A walk to raise funds
View(s):
Construction nearing completion. Pix by Dilushi Wijesinghe
‘SUWA ARANA’ is scheduled to be opened on June 29, with a fund-raiser in the form of a two-mile walk or five-km run to be held next Sunday (June 4) to mark Cancer Survivors’ Day, at 4 p.m. from Independence Square, Colombo.
Initially, the cost estimate for SUWA ARANA had been Rs. 425 million but has now doubled to around Rs. 845m due to the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
Please contribute your mite to this worthy cause, says the Indira Cancer Trust. Its Account Name is: Indira Cancer Trust O/A Suwa Arana; Account Number 2000048464; Bank: Commercial Bank; Branch: Foreign Branch.
Hectic is the pace at which work is going on at the sleek, spacious and airy six-floor building on a 40-perch block, with gangs of workers tending to concreting the steps, performing welding work, electric work and attending to the gardens.
Before the doors of the rooms are thrown open to little ones and their parents, the Sunday Times gets a peek this week, with energetic Coordinator Joan Hyde bounding up the stairs.
Each floor has large thick-glassed windows in the common area providing a panoramic view of a green canopy beyond the immediate sprawl of housing and offices around the Apeksha Hospital. Plants in troughs will adorn the narrow balconies running around the building, while a curtain of plants will also cascade down from each balcony of each floor.
Ms. Hyde goes into detail: The ground floor will comprise a reception, patio, dining room, kitchen, laundry, a toilet for the disabled and parking. The 1st floor will house the ICT offices, counselling room, wig-making room, conference room, storage section and toilets.
The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th floors would accommodate the children, eight spacious rooms all with attached bathroom to each floor, making 32 rooms. All these rooms would have a nice bed for the child, a sofa-bed for the carer, cupboards and a great view. Two of these rooms with a connecting door would be demarcated as the Rainbow Rooms where not just the carer who is usually the mother but also other family members could hold the hand as a child’s life ebbs away.
Each of the floors would have a TV in the common area. Either each floor or several rooms on each floor have been sponsored by corporates, trusts, welfare organizations or individuals.
The open rooftop with artificial grass and tall potted plants to give a feel of a garden would have in each corner small places of worship representing the four religions. It is also here that therapy would be carried out, while in the lobby would be a playroom.
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.