Special people with special skills

By Laila Nasry

'Splash of Colour' the art and craft exhibition, held on July 27, 28 and 29 was the grand finale of the silver jubilee of the CCSE. The exhibition held special significance for not only was it a celebration of twenty five years of love and compassion in overcoming disability but it also signified the beginning of a new chapter at the centre in providing more care to its students. 

Having acquired the land at the back of their premises, the Colombo Centre for Special Education in a slow but steady realisation of its vision, is raising funds for a hostel to provide accommodation to its students. "We've got the land and the blueprints, we are now looking for the funds," a staff member said. 

I'm introduced to Chitranjan. Now in his fifties, he is the inspiration behind the CCSE, which was started by Rev. Celestine and Mrs. Nora Fernando, his parents, in aid of 'special' persons like himself. 

Presently there are 18 students at the centre, all with special needs, suffering from Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy and other problems like learning disabilities. Enrolment is open to all, but the student cadre is kept within a manageable 25. A fee of Rs. 250 per month is generally charged from the students but has been waived in many instances. Though the students come from different linguistic, ethnic and religious backgrounds, the centre is equipped to cater to their total needs through an integrated programme of basic schooling, speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Each student is given individual attention by the eleven member staff with the ultimate aim of eventually empowering them to be independent and function outside the centre. Imtiaz, who has 'passed out', now lends a hand at the centre helping his long-standing friends acquire similar independence. 

Mrs. Senanayake, the mother of Danesh, a student at the centre is filled with pride. Having enrolled him seven years ago at CCSE, she has seen him make vast progress. 

Kumar and Shashika join our little circle and taking my hand they urge me to come and have a look and I go willingly, glad to be a part of their personal victory and celebration.

Reunited on radio

It has been a long wait for Alaw attage Chandrika Silva. For thirty-six years, she has wondered if she would ever see her father again. Wondered where he was and why he never returned to his family. There are many questions she has wanted to ask. And although time has healed the childhood wound left by his departure, hopes of a reunion still haunt her. 

P.G. Ratnaseeli has been searching for a long lost friend. A friend whom she lost touch with ten years ago, a young Corporal of the Army Medical Unit named A. Senaratne who used to drop by the Blind Council at Fort to brighten many lives with his chatter and laughter whenever blind soldiers were brought in for rehabilitation.

"I was very young then and he helped me see the world and understand it through his kindness and friendship. He was the best friend I had, yet we drifted apart with time," she says. And over the years she has wondered about his whereabouts, wishing she could make contact again.

Two families separated by floods that hit their village in Batticaloa years ago, are now searching for each other. In days gone by, they were neighbours, more family than friends. Yet today, neither knows the other's whereabouts; they believe only a miracle could help them meet again. 

All these people in different parts of Sri Lanka had all but lost hope of reuniting as days turned to months and months to years. But one Wednesday morning, the radio gave them new hope. Sirasa FM was on a mission, searching for missing relatives, friends and family on air.

'It is another Wednesday morning on Soorya Sirasa.... If you are trying to find a loved one, friend or anyone with whom you have lost touch for ages you are tuned into the right station as we will help you trace them....all you have to do is call us....'

Surprised by the number of callers who kept informing Soorya Sirasa (their morning show) of the people they wanted to re-establish contact with, Chandrika, Ratnaseeli and many others who were tuned in decided to give the station a call.

Every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the studio's special client line (840282) is bombarded with calls from listeners in search of someone or from people who believe they are the ones being searched for. 

Programme host and Director of Sirasa Radio network, Kingsley Ratnayaka, says the idea came to him at a get-together of old mates. "I was spending an evening with friends chatting about the past and people we had lost contact with. One friend who had been asking me to help him find his old girlfriend joked that one radio announcement would be sufficient to find her. Six months later it occurred to me that everyone has someone they have lost touch with and craves to re-establish a relationship with. So we decided to launch a programme on these lines and the response was more than we imagined," he explained. 

After a month on air, their data bank was filled with requests from hundreds of callers. In fact, they have had to appoint special client service personnel and have a phone line dedicated to the programme which is manned during office hours. 

"On the very first day of the programme we received 13 appeals and now we have at least fifty calls every day. 

We try to accom-modate as many as possible but it is difficult especially since we do not have a separate team to locate these people. Often we reach a dead end,' he said.

One such case was that of a child who called in to say that his father was a navy officer who went to Kayts on duty and had not returned home in three years. Kingsley is aware that there is little chance of a radio station being able to assist in the many cases of soldiers missing in action. 

"This is our attempt to bring people together. So far we have managed to reunite former lovers, neighbours, friends, relatives, family members and even teachers and students," he said. 

This is the first time in Sri Lanka that any group has publicly attempted to reunite and locate missing persons. And for a local radio station to take up the task, is a big responsibility - one which they are determined to continue. 

Some of their success stories are those of friendship and love. Ariyaratne Kottage from Piliyandala found his former love ten years later while Anuradhapura Rohitha Padma Kumara and Channa S. Panditha, two friends were reunited. Pannala Nimal Chandrasiri who struck Palitha Bernard Perera with a pencil on his eye when they were classmates at the Bopitiya Maha Vidyalaya were forbidden to speak to each other at the time. Their friendship was rekindled two months ago. Sadly, many cases involve missing soldiers who cannot be traced due to obvious reasons. 

When long-lost friends are linked up live on air during the programme for the first time in years, the emotions and exc-itement are obvious. 

However, the callers are advised not to give personal information such as phone numbers on air. 

"It is not easy doing this. Especially since you have to check and double check if the person you have located is the person they are looking for. So, we use many ways to ensure accuracy. Often, we ask for personal details and experiences that only the two parties would be aware of in establishing their identities. The public has been very helpful to us in our search. Most people call in to say that such a person with such a name lives or works with them, etc.," Kingsley said.

Although positive results are not always possible, the Soorya Sirasa team is determined not to lose faith. 

Thanks to them, many have found hope and new opportunities. However, while, Alawattage Chandrika Silva still waits to see her father who left her thirty-six years ago, Ratnaseeli has been more fortunate. 

She will soon be reunited with her long lost friend Corporal Senaratne, live on air. So will hundreds of others in programmes to come, who wait in eager anticipation. When they do meet, their happy smiles are the rewards for the Sirasa team.

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