Chance to live and laugh

By Laila Nasry and Ruhanie Perera. 

There was satisfaction and joy in the eyes of Suba Tidball as she sat before us recounting the little triumphs and fulfilling moments in her daily life with these kids. Kids, who are destitute, orphaned and at times even abused. Kids who deserve a better life. Suba had what it took to make these kids smile, to feel wanted and loved. She had a heart full of love and a soul full of kindness.

Save Lanka Kids established in 1997 is the result of Suba's determination to give kids a chance to live and learn...a chance to laugh. The main focus of this group is preventing child sexual abuse, found in all social, ethnic and religious groups. "I was horrified when around three years ago all I kept reading about was of Sri Lankan children being abused. This is my way of trying to stop it," says Suba. She feels this to be an opportunity of giving back to society and also a "much needed break after graduating with a degree in Fine Arts".

Suba remembers the time that Save Lanka Kids consisted of just her. Today with a team of volunteer workers, they are reaching out to more and more children, fighting child abuse through education and awareness campaigns. 

The campaigns are well-planned, set out in a format that even very young children can understand. The 'Say No' campaign empowers children to stand up against their abusers, teaching them the valuable lesson that their body is their own and no one has the right to touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Cards with smiley faces are printed with advice for children to "say no, to run away from the situation and to tell an adult they trust if anyone did touch them". The cards printed in all three languages are distributed wherever the campaign is carried out. Lots of children's stories on the same theme of saying 'no' have been written as well and are made available to them. "It is always best that the stories are read out to the children by an adult," says Suba who stresses that the vital message that "abuse is not the child's fault" must be conveyed to the child. 

The campaign is carried out at school-level where representatives visit schools and make presentations for children during a special assembly and through sports and other self-building and teamwork programmes. For, Suba believes that the lessons need to be integrated slowly. Save Lanka Kids has also launched a mass media campaign, with support from advertising agencies and production houses. At the same time more volunteers and counsellors are being trained to look into the needs of the children.

Save Lanka Kids is part of Community Concern Society, a registered Christian non-governmental organization, which was founded by Suba's parents in the early 1980s. Its projects include the Dehiwela Outreach Centre, a morning school, which has around 80 children during the day. These children, a majority of whom are unable to read or write, are from the surrounding beach area. As they are either illegitimate or without birth certificates, they face discrimination by schools in the vicinity, which have denied them admission. 

Here they are taught everything from maths to religion in both Sinhala and Tamil. The school provides uniforms, shoes, books and other stationery. The children look forward to art, a subject taken by Suba, once a week. It teaches them patience and staying power together with the elements of fun and creativity. 

The school has organised exhibitions and field trips and the photographs on the walls are evidence of the good times. The children are enthusiastic and fast learners so much so that some schools in the vicinity have accepted a few of them after their initial grounding here at the centre. 

In the evening the centre turns into a venue for those seeking help in their studies - tuition - with the numbers ranging from 300-350. 

As we walk around we think of what Margaret Mead has said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world, indeed that is the only thing that ever has."

How true it seems. In its short span, the Save Lanka Kids, which was initially a group of thoughtful citizens has changed the life of numerous children giving them hope and courage. For those working with the kids it has been both a giving and receiving experience. Says Suba, "I thought I would be the one to touch their lives but it is my life that they have touched." 

Save Lanka Kids plans to reach every child in Sri Lanka and create a safer environment for them within the next five years. "The best thing would be if we can completely eradicate the problem and be out of a job soon. Then we'd all pack-up and go home with a real 'good' feeling," she smiles. 
Big steps for kids

The book, 'The truth will set you free', was written by Suba Tidball and Alison Shuttleworth with the hope that speaking the truth will truly set children free. 

More and more children find themselves in a situation where they have to go to courts for various reasons. A child is naturally petrified in court and is in a vulnerable position. 

So this book, launched on April 1, seeks to prepare children for the process of appearing in court. Suba hopes that courts will take note and change laws where children are concerned, as well as take steps to make the courtroom more 'child-friendly'.

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