A friend indeed since 1831
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Crowning glory of the Society: Annual AIDEX sports meet
The Colombo Friend-in-Need Society, the oldest charity to be established in the country in 1831 by Governor Sir Edward Barnes has been providing humanitarian services to the poor and needy as well as the disabled in the community for the past 186 years.
It also became the premier organization to fabricate artificial limbs in the country in 1985 under the Jaipur Foot Programme. Since then it continues providing artificial limbs free of charge to the needy throughout the island irrespective of any bias based on race or religion.
All those who arrive for treatment are provided shelter and food at the Society hostel which also has a physiotherapist to assist in their rehabilitation process. All these facilities are provided free.
In 2001, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund donated a bus to CFINS through the Hope for Children Charity Fund which was the inauguration of the Society’s mobile camp service. The bus was fully equipped to treat those in need of limbs and prosthetics while on mobile service.
In 2017 a much larger bus was donated to the Society by Rotary and is equipped with audio, opthalmic, and BP testing instruments along with facilities to repair and produce prosthetics. So far around 24,775 limbs have been supplied in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Oddusudan, Mullaitivu, Tangalle, Galle, Buttala, Thanamalwila, Kataragama, Ratnapura, Badulla, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa benefiting people who cannot afford to travel to Colombo for treatment or to get their limbs fixed.
The crowning glory of the Society is its annual AIDEX sports meet – the brainchild of Prof. A.H. Sheriffdeen inaugurated in 1990. Young and old from various parts of the island visit Colombo and compete in this sports meet. This year AIDEX had nearly 400 men, women and children competing in events like archery, putt shot, hurling the disc, bicycle races, long jump, 100 metre relays and wheelchair races to name a few.
Abeysiri, 76 years from Ambalangoda, 74-year-old Chandradasa from Kuliyapitiya along with juniors 13-year-old Manoj Ratnayake from Matale and 12-year-old N.R. Rahim from Ragama in the midst of other enthusiastic sportsmen had come to compete in the games.
All these participants are funded for their travel, food and gifts at the sportsmeet every year by generous sponsors, philanthrophists and various institutions and industries that are the backbone of this organisation.A kindhearted and diligent staff and workshop members, a committed management committee and excellent leadership by its President Nihal Abeysekera and the unrelenting enthusiasm infused to all by Prof. Sheriffdeen has been the reason for donors to be convinced that their money is spent justly.
-Ayoma Wijesundere