25.10.2009

The AIDEX (Aid to the Ex-Abled) Annual Sports Festival is organized by the Colombo Friend-in-Need Society which helps supply limbs for artificial limb users throughout Sri Lanka. The AIDEX Sports Day is the culmination of a programme designed to inspire and motivate differently abled women, men and children.

Dilmah has supported this event since its inception and is proud to have supported the Annual Sports Festival in 2009 as well, which was held on the 25th of October. The festival brought together over 350 participants from different parts of Sri Lanka and from some of the poorest areas of the country. The participants also included armed forces personnel who had been injured during the ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka.

The Founder of Dilmah Tea, Merrill J. Fernando was the Guest of Honour at this event and started off the bicycle race – the first race of the festival. The eager participants were of various ages - the oldest participant, W. A. Karunasena, was 87 and the youngest participant T.P. Kavishka Nirmal was 5 years old.

An important highlight at the festival was 18 year old Subhani Udeshika, the Silver Medallist of the 100metres event at the Asian Youth Paralympic Games held in Tokyo last year. Subhani emerged the Women’s Champion of AIDEX 2009.

Dilmah is proud to be associated with the differently abled people of Sri Lanka by helping them to realise their potential and live non dependent lives with dignity. The AIDEX Sports Festival is an ideal opportunity for them to display their talents and we are happy to support them in this regard. In addition to the sponsorship, Dilmah will be empowering a differently abled individual to enhance their capacity so that they may become productive citizens of the community.

The recent ethnic conflict has also increased the number of differently abled people of Sri Lanka. Although programs such as AIDEX offer psychosocial care and support, there is still a need for greater awareness and support to be given to the differently abled of our country. In keeping with our philosophy of making business a matter of human service we see this as a duty we owe our community and our fellow differently abled brothers and sisters.