‘Life Healing Centre’ set up at Katuwapitiya to offer Psychosocial support for April 21 victims
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Inauguration of the Life Healing Centre at Katuwapitiya, Negombo with Rt. Rev. Dr. J D Anthony Jayakody, Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Colombo; Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya – Corporate Executive Vice President and CEO - South Asia Region, Axiata Group Berhad; and Supun Weerasinghe, Group Chief Executive, Dialog Axiata PLC, along with Shayam Majeed, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Dialog Axiata PLC; Rev. Fr. Shrilal Fonseka, Parish Priest of Katuwapitiya, St. Sebastian Church; Pradeep De Almeida, Group Chief Technology Officer, Dialog Axiata PLC; Rev. Fr. Claude Nonis, Director – Archdiocesan Family Apostolate, Coordinator – National family Apostolate; and Rev Fr. Lawrence Ramanayaka, Director, Seth Sarana Caritas Colombo
The ‘Life Healing Centre’, led by a team of certified professionals to provide psychosocial support to those affected by the tragic incidents of April 21, was set up in Katuwapitiya, Negombo on May 18 by the ‘Rally to Care’ initiative, a charitable trust under the aegis of Dialog Axiata PLC, and ‘Seth Sarana’ the social action arm of the Archdiocese of Colombo.
The fund initiated with Rs. 15 million by Dialog, saw generous Dialog customers, individual donors, corporates, enterprises, and overseas donors coming together to raise an amount of Rs. 28.68 million, which was doubled by Dialog in matching funds. Axiata Group came forward to contribute an amount of Rs. 34.6 million towards the Rally to Care fund. The generosity of this community of supporters surmounted a mammoth fund amounting to Rs. 106.96 million, Dialog said in a statement.
The Life Healing Centre was inaugurated in the presence of Rt. Rev. Dr. J.D. Anthony Jayakody, Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Colombo, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya – Corporate Executive Vice President and CEO – South Asia Region, Axiata Group Berhad, and Supun Weerasinghe, Group Chief Executive, Dialog Axiata PLC.
The ‘Life Healing Centre’ set up in collaboration with ‘Seth Sarana’, the social action arm of the Archdiocese of Colombo, will provide psychosocial rehabilitation for affected families through its team of Catholic certified counsellors, led by Rev. Fr. Claude Nonis, Director – Archdiocesan Family Apostolate, Coordinator – National Family Apostolate. The Life Healing Centre will provide psychosocial rehabilitation for those affected through a range of programmes customised for children, adolescents, young adults and adults, by addressing a range of psychosocial issues including depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and other psychosocial issues resulting from traumatic events. The centre is in close proximity to the affected families and will be open every day from 8 am to 8.30 pm.
During the opening of the Life Healing Centre, complete eye check-ups by Vision Care, and hearing check-ups by the Ratmalana Audiology Centre were also conducted for those impacted. Required prescriptions for spectacles were provided on the day of the opening, following which the prescribed spectacles will be distributed free of charge by Vision Care. Hearing aid requirements will be provided by the Fund. Furthermore, a medical screening camp was conducted by MyDoctor team for those in need and vouchers to purchase prescribed medication were provided as required.
The Rally to Care initiative together with its partners World Vision Lanka, Sarvodaya, My Doctor, Vision Care and Ratmalana Audiology Centre, will continue its relief disbursement efforts and its mission of providing immediate term out-patient support for victims of physical disability and trauma, long-term educational support for 500+ children, and psychosocial rehabilitation for 250+ families that were affected by the tragic incidents.