Canfi 2013-A walk more than a walk
View(s):“One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood.” -Agatha Christie
As we grow up and see the world, we have come to make peace, warily if not gracefully, with the fact that life isn’t always fair. With all the chaos and noise of living, we forget that there’s more to life than getting through our day. We misinterpret the meanings of pain and courage. We confuse the petty complaints of our careless lives for real struggles. In short, we forget that there are children who have all the brutalities of life barging on their door even before they had the chance and time to grow out of their cradles.
The National Cancer Hospital of Maharagama houses the needs of such children.
From the 111377 of registered patients there, a 13.2% fraction is children. Those children want the same things you and I wanted growing up. The same things interest them as did us as kids; colorful balloons, loud whistles, chunky crayons, glossy books and lots of toys. They want your attention.
They want you to beam at their colorful collages. They want you to teach them to fold brilliant colored birds and boats off paper. They want you to rock them in your arms and tell them a story. Then, you’ll realize that though there’s a gap of a lifetime of pain between them and you, they are still children in dire need of rejuvenating their childhood.
The Rotaract Club of Faculty of Science, University of Colombo has joined forces with the Canfi Community to carry out an array of projects, the first of which is in progress now. It is to visit the children at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital on two days per week for two months from 2.00-4.00pm with school and craft supplies and entertain the children.
Though the doctors explain they have more complex needs of medication and therapy and the logical being in me agrees with all those doctors, there’s still a part me that adamantly believes that all they need is time, yours and mine, to make them forget the perpetual pain. To dance around the rooms, to sing a few loud songs and laugh out all the worries.
For more details on participating in the walk or providing funding or sponsorships please speak to the Project chairperson Praveen Jayawardene on 0716 346 639 or Chamishka Kiriella on 0716 449 729.
“The essence of childhood, of course, is play.” -Bill Cosby
Rtr. Nipunika Samali Weliwatte
Secretary
Rotaract club of Faculty of Science
University of Colombo