaya restore the cell cycle to eliminate cancer. Organo-sulphur compounds called isothiocyanates are found in papaya. In animal experiments, isothiocyanates protected against cancers of the breast, lung, colon, pancreas, prostate, as well as leukaemia, and they have the potential to prevent cancer in humans. Isothiocyanates have shown themselves capable of inhibiting both the formation and development of cancer cells through multiple pathways and mechanisms. (International Journal of Oncology, October, 2008).  
 
Researchers in Japan clarified the mechanisms of action in a type of isothiocyanate found in papaya known as BITC, which underlies the relationship between cell cycle regulation and appropriate cell death. When cancerous cells die on schedule, they are no longer a problem. The researchers established that BITC exerted cancer cell killing effects that were greater in the proliferating cells than in the quiescent cells. Cancer cells that are proliferating are much more dangerous than cancer cells that are in a state of dormancy. (Forum of Nutrition, 2009). 

 
Enzymes from papaya digest proteins including those that protect tumours. The fruit and other parts of the papaya tree, also known as the paw paw tree, contain papain and chymopapain, powerful proteolytic enzymes that facilitate chemical reactions in the body. They promote digestion by helping to break down proteins from food into amino acids that can be recombined to produce protein useable by humans. Proteolytic enzymes protect the body from inflammation and help heal burns. They do a good job of digesting unwanted scar tissue both on the skin and under its surface. Being a proteolytic enzyme, papain is able to destroy intestinal parasites, which are composed mostly of protein. To rid the body of intestinal parasites, half a cup of papaya juice can be alternated each hour for twelve consecutive hours with the same amount of cucumber or green bean juice.
 
Research has shown that the physical and mental health of people is highly dependent on their ability to produce proteins they can use effectively. However, as people age, they produce less of the enzymes needed to effectively digest proteins from food and free needed amino acids. They are left with excessive amounts of undigested protein which can lead to overgrowth of unwanted bacteria in the intestinal tract, and a lack of available amino acids. Eating papaya after a meal promotes digestion, and helps prevent bloating, gas production, and indigestion. It is quite helpful after antibiotic use to replenish friendly intestinal bacteria that were the casualties in the war against the unwanted bacteria. When the intestinal tract is well populated with friendly bacteria, the immune system is strengthened, and can protect better against flu and cancer.
 
Papaya contains fibrin, another useful compound not readily found in the plant kingdom. Fibrin reduces the risk of blood clots and improves the quality of blood cells, optimising the ability of blood to flow through the circulatory system. Fibrin is also important in preventing stokes. Proteolytic enzymes containing fibrin are a good idea for long plane rides to minimize the potential of blood clots in the legs. People who sit at a desk all day might want to use proteolytic enzymes too. Proteolytic enzymes are able to digest and destroy the defence shields of viruses, tumours, allergens, yeasts, and various forms of fungus. Once the shield is destroyed, tumours and invading organisms are extremely vulnerable and easily taken care of by the immune system. Undigested proteins can penetrate the gut and wind up in the bloodstream where they are treated by the immune system as invaders. If too many undigested proteins are floating around, the immune system becomes overburdened and unable to attend to the other tasks it was meant to do. Proteolytic enzymes can digest these rogue proteins, freeing up the immune system.
 
Let’s ensure a slice of papaya every day in our diet. Papaya juice will be great.
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Sour Sop or the fruit from the graviola tree is a miraculous natural cancer cell killer - Plenty in Sri Lanka .

10,000 times stronger than Chemo.

Why are we not aware of this? Its because some big corporation want to make back their money spent on years of research by trying to make a synthetic version of it for sale.

So, since you know it now you can help a friend in need by letting him know or just drink some sour sop juice yourself as prevention from time to time. The taste is not bad after all. It’s completely natural and definitely has no side effects. If you have the space, plant one in your garden.  The other parts of the tree are also useful.

The next time you have a fruit juice, ask for a sour sop.

How many people died in vain while this billion-dollar drug maker concealed the secret of the miraculous Graviola tree? This tree is low and is called graviola in Brazil , guanabana in Spanish and has the uninspiring name “soursop” in English. The fruit is very large and the subacid sweet white pulp is eaten out of hand or, more commonly, used to make fruit drinks, sherbets and such.

The principal interest in this plant is because of its strong anti-cancer effects. Although it is effective for a number of medical conditions, it is its anti tumor effect that is of most interest. This plant is a proven cancer remedy for cancers of all types.

Besides being a cancer remedy, graviola is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent for both bacterial and fungal infections, is effective against internal parasites and worms, lowers high blood pressure and is used for depression, stress and nervous disorders.

If there ever was a single example that makes it dramatically clear why the existence of Health Sciences Institute is so vital to Americans like you, it’s the incredible story behind the Graviola tree.

The truth is stunningly simple: Deep within the Amazon Rainforest grows a tree that could literally revolutionize what you, your doctor, and the rest of the world thinks about cancer treatment and chances of survival. The future has never looked more promising.

Research shows that with extracts from this miraculous tree it now may be possible to:
* Attack cancer safely and effectively with an all-natural therapy that does not cause extreme nausea, weight loss and hair loss
* Protect your immune system and avoid deadly infections
* Feel stronger and healthier throughout the course of the treatment
* Boost your energy and improve your outlook on life

The source of this information is just as stunning: It comes from one of America ‘s largest drug manufacturers, the fruit of over 20 laboratory tests conducted since the 1970′s! What those tests revealed was nothing short of mind numbing… Extracts from the tree were shown to:

* Effectively target and kill malignant cells in 12 types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer..
* The tree compounds proved to be up to 10,000 times stronger in slowing the growth of cancer cells than Adriamycin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug!
* What’s more, unlike chemotherapy, the compound extracted from the Graviola tree selectivelyhunts
down and kills only cancer cells. It does not harm healthy cells!

The amazing anti-cancer properties of the Graviola tree have been extensively researched–so why haven’t you heard anything about it? If Graviola extract is as half as promising as it appears to be–why doesn’t every single oncologist at every major hospital insist on using it on all his or her patients?

The spine-chilling answer illustrates just how easily our health–and for many, our very lives(!)–are controlled by money and power.

Graviola–the plant that worked too well

One of America ‘s biggest billion-dollar drug makers began a search for a cancer cure and their research centered on Graviola, a legendary healing tree from the Amazon Rainforest.

Various parts of the Graviola tree–including the bark, leaves, roots, fruit and fruit-seeds–have been used for centuries by medicine men and native Indians in South America to treat heart disease, asthma, liver problems and arthritis. Going on very little documented scientific evidence, the company poured money and resources into testing the tree’s anti-cancerous properties–and were shocked by the results. Graviola proved itself to be a cancer-killing dynamo.

But that’s where the Graviola story nearly ended.

The company had one huge problem with the Graviola tree–it’s completely natural, and so, under federal law, not patentable. There’s no way to make serious profits from it.

It turns out the drug company invested nearly seven years trying to
synthesize two of the Graviola tree’s most powerful anti-cancer ingredients. If they could isolate and produce man-made clones of what makes the Graviola so potent, they’d be able to patent it and make their money back. Alas, they hit a brick wall. The original simply could not be replicated. There was no way the company could protect its profits–or even make back the millions it poured into research.

As the dream of huge profits evaporated, their testing on Graviola came to a screeching halt. Even worse, the company shelved the entire project and chose not to publish the findings of its research!

Luckily, however, there was one scientist from the Graviola research team whose conscience wouldn’t let him see such atrocity committed. Risking his career, he contacted a company that’s dedicated to harvesting medical plants from the Amazon Rainforest and blew the whistle.

Miracle unleashed
When researchers at the Health Sciences Institute were alerted to the news of Graviola, they began tracking the research done on the cancer-killing tree. Evidence of the astounding effectiveness of Graviola–and its shocking cover-up–came in fast and furious….

….The National Cancer Institute performed the first scientific research in 1976. The results showed that Graviola’s “leaves and stems were found effective in attacking and destroying malignant cells.” Inexplicably, the results were published in an internal report and never released to the public…

…Since 1976, Graviola has proven to be an immensely potent cancer killer in 20 independent laboratory tests, yet no double-blind clinical trials–the typical benchmark mainstream doctors and journals use to judge a treatment’s value–were ever initiated…

….A study published in the Journal of Natural Products, following a recent study conducted at Catholic University of South Korea stated that one chemical in Graviola was found to selectively kill colon cancer cells at “10,000 times the potency of (the commonly used chemotherapy drug) Adriamycin…”

….The most significant part of the Catholic University of South Korea report is that Graviola was shown to selectively target the cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched. Unlike chemotherapy, which indiscriminately targets all actively reproducing cells (such as stomach and hair cells), causing the often devastating side effects of nausea and hair loss in cancer patients.

…A study at Purdue University recently found that leaves from the Graviola tree killed cancer cells among six human cell lines and were especially effective against prostate, pancreatic and lung
cancers… Seven years of silence broken–it’s finally here!

A limited supply of Graviola extract, grown and harvested by indigenous people in Brazil , is finally available in America .

The full Graviola Story–including where you can get it and how to use it–is included in Beyond Chemotherapy: New Cancer Killers, Safe as Mother’s Milk, a Health Sciences Institute FREE special bonus report on natural substances that will effectively revolutionize the fight against cancer.

This crucial report (along with five more FREE reports) is yours ABSOLUTELY FREE with a new membership to the Health Sciences Institute. It’s just one example of how absolutely vital each report from the Institute can be to your life and those of your loved ones.

From breakthrough cancer and heart research and revolutionary Amazon Rainforest herbology to world-leading anti-aging research and nutritional medicine, every monthly Health Sciences Institute Member’s Alert puts in your hands today cures the rest of America –including your own doctor(!)–is likely to find out only ten years from now.

Community, East

MJF Beverages team join hands with MJFCF to repair electrical installations at the School for the Hearing and Vision impaired at Moneragala

Neal visited the School for the Vision and Hearing Impaired at Moneragala along with Neome and Ishan during one of their field visits to Ampara a few months ago. Thereafter he also visited the school a few more times to explore opportunities to recruit some differently able staff to the MJF Beverages factory at Rilhena.

Having observed the poor electrical installation in most facilities at the school, Neal submitted a proposal to MJFCF to get the electrical installations rectified. The proposal was readily accepted by the Foundation and Neal and his team was given the green light to proceed with the work.

 

 

 

 

No sooner the Moneragala Deaf and Blind School closed for December vacations, Neal and his team visited the school with all the required materials and accomplished the work within 2 days on the 12th and 13th December. Whilst MJFCF provided the required materials, the MJF Beverages team undertook the entire workmanship purely voluntarily.The School Principal – Mr. Kaluarachchi made provided all the logistical support for Neal and his team to stay over at the School during the 2 days.

Despite the heavy showers experienced in Moneragala during the week, the MJF Beverages team completed the job to the entire satisfaction of the School Principal and staff. The Principal and the staff expressed their profound thanks and sincere appreciation to Neal and the MJF Beverages team for their timely intervention and support and also to Settlor and the MJFCF for their generosity.

 

 

 

 

The School for the Visual and Hearing Impaired in Moneragala is virtually adopted by MJFCF and has been associate with the school over the past 5 years in supporting its educational, recreational, infrastructural needs and also the income generation wing of the school “Daskam Nivasa”.

The MJFCF team expresses its sincere thanks to Neal and the MJF Beverages team for their support in joining with MJFCF to fulfill an urgent need at the School in Moneragala and to Neome for having initiated the move by creating the opportunity for Neal to visit the School. Neome’s own update below includes some images of Neal’s team at work.

 

Differently able, MJF Beverages, MJF Group Volunteers, Volunteers

Prize giving of YWCA English education project

The annual Prize Giving and Christmas party of the English Education project of the YWCA – Girl Child Centre in the suburbs of Colombo was held at the YWCA on 19/12/11.

50 children from low income group families  attached to the Lower and Upper grades together with their mothers attended the event presided overt by the President of the YWCA and the Chairperson of the Girl Child Centre.

These Kids, who joined the programme without any knowledge of the English language, spoke, sang and recited poems fluently in English. The teachers attached to the Centre had put in a lot of effort to bring about this significant change in these Kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids who excelled in the competitions and attendance received their certificates and all the children were given their Christmas presents as well.

 

MJFCF has been supporting this programme for the last 2 years meeting all teaching and nutritional improvement needs of the Kids.

Education, Events, Kids

An extended hand from the MJF Beverages Technical Team to the School for the Visual & Hearing Impaired – Monaragala

The School for the Visual and Hearing Impaired is a Government School adopted by the MJF Charitable Foundation and assisted with the children’s Education, Sports & Recreation, Vocational Training, etc….

This School that is located in the Eastern Part of Sri Lanka (in the Monaragala District) is hardly supported by any other organizations.  MJF Charitable Foundation specifically do not operate in developed urban areas.  All the MJF Foundation projects are located in areas that are remote and severely under developed and also where other NGOs or forms of assistance are available reaching out to the most marginalized amongst our community.

Hence this School and the Children who are precious to us has always been special to the Foundation and specially the Settlor.

 

 

 

The Factory Manager of the MJF Beverages (Pvt) Ltd Mr. Neal Madawatte visited the School couple of months ago and volunteered to repair and to re-do the Electrical wiring of the school which was not in good shape. 

Few days ago (Mid December) the Technical Team comprising of 15 members along with Neal worked together to fix and to re-do the entire school’s wiring within 2 days. 

 

 

 

Job completed and the Principal of the School has informed the Foundation his gratitude for an excellent work of this team who worked on this job non-stop and with lots of interest and dedication.

Whilst thanking Neal and his team for a Job well done we wish to them the best.

Voluntary Work appreciated

A Prisoners Break-through

Having spent the most useful and youthful days of his life in the prisons for just one mistake of not knowing to control his temper…….resulted in unexpected changes in his life.

Been a well recognized and well to do person in the village he use to be well respected and accepted in the community but due to this unfortunate incident everything changed and he had to take a 360° turn and start from Scratch.

Whilst at the prisons he got to know about the MJF Charitable Foundation and the work of the foundation for the prison inmates and about the Settlor. 

“In need of a friend to talk to (of that has been taking place in my life), the first and the only person i was able to think of at that very moment was Mr. Merrill J Fernando, to whom i wrote all my worries, not knowing if he will even consider responding to person like me” he said. he further stated that “i was overwhelmed to see an officer from the MJF Charitable Foundation at my door step to meet me and findout about my immediate needs within a week i had send the letter” 

His main issue was to rebuild the house he was living, a place that is livable.  The Foundation on Settlor’s instruction agreed to help him refurbish his house.

Here in the picture you will see Mr. Malik J Fernando (Trustee) handing over the Cheque.

We would like to recognize the assistance provided by the company engineer in this regard.

The foundation is working closely with the welfare officer monitoring his progress as part of its rehabilitation programme within the prisons.

Not only life but everything for him has changed for good.  he says that he values and appreciate every little thing in his life.   He is back with his Children and Sisters. Working hard to give them proper education, etc..

We wish him all success and good luck with his new life.

p.s. Name of the person is not mentioned due to valid and obvious reasons.

Rehabilitation

Drumming troupe of MJF Kids perform for Everlasting Radio promo at Moratuwa

Just a few days ago the MJF Kids produced Prasanga Prasansa 2011 at the MJF Centre in Moratuwa. It was a programme which brought loads of appreciation and compliments to the Kids for their talents, potential and performances. One event which attracted a lot of attention amongst the audience was the drumming groups performance.

And this is what Mahmood from MJF Media had to say.

“It was my pleasure being present at MJF KIDS Day program. We witnessed an excellent show and some awesome performances. One of the acts which caught attention was Drumming Boys. The harmony and beats were not less than an experienced group performance.” – Mahmood Ulhaq – Everlasting Radio

And what better way could the Kids have been rewarded for their performances with the drums than being invited by Everlasting Radio to assist them with one of their promotional events at a Christmas shopping mall. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for the Kids.They were really overjoyed on hearing of the invitation which was more than a Christmas gift to them.

Accepting the invite, the MKJ Kids drumming troupe did perform to support the MJF Media promotional event amidst a large and appreciative shoppers at a Christmas mall in Moratuwa on Saturday the 17th evening. The troupe was well lead by Steven with the Congas and supported by Chathuranga with the Thammattama, Dulaj – Violin, Tharindu – Daula, Udayachandran – Sak, Kasun with the Getabera, Pradeep on the Bongo, Sudarshan – Symbols and Dilip with the Tambourine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The shoppers took time off their busy shopping to listen to the MJF Kids perform like professionals and it was a good experience and exposure to the Kids.

 

Events, Kids, Peliyagoda

03 years of Hard work & Celebration of accomplishment

“There are so many opportunities in life that the loss of two or three capabilities is not necessarily debilitating. A handicap can give you the opportunity to focus more on art, writing, or music” says Jim Davis. 

 

 

 

 

We realized how true the above quote by Davis is after witnessing an extra ordinary event that was displayed by the students at Sithijaya on the 03rd of December which is also a day marked to Remember and to felicitate the Disable in the World.

Sithijaya the Merrill J Fernando Center for the differently able celebrated its 3rd year Anniversary coinciding with the International Day for the Disable on the 03rd of December 2011.

       

The event started at 1530 hours and went on till 2100 hours.  it is mentionable that it was encouraging to see all the children of the center participated in the events and activities with lots of enthusiasm.

Parents, gradients, family members, well wishers of all the Students were invited for this event so that they are allowed to witness the talents of their Children and appreciate same.

The Programme consisted of an Exhibition of the creations of the Students for the past six months (Sewing, Agriculture/Home Gardening, Painting, Handcrafts, etc along with products (Shoes) manufactured by the Parents of the Parents Center set up to allow them to earn some income whilst they wait for their children to finish school and take them home.

To emphasis a little bit about the PARENT’s CENTER the foundation has established at Sithijaya…..Parents from far away places bring their children to Sithijaya on a daily basis and they stay until the school activities finishes for the day to take them back home simply because they don’t afford the bus fair and in some cases there aren’t bus services to the place where they come from all the time, there is only one bus that operates only one trip a day.

Hence the Foundation initiated a committee of the parents and have set up a center for the parents who stay at the center to take their children home. These parents are now involved in manufacturing Shoes and Slippers for now and will soon start manufacturing bags, mosquito nets , etc…. which will allow them to make some money and their time spent at the center is not wasted in vain.

Training and meterial for the lessons are provided prior to them getting involved in manufacturing.  

        

         

And after the exhibition they displayed a beautiful show of dances and skits and activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The event was appreciated by all the guests and invitees specially Mr. Kaluarachchi (Principal – School for the Visual and Hearing Impaired), Mr. Seneviratne (from the School for the visually impaired in Tangalle).

All credit to the dedicated and hardworking teachers, Volunteers and the Parents.

Differently able