It’s that time of year when Prithipura Home is abuzz with annual sale activities
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The Prithipura Home’s annual fund raising sale will be held on November 14 at the Lionel Wendt from 10.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The residents and staff are busy adding last minute touches to the handicrafts, handmade greeting cards and household linen they have made. There will also be footwear, semi-precious jewellery, Christmas decorations and household goods including plastic ware available at reasonable prices.
The Prithipura Home, built on a sprawling four acre property in Wattala, today, has 66 residents, some who have lived at the Home for decades and will be there until the end of their days. They come from poor homes where their families are unwilling or economically unable to look after them. Some were abandoned at birth and ended up at the Home on the orders of the court.
Mental and physical disabilities are still regarded in Sri Lanka as a source of shame and embarrassment. Sometimes parents and siblings simply do not know how to care for and interact with a differently abled child. The Home provides a safe environment from childhood onwards for mentally and physically differently abled residents where they are encouraged to develop their own personalities and identities and any skills they possess by attending activity classes provided by the Home.
The Home run by the Ceylon Fellowship of Service,was inaugurated in 1962. Under the guidance and dedication of Bhikkhu Sumana, it initially began as a boys’ home. There were three huts with cemented floors, wooden walls and thatch roofs. It had four residents with a few house mothers to care for them.Today there are 66 residents who are housed in six cottages within the premises, giving the feeling of an extended family unit.
The Home is guided by successive Presidents and Executive Committee members who serve on a voluntary basis. A Matron and an Assistant Matron run the Home with the support of house mothers who are in charge of the cottages.
As a non-profit organisation, CFS Prithipura Home looks to the community for annual support. State funding offsets only a small part of the cost of caring for residents, so private donations are essential. The Home receives contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. Volunteers are always welcome to contribute their time and service while donations of cash and food, sponsoring a resident and fund raising are other ways to help the Home to continue its work.
For more information contact +94112930447 or by email: cfs269prithipura@gmail.com, Website: www. http://cfsprithipurahome.com.