New building, new beginning for RFL

Today the Richmond Fellowship Lanka will mark another milestone. After overcoming many setbacks, it will inaugurate its own building — a residential rehabilitation home as well as a long term residential care home for individuals who have suffered mental illness.

The home will be inaugurated by Minister Felix Perera.

The RFL was set up in 1998 when well-known mental health activist Malini Balasingham along with a few others set out to improve Sri Lanka’s mental health services, which are woefully inadequate even today. The local organisation sought affiliation to RF UK which was set up by well-known mental health activist Elly Jansen in London soon after the war.

The vision of RF UK and RFL was the same — improving the human rights of those who were ill and providing skilled care to mentally and emotionally disturbed people by offering in-house rehabilitation aimed at ultimately helping them to be reintegrated with their families as well as the community.

The second important milestone for RFL was in 2000 when, for the first time in Sri Lanka, a half-way home was built in Uswetakeiyawa. A magnanimous gift of land and money by the initiator and founder of RFL, Ms. Balasingham, along with a gift of Rs. 3 million by an anonymous donor made it possible. The home built close to the sea was named Shanthialaya—a haven of peace and care.

Initially there were only four residents who were looked after by a matron and an administrator.

In 2005, came the next milestone. RFL was able to set up two homes, one for men and the other for women. A sheltered workshop where residents were trained in self-employment projects which they could eventually continue in their own homes was also set up.

The December 2004 tsunami which affected Sri Lanka’s coastline, also affected the very first home that was built near the sea. The male residents had to be evacuated to the women’s home on two occasions. This, as well as the increased demand for accommodation made it necessary for RFL to make some important decisions. A home that could accommodate 25 male and female residents had to be built in a safer locality.

When the board was looking for land elsewhere, another benefactor from Bopitiya offered 40 perches of land in the Bopitiya town. Thus one year ago another milestone in the form of a building programme was reached. The plan was to build rooms to accommodate 25 residents as well as a few separate rooms for long-stay residents.

Many people have helped in finding the money for this building. There are many more milestones to be reached in the future. RFL needs the help and support of many individuals within the community to take it forward in its valuable work.